Provisional Licence Before you begin driving practise you’ll
need to obtain a provisional licence. This allows you to drive supervised by an
instructor or anyone who is 21 or over and has had at least three years’
experience as a qualified driver. Provisional licences are issued by the Driver
and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
When
To Apply
You can get a provisional licence to drive
a car at 16 but you must be 17 before you start practising.
If you are receiving disability living allowance
you can start a year earlier; so you can apply for your provisional licence
from within three months of your 16th birthday but must be 16 before
you start practising or take the practical test.
How
To Apply
You can apply online if you have a current,
new style passport (the signature and the photo will be on the same page) and can pay
the £50 fee by one of the accepted credit or debit cards. If you apply by post
you’ll need to complete a D1 application form which you can get from the Post
Office or you can order from the DVLA.
European
Community(EC) and European Economic Area (EEA)
If you are resident in the UK but hold a
full driver’s licence issued from a country within the EC/EEA you can use your
licence until it expires or you reach 70, whichever is the sooner. If you want
to take a UK test you must have been resident for at least 185 days of the 12
months preceding your test date.
If you wish to exchange your licence for a
UK one you can do so at any time but you must surrender your EC/EEA licence.
Designated
Countries
If your licence originates from a country
outside the EC/EEA area but is one of a group of designated countries (see list
below) you can drive for one year during which you must exchange your licence
for a UK equivalent. If you do not, you must stop driving, but you may still exchange your licence within five years of becoming resident. If you fail to exchange within the five years, you must apply for a UK provisional licence and assume normal UK learner status.
List of designated countries
Gibraltar and Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe
If the country of origin is not one of
those designated you can use your licence for one year, after which you must
apply for a UK provisional licence and assume normal UK learner status.
Visitors
If you are visiting and have a full
licence from another country, you can use it for up to one year after the date
of your arrival. This is valid for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and with a maximum
of eight passenger seats.
