Can I Use My International Driving Licence In UK? If you are from an EEA country which covers the European Union as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein you can drive on your international driving licence without any additional driving tests. If you are aged 70+ then you will be required to exchange your European driving licence for a British driving licence.
If you are from an EEA country which covers the European Union as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein you can drive on your international driving licence without any additional driving tests. If you are aged 70+ then you will be required to exchange your European driving licence for a British driving licence.
If you are looking to hire from us and your current driving licence is not issued from an EEA country, then please call our office before booking as we may need to have your driving licence referred to our insurance.
If you are from a country outside the EEA country list, you may still drive for 1 year after the date you became a UK resident. If you are from the list of “designated countries” you have a choice to exchange your foreign driving licence for a British driving licence with no driving test. Here are the designated countries that are eligible.
For all countries that are outside these designated areas and outside the EEA country list you can still drive for up to 1 year as a UK resident. To be considered a UK resident you must have lived in a permanent address in Great Britain for a minimum of 185 days.
After 1 year of becoming a UK resident you will need to pass a UK driving test starting with a provisional test. If you are driving with a provisional driving licence, you will require supervision whilst driving from somebody aged 21+ that has held a full UK driving licence for 3 years.
What is IDP? An international driving permit (IDP), can be applied for when looking to drive in countries where a UK driving licence alone is not applicable.
An IDP is recommended for travel to over 140 countries, the Post Office offers a free IDP checker that will highlight if you require an IDP for the country you plan to visit.
To request an IDP you will need a full UK driving licence or Northern Ireland driving licence, if you are from Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man with a valid driving licence you will also be able to apply for an international driving permit UK.
How long does it take to get IDP? If you get your IDP from the Post Office on a turn-up and go basis it will only take around 5 minutes. This will usually be valid for 12 months.
Looking for how to apply for international driving licence or how to get an international driving permit? You can apply for a post office international driving permit, for just £5.50, (application fee). You must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, have a full UK driving licence and be 18 or over.
The Post Office advises you to bring along your full valid photo-card licence, passport standard photo and your valid passport as proof of ID if presenting an older paper version licence for your international driving permit application.
We recommend that you check the GOV resource for driving abroad to see if you require an IDP in the countries you plan to visit, please feel free to contact us directly for further information on how to get an international driving licence for self-drive van hire.
If you're wanting to know how to get a UK driving licence or how to get driving licence in the UK, as mentioned above if you are from an EEA country or fit within the listed designated countries you may be eligible to exchange your foreign licence for a UK driving licence with no further testing. If you are outside of these countries, then you will require testing to acquire a full UK driving licence.
However, you will still be able to drive for up to 12 months with your foreign licence, this including any vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, which conveniently allows for you to drive our self-drive van rentals.
The process to change your international driving licence to a UK driving licence is simple, checkout this GOV resource for exchanging a foreign driving licence for a step by step guide. Please note if you choose to exchange your foreign licence it will not be returned to you, as it is replaced with a full UK driving licence.
You will be asked to provide the following documentation during the application process. A completed D1 and any other required forms, passport, passport photo with colour, your current foreign driving licence along with translations if from Japan or South Korea. There is also an administrative fee of £43 to be paid.
Is Northern Ireland driving licence different to UK? First or all, Northern Ireland licence holders can use their driving licence anywhere in the UK as long as it is valid, if you are looking for a van hire England to Northern Ireland you can drive your rental in Northern Ireland with a standard UK driving licence.
If you are looking to drive in Northern Ireland with an international driving licence, here are the terms for international drivers in northern Ireland.
If you are an international student in the UK looking to drive a rental van, you can do so if you’re from an EEA (European Economic Area) country.
If you are from a county outside the EEA, you will require a driving licence from your own country for 1 year or an international driving permit UK.
There is also a non-GB licence test for your eligibility driving within the UK If you have been here past 1 year, you will require a UK provisional driving licence to continue driving with the supervision of someone aged over 21 that has had a full UK driving licence for over 3 years.
You will then need to proceed to sit a full UK driving test before you can drive a self-drive van rental without supervision.
We recommend that all international students to checkout the highway code for road safety.
The first thing to check before self-drive van hire to Europe is your UK driving licences validity. If you need to renew, checkout this resource to renew your driving licence. If your driving licence has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed you will need to apply for a new driving licence.
Van hire for european travel will also require a VE103B form which is essentially a legally required vehicle on hire certificate, the consequences of not having your certificate for european van hire UK vary depending on the country you are travelling to, law enforcement agency you are dealing with and the time of day in which you were stopped without your vehicle on hire certificate.
For van hire to Europe, you can get a VE103B form by contacting our office ahead of pickup, or alternatively please contact the AA, British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), Logistics UK, RAC Motoring services and Road Haulage Association (RHA).
One of the most popular locations we deal with at hirefleet regarding van hire europe is self-drive van hire to France. Van hire UK to France is allowed with a standard UK driving licence if it is a British or European licence issued before 2021.
You will still need to meet the minimum requirements for age which is 18+ for permit B, you will need to meet medical requirements, have no sanctions, restrictions, or cancellations of your right to drive within the UK and not have obtained your UK driving licence at a time you were prohibited in France for application of a driving licence.
You cannot drive in France with an expired European or British licence or if there is less than 6 months remaining. You will receive an ADS if you are waiting for a French licence to drive in France in the meantime, this certificate will allow you to drive in France but only within the recognition period which is 1 year from the start of your French residency.
You can exchange your UK driving licence for a French licence with no further testing required if your UK driving licence has expired. Checkout our post on Best Crew Cab Van for Family Travel if you need any further information about international van hire.
If you are looking for international van hire in the UK or van hire for european travel at hirefleet we not only offer great prices but truly provide a first-class service.
To book your van hire for international travel or van hire to travel abroad please select the appropriate pickup date range, then set the pickup and drop-off time alongside any additional features that you may require, likewise for international visitors looking to rent a van whilst in the UK.
Whether you require sat nav assistance, packaging sheets or a sack trolley, we will ensure your rental is fully equipped with your selections upon pickup to make your van hire to Europe or international van hire within the UK stress-free.
We also are conveniently located to serve Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire for van rental europe and UK.
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