Driving in UK on a non-European licence.

[jdw100]

Quick question...

I'm popping back to the UK shortly for a quick visit.

Let's say I hire a car or borrow one from a friend and get stopped for something.

If I present my Indonesian driving licence (I live in Indo) how would Police react?

For further info: no receprical arrangements with UK/Europe and no points or other penalty system in operation here.

If it were a speeding offence would they just have to send a fine in post to my home address?

I'd add this is all hypothetical- been driving for 31 years and never had a single fine or point. Only ever had two parking tickets in that time as well, one was deserved and the other was dropped.

Any comments would be appreciated!

[seymourski]

Hi, I was trying to find an answer to the same question for my wife who is Thai. This link should help you get started...

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence

Seymour

[Elroy Blue]

You can drive on a non U.K. licence for 12 months as a visitor.

If you receive points, a ghost UK licence is created, which will result in you being banned if you commit further offences that result in 12 points (usually) or it is an offence with an obligatory disqualification.

[anonymous-user]

I've driven in Uk on a foreign license for 35 years on holidays. In the 80's I had a Norwegian one, Norway has a law forbidding resident to hold a non Norwegian license. they keep your British one when you convert, (of course you tell DVLA you lost it and get a duplicate), got stopped on the M4 for speeding and the police man got nasty, but in the end accepted the Norwegian one and let me go with a telling off, today they create a dummy license for you and you get points on that.
For last 20 years I've used a Malaysian license and no problem with hire cars, anywhere in Europe, in fact I think its easier with a foreign license as the hire company don't need the pre approval code (I believe you need to do some sort of preregistration now with a UK license),

[jdw100]

Thanks chaps! Very useful info.

[LeoSayer]

Do you have a UK licence?

[jdw100]

LeoSayer said:

Do you have a UK licence?

Yes I do. Registered to a PO bo,x as I got conflicting info from DVLA over the space of a number of frustrating calls to them.

- since no longer resident in U.K. you need to surrender it to us and we'll give you a letter stating you are entitled to one.

- just register it to a family of friend's address, as long as we have somewhere to send letters it's fine.

Edited to add: I'd probably produce the uk one if stoppped. My question though was re reaction to a foreign licence from Police. I'm not even going to hire a car (easier to use train and tube) so all hypothetical anyway.

Edited by jdw100 on Thursday 21st September 09:04