snaps

This may safe strife when landing. It may have been seen before on here but ensure you complete the following if intending to travel and hire a car in the UK.

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

You can only do 5 times in a certain period of time, the code will allow you to continue and hire a car. Whole process I believe has to be completed within 72 hours, so don't do too early either.

Last time we were in the hire office there was a serious heated debate going on about forms and license details from a very weary traveler and the counter clerk.

Bo-Jangles

That's fine if you still have UK address and credit card - otherwise there will still be all sorts of strife because you won't have been able to change the address on your drivers licence to an overseas address.

Either way, assuming you have remained registered at an old UK address, you will soon come unstuck as you should be ordinarily resident in the UK to maintain a UK licence. If you've been away a while you won't be able to renew an expired one when it becomes due for renewal and there may also be issues with ID, such as credit card not matching to the address on your licence.


It's a whole lot easier just to use your Kiwi licence when hiring a car.

snaps

It is possible to obtain an International Driving License too, this last 12 months and cost around $20-30 I believe. I still remember the good old days before the internet and ID checks for everything.

barnsleymat

I've been warned about this.

I have both a UK and NZ licence. I've booked a hire car when I land at Heathrow in a few weeks, will it just be a case of giving them my NZ licence instead?

snaps

I believe you can only drive using your UK license if driving in the UK, the NZ one becomes invalid.

MrsFychan

you can drive in the UK on a foreign licence for up to a year or as long as it is valid for if its expires within those first 12 months

Pulaski

An "International Driving Licence" is merely a translation of your national driving licence, and is for most purposes largely irrelevant when traveling between English speaking countries. Occasionally car hire companies have been known to ask for an IDL from a foreign visitor renting a car, but I have never been asked for one in the UK when I have presented my US drivers license.

Stormer999

My UK driving licence became invalid when I left the UK (according to DVLA) so the NZ licence will be used to rent a car in the UK but you will need a photo source (passport) and proof of address (bank statement, utility bill) in your name.

BEVS

However from this old post , it suggests that DVLA have no issue with using the UK license.

Stormer999

Before coming to NZ I did ask this question and was told my UK driving licence needs to be updated with a current address. I wrote off to DVLA who replied....
" I regret that we are unable to amend your driver record to show an address outside England Scotland or Wales.
As you now live in NZ we recommend that you apply to your local driver licensing authority, which may be prepared to issue you with a new licence without the need for you to pass a further driving test(s).
If you decide to return to live here you may, however, drive for a 12 month period on a valid foreign licence or you may apply for the reissue of your GB licence using application form D1.
I have arranged to put a foreign marker on your driver record to avoid any correspondence being sent to your UK address."
This site says you have to be a UK resident....
https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence

nikkijane88

That's interesting... I called DVLA before I came out as I had tried to update the photo but the post office said it wasn't possible so far in advance (runs out next month) however DVLA cleared up that you can update your photo anytime. I can do it online with my passport, and they never said anything about it being invalid after I left the UK, they just said I can update the photo next time I was back in the country. I'm in the fortunate position the address on it is my parents address so I can easily have it sent there.

BEVS

I should add.

I don't care

MrsFychan

driving licence rules changed at the beginning of this month in UK. paper licence are no longer valid unless they were issued before 1998.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/d...icence-changes

so if you have one dated after that you won't be able to use it unless you have the photo id cards

Justcol

nope, thats not true. I've hired a car every time i've visited using my NZ licence. the last time in Nov last year

MrsFychan

Yes you can drive for upto a year on a NZ licence in the UK, you can also reset that start date of the year by leaving the country and re-entering like you can in NZ. Someone I know, for what ever reason, popped over to Australia for a day just to re set the year start date on her UK licence to enable her to keep driving on it rather than getting a NZ one.(seems rather costly way of doing it but maybe it was just an excuse to go shopping?)