I’ve met people with international driving licences from all over the world; Sri Lanka, China, Russia and many others. These international licences pose a problem for driving instructors because we have no way of checking if they are valid.
Teaching someone on a licence that isn’t valid makes my insurance invalid. I would get 6 points on my licence and lose my job for driving without insurance. I could also then face a bill of tens of thousands of pounds for any damage caused in a crash. You’d also get 6 points.
If you have an international licence then you’re going to be swapping it for a UK licence anyway after passing a test so why not just swap it anyway before lessons? Some people won’t because they have something to hide and know they won’t be issued with a UK licence.
Having a UK licence is essential if you want driving lessons with me because I won’t take the risk of not being insured.
How to swap an international driving licence to a UK driving licence
The process for swapping an international driving licence to a UK driving licence is different depending on which country your driving licence is from and how long you have been in the UK.
There isn’t just one set rule. For licences from some countries you can drive in the UK for 2 years. For other countries it’s 1 year.
Visit the UK governments website about swapping a foreign driving licence for a UK driving licence.
You must have been in the UK for at least 185 days in the last 12 months to take a UK driving test. One exception to this is if you’re taking a taxi test.
Once you have your UK driving licence then you can contact me to book your driving lessons.
