Driving License 2yr "Temp" domestic only ? New EU laws

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Also expires when you have no UK address.

Again if out of the UK or EU area for over 2 years becomes invalid.

I sent mine back by post in 2007. 

My dad was out the country for 4 years with no probs.........

[Kwasaki]

2 minutes ago, Naam said:

mine expires in 2033

l've got my new picture done to renew my Alien Thai DL. 

 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

My dad was out the country for 4 years with no probs.........

Yeah I was out 20 years and still maintain my license, I was classified as a non resident during this time.

Sent from my iPhone with the usual amount of sincerity and sarcasm [emoji4]

[jonw8uk]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Also expires when you have no UK address.

Again if out of the UK or EU area for over 2 years becomes invalid.

I sent mine back by post in 2007. 

would you have to resit the driving test should you return to the UK?  

 

I called the dvla when i was back, as i was a little concerned about the 1000 quid fine for not updating address. As expected they had no solution as you cant register a foreign address. They didnt however, instruct me to send it back to them.  So i maintain my license and use my fathers address. Its a useful license to have. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

would you have to resit the driving test should you return to the UK?  
 
I called the dvla when i was back, as i was a little concerned about the 1000 quid fine for not updating address. As expected they had no solution as you cant register a foreign address. They didnt however, instruct me to send it back to them.  So i maintain my license and use my fathers address. Its a useful license to have. 

Yeah, I use my fathers address for DL and other stuff and have had no issues .

I hope you don't have to resit the driving test !
It was a long time ago and I'm sure I've picked up 1 or 2 bad habits by now ! [emoji51]


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[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, jonw8uk said:

Would you have to resit the driving test should you return to the UK?  

I would say no on stuff l've read in the past and there's reams of it,  there's not really any complete explanation of the many situations regarding UK DL's, it has grey areas.

The £1000 fine thing gives out the wrong vibes IMO and never found anything on it being enforced.

The main consensus is if you maintain a UK address on the UK DL it would still be valid if you return for a visit from where you live abroad.

That said in my case once my Thai 5 year DL was in my possession it can used in the UK for 1 year so what point of me keeping my UK one which is only valid for 90 days on a tourist visa.

 

Here some snippets from web site questions and one from the DVLA.

 

UK. GOV.  If you’re moving abroad you can’t register your new address on your British driving licence. Contact the driving licence authority in your new country of residence.

 

 

DVLA email :-  I am sorry but it is not possible for an individual who is a UK citizen but is no longer resident in the UK to apply for a further driving licence.                                Changes to British legislation resulting in the implementation of the Second EC Directive on Driving Licences (91/439/EEC) since 1 January 1997, have required that driving licences are granted only to drivers who are resident in this country.

 

 

Expats web site : -  I was out of the UK for 11 years. I just sent in the paperwork to DVLA when I returned in 2011 with the photo and passport (for proof of identity) and I think something else as proof of address. Got the UK license back in about a week.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2017 by Kwasaki

[Mattd]

When I contacted DVLC about the UK license about 2 years ago then the answer was simple.

 

If you do not have a current address in the UK then you cannot drive on the UK licence, as mine is still the paper one, with the wrong address on it, then it does NOT invalidate the licence per say, you just are not allowed to drive using it, if you get the meaning, so if you were to return back to the UK, then you have to show residence at an address for 2 years, then can apply for a replacement licence. (I read that this is now 3 years, at the time DVLC said 2)

You are allowed to drive on a valid Thai licence in the UK for up to one year.

Their advice to me was to get on the electoral register at an address ASAP (Family if can) to start the process of time, as this is how they verify the residency.

[maprao]

Also expires when you have no UK address.
Again if out of the UK or EU area for over 2 years becomes invalid.
I sent mine back by post in 2007. 

Really can't seem to find the 2 year bit on the DVLA Website.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[joskeshake]

On 28-2-2017 at 7:31 PM, Naam said:

i got my German license in 1962 and it is still valid!

ha ha , yes I had mine also from 1968 but because I was a heavy truck driver,I had every year medical inspection,and so I maybe explained it wrong, sorry.

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, maprao said:

Really can't seem to find the 2 year bit on the DVLA Website.

Yeah l vividly remember reading it somewhere when l came to Thailand knowing that my UK  DL would be invalid in Thailand when l got my non-immigrate 'O' visa and being resident.

 

Looked for it to post on my post ID.66 and couldn't find it on DVLA or any of the UK Gov websites when answering  " have to resit UK driving test.

 

As l've said before :-  " I would say no on stuff l've read in the past and there's reams of it,  there's not really any complete explanation of the many situations regarding UK DL's, it has grey areas."

Edited March 2, 2017 by Kwasaki

[Andrew Dwyer]

A little bit off topic but still relevant.

