UK driving licence - living abroad.

[jdw100]

Hi,

I wondered if anyone can give me some advice.

I left the UK for Indonesia at the end of last year. I've been trying to find out information re what to do with my driving licence since then. The DVLA website is of little use, I have called them twice and once having navigated the tortuous automated system managed to speak to someone.

First person said: you can't have your new Bali address on it. Okay I said so what do I do.....His response was 'have you checked our website' to which I replied yes and it doesn't help. He then suggested leaving it registered at my old address but then when I said that must be illegal he responded that it might be.....so could I register to another address in UK, how can I do this I asked if I don't live in UK? In the end he admitted he didn't know what I should do.

Basically no real help.

Second attempt; I recounted the above, the lady then suggested I look at website....then said she would find someone who could answer my question and promptly cut me off.

My licence is therefore still registered to my old address but I'm popping back to UK in May and will probably hire a car, so I'd like this issue sorted by then.

I'm sure lots of people will have been in the same boat - anyone have advice on the legal thing to do?

Thanks!

[Magic919]

The legal thing is to surrender the licence when you are not resident here, I expect.

[JMGS4]

You keep the old GB license and use a local one. For example in Switzerland you must have a swiss license if you're resident. I had to get a german license when I moved here in '74, but I still have the old GB license at my old address, just in case a bobby pulls me over in the UK and is incapable of understanding an EU license.

[Vaud]

As long as you have a valid UK contact address I wouldn't worry too much, DVLA is not that joined up to know that you have left the country.

[TooMany2cvs]

jdw100 said:

My licence is therefore still registered to my old address

And is that still a valid contact address for you?

Simple answer - if you don't have a valid UK contact address, you need to surrender your UK licence. I'm sure it's straightforward to get one in the country you actually live in.

[creampuff]

You have your UK licence at your UK address (or find a relative and use that) and an Indonesian licence at your Indonesian address.

[SS2.]

I'd just use a UK relative's address - this would also enable the photocard to be updated every 10 years, as required.

[jdw100]

creampuff said:

You have your UK licence at your UK address (or find a relative and use that) and an Indonesian licence at your Indonesian address.

Very difficult to get an Indonesian driving licence.

Can't buy a car or a house if you are not a citizen - or even a scooter!

[TooMany2cvs]

jdw100 said:

Very difficult to get an Indonesian driving licence.

Doesn't seem that hard in theory - http://www.expat.or.id/info/driverslicense.html or https://www.justlanded.com/english/Indonesia/Indon... - but I guess reality can differ from theory.

Will you be applying for citizenship, if it makes life in your new home country that much easier?

[jdw100]

TooMany2cvs said:

Doesn't seem that hard in theory - http://www.expat.or.id/info/driverslicense.html or https://www.justlanded.com/english/Indonesia/Indon... - but I guess reality can differ from theory.

Will you be applying for citizenship, if it makes life in your new home country that much easier?

I can get a licence (we think) once I have a family visa..this has to be renewed every year...it's quite complex.

Also, if you have ever driven in indo - the licence is not worth the paper it's written on.

c 45,000 road deaths a year. If the UK population was scaled up to Indo size there would be c6,000.

Most people pay 'under the table' to get a licence.

[mwyatt82]

Technically I think you have to surrender it I asked questions about this and the plod element on here suggested the licence has effectively expired although my right to drive hasn't. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... I would suggest you get a licence in your local country (I did but then the U.S is straightforward). Sorry I can't be of more use

[Du1point8]

Could you not have a look at an international licence?

I have one and its valid for 1 year... for the pricey sum of £5 from the post office.

I will be using it Australia and just need to renew it at some point when Im back in the UK.

Although I have it easier as I have a property back in the UK.

[shirt]

Magic919 said:

The legal thing is to surrender the licence when you are not resident here, I expect.

this is correct

Vaud said:

As long as you have a valid UK contact address I wouldn't worry too much, DVLA is not that joined up to know that you have left the country.

and so is this!

[jdw100]

mwyatt82 said:

Technically I think you have to surrender it I asked questions about this and the plod element on here suggested the licence has effectively expired although my right to drive hasn't. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... I would suggest you get a licence in your local country (I did but then the U.S is straightforward). Sorry I can't be of more use

Thanks anyway!

[jdw100]

shirt said:

and so is this!

I think I will change the UK licence address to my patents. I will also be trying to get an Indo licence.

I do have an international licence as well, but o needed my UK licence to obtain it.

That should cover all the bases. Thanks for all the advice and opinions everybody; much more useful than the DVLA.

[anonymous-user]

You have to have an address in the UK where you can be contacted, I always used my parents, but they died so my license is at my old house in the UK that I sold 16 years ago, its never been an issue as I don't use the license but technically I am breaking the law, and should surrender.
If you are stopped in the UK, as I have been, and you have a hire car from Heathrow the police will realize you are a non resident and ask for your license, if it is a UK one they will ask if the address works, if answer is yes all OK.
I never use my UK license as I have a foreign one registered at my correct address, but I'm not sure an Indonesian one will work. If you are stopped on a foreign license without a UK contact address, which is my current situation, then you can be held in custody for a motoring offense. I had this on the M4 once, threatened with a night in the cells and then the magistrates court as I didn't have an address when I was stoppled in a 50 zone for speeding. The police man told me it was illegal for me to drive in the UK with a foreign license as I was a British citizen, I told him he was wrong and in the end he let me go with a warning for the speeding.

[TooMany2cvs]

Berw said:

If you are stopped in the UK, as I have been, and you have a hire car from Heathrow the police will realize you are a non resident

Eh? You're suggesting only non-residents hire cars from UK airports? Definitely not the case - I've done it meself. It can be a lot cheaper and easier to do a one-way hire than parking, taxi or public transport.

[Old Merc]

My son has traveled the world for the last fifteen years working on various contracts.His UK driving licence uses my address,he has hired and leased cars in every country without problems.

[krallicious]

I've been out of the UK for a while now and still have my UK licence but being in the EU makes things a bit easier.

[Magic919]

The Police probably get confused about citizen and resident. That said, anyone that writes 'license' or 'offense' is fair game.