london_irish

Hi,

Hope someone can point me in the right direction. I've lost my drivers licence or to be more precise my son lifted it from my wallet and disappeared it!

I can't see any pointers on the dvla website- has anyone got ideas on what I need to do to get a new one posted out here?

Thanks

Pablo

The UK DVLA will only send licences to UK addresses. They will not send one abroad and if you tell them you are not resident in the UK they will not let you have a new licence.

Daxk

change your Domicile to your BiL, SiL, best friend address with the DVLA,
once done, aply for a new licence to be posted to that address, have them courier it on to you.
Ply whomever has done the favour with lots of Booze.
smack son.
Hard.
get an International drivers licence.

Mitzyboy

Pablo is correct. I seem to remember there is a licence agreement between UK and SA, although I did think you had to exchange after a period of time (may be wrong there).

When I moved to Spain I changed my licence to a UK address where I could receive mail. If I lose it, then the new one will go there.

Daxk, I have a feeling from past threads and comments that an International Driving Licence has to be backed up by a valid "country" licence, and cant be used on its own

As Daxk suggests, get yourself a UK address immediately, call the DVLA, tell them you have lost your licence, at the same time advise them that you have changed your address for the licence to be sent to. Take care, if you tell them you dont reside in the UK any more .... you dont want to end up taking a new driving test!

ededed

Yup - it's a year. I posted a while back about my driving licence story. An absolute balls up.

You are limited to exactly a year from getting residency to convert your UK to an SA licence without taking a test. You need an SA ID book to convert. Getting an ID book takes more than a year from when you get your residency.

Ergo, you have absolutely no chance of getting the conversion. Faultless logic from the what laughingly passes as the DVLA here. You can drive on a UK licence and getting stopped with one is usually a benefit as it is far too much like hard work to try and process miscreant drivers who are on a licence the fuzz don't recognise.

Found it: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=659603

Get your licence sent to a friend in the UK as mentioned earlier. It's important - if for no other reason than keeping a continual address registered in the UK which will really help if you ever return to the UK. (getting finance without this will be very tricky).

vx999

So what happened? You never updated your other thread after your appeal?

ededed

Bugger all happened. Surprisingly. Still waiting, still driving illegally - technically.

Pablo

No, not "technically". Just illegally. Which means your car insurance isn't valid.

ededed

Well, luckily they paid a pretty hefty claim last year when a taxi nailed me and drove off - and it is noted on the policy that I am driving on a UK licence.

Clearly they must have paid the claim "illegally" too.

Pablo

No doubt. Clever you.

Alfresco

And just to let you know, (rub salt in wound) when you arrive in Australia and have ID and your UK license, you just go into a Transport Office and they change it for an Oz license there and then, for a small fee. Less than an hour. They do the photo and everything.

They even give you your UK license back.

ededed

*sigh*

ededed

Please do me a favour and go.....

oboejane

Hi Ededed!

I was told that after November 1st you could convert your licence up to 4 years after getting residency. Like you - I was never informed my residency permit had come through and by the time I got my ID 18 months had lapsed but at Centurion I was told to come back after Nov 1. Needless to say I haven't as yet done so and I've been trying to find out whether this is now a reality.

ededed

Hi Jane, interesting! I have checked enatis website and it still says a year - I'll email my contact at the department of transport and see if they know anything. Mind you, it could still take 4 years to get it organised!

Appreciate the post, thanks.