UK driving licence renewal for expats

[Way2Go]

When we moved to Germany 2 years ago we wanted to change our UK driving licences to show our new German address as we no longer live at our old UK address. We went online but were unable to change the address as the licence is for UK addresses only.

 

My understanding is that 'currently' (and don't get me started on that one) a UK driving licence is legal in any EU state and there is 'currently' no need to replace it with a local country one.

 

However, my wife reaches 70 next year and needs to replace her driving licence. She doesn't have any medical problems so it should be a straight renewal. But not having a UK address is a problem so we're not really sure what to do. We would both like to keep our UK driving licences (less unpicking if we ever need to move back to the UK) but this would mean we have to have a UK address.

 

It seems ridiculous but do we say we're living at our son's house in the UK and continue driving around with an address that is not ours or apply for a German driving licence and have to change it should we ever move back to the UK.

 

There are several people on here who are also expats, how do you manage?

 

Any help or advise would be very helpful.

 

Barry

[Seannachie]

Way2Go - 2016-09-30 8:03 AM

 

 

My understanding is that 'currently' (and don't get me started on that one) a UK driving licence is legal in any EU state and there is 'currently' no need to replace it with a local country one.

 

 

Barry

 

I realise this will be unwelcome news for you but my understanding is that you should both have exchanged your UK licences for German ones after you became resident there as legally you are no longer resident in the UK and therefore not entitled to a UK licence.

 

Using your Son's UK address to maintain the fiction that you are still resident in the UK is illegal, notwithstanding that many non-residents apparently do this sort of thing in order to avail themselves of the many benefits which only UK residents are legally entitled to.

 

The fact that other people may be prepared to ignore or break the law when it suits their own circumstances to do so is neither here nor there.

[StuartO]

The advice on the DVLA website is a bit ambiguous but it appears to direct you to conform with whatever the licensing authority in your new Country directs when you migrate abroad so you should ask the German licensing authorities.

 

Your wife's licence will expire when she turns 70 and become invalid straight away unless she applies for renewal.  If she were still in UK renewal is straightforward, as is subsequent renewal every 3 years on the basis of a self-declaration of good health and fitness to drive.  (If she wants to retain an entitlement to drive larger MHs she would need an assessment of her medical fitness, i.e. a medical examination to HGV standards, to retain the additional categories.)

 

Germany will have an equivalent system and that's what your wife should comply with, whatever it is.  At least your wife shouldn't have to take a driving test, although you never know; they may haf vays of making it very komplicated!

 

There are presumably ways of converting everything back to a UK version is you decide to repatriate to UK, assuming of course that the UK will let you repatriate after we leave the EU!

 

Using your son's address in order to pretend you are still in UK while you are resident in Germany is problematic because of the link between the validity of motoring insurance and a valid driving licence.  If there is any irregularity in your driving licence or the way it was obtained your insurance might be invalidated. 

 

Your perfectly valid UK driving licence might also stop being valid for use by a German resident when the UK leaves the EU. Presumably you now have a German motoring policy so you could always ask your German insurer what their expectations are.

 

Who said Brexit was going to be easy or simple to achieve?

 

 

 

[Robbo]

I lived abroad (in the 70's) for 7 years and exchanged my UK licence for a local one.

 

On return to UK, I just reapplied for a UK licence - I don't recall there being any problem.

 

The UK has an agreement with some countries to allow this exchange of driving licences. I would imagine Germany would be on that list. However, my wife obtained her driving licence whilst we were away and her foreign licence wasn't recognised under UK regulations.

[Robinhood]

...whilst I can't (at the moment) definitively help with the renewal process, the following official links explain that, at least until the existing licence expires, the current licence is, and has been, valid in Germany.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-germany

 

(and by following an embedded link in that:)

 

http://www.bmvi.de//SharedDocs/EN/Artikel/LA/validity-foreign-driving-licences-in-germany.html

 

(The question as to what address should be on the licence is an interesting one, however, as the inference from this - the gov.uk info - is that it should be possible to change it to a German address - though the DVLA says you can't. Insurance could be an issue, but most UK-based insurance has wording that would not penalise for "technical" issues with the licence, as long as one had been validly held and not withdrawn).

 

A further link from this document, however, may well explain the process you should take:

 

http://www.bmvi.de/SharedDocs/EN/Anlagen/VerkehrUndMobilitaet/Strasse/fact-sheet-foreign-driving-licences.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

 

...has a section at 2.3 that appears to cover your circumstances, and if it does, then the process doesn't look more onerous tan the DVLA renewal at 70 (assuming you are au fait with dealing with German bureaucracy).

 

Frankly, I think I would explore the possibilities of this process, with the existing UK licence, rather than revert to the DVLA. (and then immediately with your own, on the basis that it might be invalid, because of the address, in DVLA eyes.

