UK driving Licence changes

[kevsboredagain]

I have been caught for speeding on a few occasions (twice with just 1km/hr over the limit after the 5% deduction) i just sent a photocopy of my (credit card) license and the payment, thankfully no one has said that i must change to a French license.

It all depends if they check or not. Obviously in your case, they did not check the license against residency, which is not really surprising for a speeding offense.

I also did this for many years but I know a few people that did get caught and made to change, not by the DVLA but by the authority of the country in which they were living. After an accident or at the border, they are more likely to do a more thorough cross reference check.

[RichardHenshall]

None of this applies to me as I live in the UK and in Northern Ireland we are retaining our paper counterparts for the time being.

Those who become resident in other EU countries are AFAIK allowed to continue to use their original (UK) licence, despite the address being wrong, though they usually have to notify or register with the relevant authorities both in their new country and their old one.

They will not be able to renew their (UK) licence as they are now non-resident, so will have to exchange it for a licence from their new country while it's still valid.

I could be wrong but I think that the UK paper counterpart didn't show an expiry date (?) but the photocard is only ever valid for 10 years. An expired photocard will therefore become an expired licence as the paper counterpart will not compensate and cannot then be exchanged.

Who wants to undergo a new driving test in their new country?

[Hells Bells]

The photocard expires, but your entitlement to drive does not.

[RichardHenshall]

The photocard expires, but your entitlement to drive does not.

In the UK maybe, but in another country, without a valid licence?

[Normandie]

Kev: could you amend your quotation of Bassman's post to indicate paragraph in bold isn't mine. Thanks for doing that.

[CSE]

The trouble is the EU have not cleared up this mess. It all comes down to country specifics. Quite why after the EU shouts from the highest hills that the harmonisation of the standard D.L. layout is all about free moment we will never know.

Personally have never understood why expats (from all counties) have a problem to change documents or re-register their cars.

[Cassis]

casasantoestevo is actually correct. You can't just up and leave the UK and drive around for years in the EU on a license that is registered to a place where you no longer live. Yes, the license is valid in the EU but the address must be your permanent address.

Sorry, but that's totally wrong. Bassman and others who say that you can reside in France with a valid UK (or other EU) licence unless you're ordered to exchange due to penalties are correct.

Here is the law:

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/part ... 1757.xhtml

"Les permis de conduire délivrés par les autres pays de l'Espace économique européen (EEE) sont reconnus en France. La personne qui réside en France, titulaire d'un permis de conduire obtenu dans un autre pays européen, peut circuler avec. Elle doit toutefois respecter certaines conditions. Elle peut demander l'échange de son permis national contre un permis français. Mais ce n'est pas une obligation, sauf exception."

So the address on the licence is irrelevant - it's obvious that a licence issued by another country won't show your current address if you've moved abroad.

You can also get a form to carry with your licence from your prefecture driving license office which explains this law if you want to show it to gendarmes - we carry these just in case.

[kevsboredagain]

So the address on the licence is irrelevant - it's obvious that a licence issued by another country won't show your current address if you've moved abroad.

You can also get a form to carry with your licence from your prefecture driving license office which explains this law if you want to show it to gendarmes - we carry these just in case.

My real life example was actually from Germany. The border police there would not agree with you.

Good news! As an EU citizen your drivers licence (Führerschein) is valid in Germany. In fact there is mutual recognition of licences issued by Member States. This means that if you have a valid driving licence issued by a Member State of the European Union it will be valid, throughout the EU, for the class or classes of vehicles for which it was issued in the Member State of origin. - Don't let anyone tell you any different.

However, you can't (to date) change the address on your British licence to your new address in Germany (something to do with the software and British postcodes), So, if you move to Germany permanently you must change your licence to a German one within 6 months of taking up residence in Germany. It's very easy to do, and there are even a couple of benefits

Maybe it has changed as it's 6 years since I lived there.

[Cassis]

Perhaps. Generally I never take at face value anything written in English relating to law outside the UK or opinions like ours on forums. Much better to consult the government website of the country concerned.

[CSE]

So the address on the licence is irrelevant

Until you hire a car in the UK or explain the one of those good old bobbies how you live in France and still have a UK D.L. The French document will not be so handy then.

Another thought; if you are living outside of the UK and they recall your D.L. for exchange to a new card one. Then how will you know that has happened if your address is not correct?
Wonder what DVLA will do if you do not exchange. Remove your permission to drive maybe?

[Cassis]

I agree that the EU regs are illogical but nevertheless it is a fact you can keep your UK licence and it is valid until it expires in some EU countries, France included. It is not an issue unless you lose your UK licence or it expires, in which case you're stuffed. Exchanging one EU licence for another is easy if you want to but you do not have to unless the local authorities order you to do so following an offence. No further comment to add as this subject has been done to death on umpteen expat forums.

[pepsipuss]

The UK authorities will oblige you to change to a local license if you are not UK resident.
We have friends resident in Spain who tried to change the address on their UK licences which were registered at their UK house (actually their daughter's house but they didn't necessarily know that). The licences were returned with a letter telling them they were not permitted to have a UK licence as they were resident in Spain - they knew about it because they had renewed their passports as Spanish residents.

Obviously no problem to change to a Spanish one for them but it does take months sometimes for the new licence to arrive.

I am only just applying for mine after many years because I had to convince the Passport people to put 'also known as' on my passport as my Spanish residence stuff is all in my maiden name.

[Cassis]

Stop, stop, stop!

[pepsipuss]

Stop, stop, stop!

OK!

[teapot]

So that is why the Chicken crossed the road.........to get his EU driving licence