In the UK they changed the penalties given for driving offences yesterday.
Now the penalty for using mobile phone is £200 + 6 points on your license.
Usually it takes 12 points to lose your license but now it only takes 6 points in the first 2 years you've had your license.
And that's what happened to one unlucky 19 year old who was using Google maps whilst driving !!
Lost his license on the first offence [emoji853]

Makes 500 baht ( or whatever the normal fine for infraction is here) seem even more pathetic !!



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[Lancashirelad]

51 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

A little bit off topic but still relevant.

In the UK they changed the penalties given for driving offences yesterday.
Now the penalty for using mobile phone is £200 + 6 points on your license.
Usually it takes 12 points to lose your license but now it only takes 6 points in the first 2 years you've had your license.
And that's what happened to one unlucky 19 year old who was using Google maps whilst driving !!
Lost his license on the first offence

Makes 500 baht ( or whatever the normal fine for infraction is here) seem even more pathetic !!



Sent from my iPhone with the usual amount of sincerity and sarcasm

That was brought in,  in 1995 !

[Andrew Dwyer]

That was brought in,  in 1995 !

I've been off the radar for a while !!
[emoji51]


Sent from my iPhone with the usual amount of sincerity and sarcasm [emoji4]

[Kwasaki]

10 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Lost his license on the first offence

 

This lost more than a licence.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Kwasaki

[LongTimeLurker]

On 3/1/2017 at 4:20 PM, Mattd said:

When I contacted DVLC about the UK license about 2 years ago then the answer was simple.

 

If you do not have a current address in the UK then you cannot drive on the UK licence, as mine is still the paper one, with the wrong address on it, then it does NOT invalidate the licence per say, you just are not allowed to drive using it, if you get the meaning, so if you were to return back to the UK, then you have to show residence at an address for 2 years, then can apply for a replacement licence. (I read that this is now 3 years, at the time DVLC said 2)

You are allowed to drive on a valid Thai licence in the UK for up to one year.

Their advice to me was to get on the electoral register at an address ASAP (Family if can) to start the process of time, as this is how they verify the residency.

In an email to me DVLA said that my UK (green) paper license can still be used in UK until I am 70 and as I live abroad the address cannot be changed and any fine for incorrect address would not be applicable.

Edited March 4, 2017 by LongTimeLurker

[Mattd]

On 04/03/2017 at 9:03 PM, LongTimeLurker said:

In an email to me DVLA said that my UK (green) paper license can still be used in UK until I am 70 and as I live abroad the address cannot be changed and any fine for incorrect address would not be applicable.

Now that is interesting, as they pretty much told me the opposite, my question at the time was related to hiring a car and using my UK licence, they told me that I could not and must use my Thai licence, as driving without the correct address is an offence.

Never had an issue hiring a car with the Thai licence, though mine is a 5 year one.

[Mattd]

As an addition to the above post, I seem to remember that DVLC also stated in their reply to me, that in the event of a change of a UK address then you must inform DVLC and replace the paper licence with the photo type.

[transam]

5 minutes ago, Mattd said:

As an addition to the above post, I seem to remember that DVLC also stated in their reply to me, that in the event of a change of a UK address then you must inform DVLC and replace the paper licence with the photo type.

The paper thingy is now history...

[Mattd]

10 minutes ago, transam said:

The paper thingy is now history...

I do believe that the green or pink paper licence's issued prior to the photo licence introduction remain valid so long as your name or / and address remain the same and you are not disqualified at some point.

If any of the above happens, then they must be replaced with the photo licence.

 

You are correct if you are referring to the paper part of the photo licence, I think this was done away with in June 2015.

[transam]

6 minutes ago, Mattd said:

I do believe that the green or pink paper licence's issued prior to the photo licence introduction remain valid so long as your name or / and address remain the same and you are not disqualified at some point.

If any of the above happens, then they must be replaced with the photo licence.

 

You are correct if you are referring to the paper part of the photo licence, I think this was done away with in June 2015.

I have had a photo card for many years, it came with the green paper thingy...Seems the paper is now defunked..

[LongTimeLurker]

10 hours ago, Mattd said:

Now that is interesting, as they pretty much told me the opposite, my question at the time was related to hiring a car and using my UK licence, they told me that I could not and must use my Thai licence, as driving without the correct address is an offence.

Never had an issue hiring a car with the Thai licence, though mine is a 5 year one.

I was also requesting the info with regard to hiring a car.

[LongTimeLurker]

5 hours ago, Mattd said:

As an addition to the above post, I seem to remember that DVLC also stated in their reply to me, that in the event of a change of a UK address then you must inform DVLC and replace the paper licence with the photo type.

 

True, but they also told me that as a non-resident it was not possible for me to have a plastic licence and my paper licence is valid until I'm 70. Unless I move back to UK and need to change the address

 

(I'll just buy back my old house!!!)