 

HTH

[StuartO]

Having read the DVLA link in the previous post and followed the link on that page to the official German page (in English) when you migrate to Germany and become resident your entitlement to rely on the full scope of your UK licence expires and you become subject to some stricter German domestic rules straight away.

 

For purposes of driving an ordinary car your UK licence remains valid until age 70.

 

If however you or your wife are relying on a C1 or C1E category on your UK licence to drive a large MH in Germany, you certainly need to contact the German authorities without delay because your UK licence for C1/C1E may already have lapsed and as far as the Germans are concerned you are driving without a licence and could face prosecution accordingly.

 

The German official page tells you what you need to know.

 

[Way2Go]

Many thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

 

It wasn't relevant to my earlier question but to save anyone going off at a tangent, this is our situation.

 

Our UK spec car and motorhome are both German registered and have been successfully TÜV'd. Both vehicles have been insured with ADAC, along with breakdown cover, as you can't have them registered without German insurance.

 

Our motorhome is in the 3,500 class so we don't need any 'extras'.

 

I think we'll swap our UK driving licences for German ones and swap 'em back again if the unfortunately day ever arises when we have to come back to the UK.

 

Thanks again for the advice and web links ;-)

 

Barry

 

[Dave225]

A good few years ago I moved to Holland to live and work. Although we were part of the EU I still had to apply for a residents permit and was told that my UK licence was valid until the residency was granted and then it had to be swopped for a Dutch one. I complained a bit and asked if I could keep my UK one but was told in no uncertain terms that I could niot, and why did I think the Dutch one was any less valid etc etc.

 

So, my understanding is that as a British resident you can travel in the EU using your UK liicence for up to 6 months each calendar year, but if you change your residency then your licence is no longer valid and a new one will be issued to you.If you return to the UK then it can be swopped back again. If you are registered in Germany for tax purposes then you can return to the UK for 6 months each year, if not, be very careful as you have declared yourself as an expat, and different rules apply.

 

 

[colin]

As a slight aside, I wonder how Brexit will affect pensions for expats?

At the moment if in EU they increase as per UK, but outside of EU they are fixed with no increases.

[BKen1]

colin - 2016-09-30 5:03 PM

 

As a slight aside, I wonder how Brexit will affect pensions for expats?

At the moment if in EU they increase as per UK, but outside of EU they are fixed with no increases.

 

Not quite true you also get increase s annually if you live in these counties who have a social security agreement with the UK

 

Barbados

Bermuda

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Jersey

Guernsey

the Isle of Man

Israel

Jamaica

Kosovo

Macedonia

Mauritius

Montenegro

the Philippines

Serbia

Turkey

USA

But in reality its all "maybe " could be " "probably " at the moment

 

As for the driving license issue from the original post .We found it easier to change our license to a Spanish one. You can then use it as an ID card in most place as it has your NIE number and picture on it ( same is NI number in the UK) and any trafico controls pose no problems a quick glance and your passed through. No need to carry your passport around. Pity the UK scrapped the ID card programme it would make control and checking so much easier for legitimate individuals.

 

Brian K

[Bulletguy]

Way2Go - 2016-09-30 1:08 PM

 

Many thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

 

It wasn't relevant to my earlier question but to save anyone going off at a tangent, this is our situation.

 

Our UK spec car and motorhome are both German registered and have been successfully TÜV'd. Both vehicles have been insured with ADAC, along with breakdown cover, as you can't have them registered without German insurance.

 

Our motorhome is in the 3,500 class so we don't need any 'extras'.

 

I think we'll swap our UK driving licences for German ones and swap 'em back again if the unfortunately day ever arises when we have to come back to the UK.

 

Thanks again for the advice and web links ;-)

 

Barry

 

Barry.......you are going the right way and poster Seannachie was right.

 

My son was posted to Germany when in the forces and he took his car over. Even though they are BFPO after three months they have residential status. That meant he could not drive his car after that period until it had been TUV'd which was fine but in order to pass he had to have LHD headlights fitted......£600!!!

 

Anyway, you won't be coming back. UK is doomed. The pound is down the pan on foreign exchange. CEO of Jaguar Land Rover says EU customers are boycotting them post Brexit and both them and Nissan want the Government to compensate if any tax barriers occur due to Brexit.

 

During my travels around Germany i met a few ex-pat Brits and not one had ever set foot back in UK after leaving. One had lived in Germany over 30 years. You are in a better place! :-D

[cruiser]

I moved to Ireland in 1993, and just applied for my Irish driving licence two weeks ago. I guess I'll be staying!

[PJay]

We have friends living in both France and Spain. All have kept their UK licences, even when reaching 70.

Currently in France and met with a Uk guy married to a German lady and living in Germany. He had transferred his licence to German as he had to, BUT told me he would not give up his UK passport, even though all the family (Kids) are german.

 

PJay