Wendy

They are so slow here that they probably just haven't updated the site yet!

Definitely give you it back, I've verified with a few others

I don't think they are, hence the change in rules. They can take it off you and send it back, but that's probably too much hassle for them I would hazard a guess that they will have a record of your UK driving licence number on their files, that is linked to your Aus one so that you can't 'cheat' the system as it were.

donovandenese

yep - they gave me mine back last month when I got the SA one - but told me to send it back to the UK as per the docs I had signed. I also spoke to the DVLA who confirmed I should do that. It was exactly the same when hubby got his UK one - he was given his aussie one back and told to surrender it. The UK one can only be in a UK address anyway, and you are breaking the law in the UK if you leave it at an address you no longer live at - so I just sent mine back

Wendy

We destroyed the OH's - couldn't be bothered with it all. We have no intention of going back

JAJ

It's a GB licence, not a UK one. Northern Ireland has its own licences.

You do not have to advise a change to a non-GB address (it will not be accepted anyway) and there is no obligation to send back your licence in this circumstance.

brian.w

So with me going over in jan 09 for a month,would it be wise to apply for one then or just wait till i am moving for good,i just thought be nice to get one when i am there,something less to do.
But not if they want to keep my uk one as i will be coming back after that month for a bit until i am ready to go back for good.

bcworld

No it wouldn't - there is absolutely no need. I think this was discussed in one of your previous 'what can I do on validation' threads. As per those threads, have a holiday, check out areas to live, enjoy yourself - give the admin a miss.

comet555

I agree not much point doing any of that stuff. You could get the licence, Medicare and bank sorted out in a morning if you wanted to. Although you might want to sort out the bank on your trip so that you'll have it set up to transfer money into when you come back.

donovandenese

the DVLA website states that when you move overseas you need to follow the licencing rules of the country you are moving to re exchange of licences. the south australian licencing rules state that someone moving to SA as a permanent resident must obtain a SA driving licence and MUST surrender their overseas licence:

http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/licen..._residents.asp

both the DVLA and Transport SA told me to surrender my original licence. Even if you weren't to do that immediately - the photocard will expire after 10 years, at which stage you would only be able to renew with a GB address - and the renewal form itself (sent to your last registered address) states that you have to renew within the stated period, or surrender the licence, or face a fine. eems to me that the easiest thing to do is just surrender it when you exchange for the new one!

JAJ

GB rules do not oblige you to hand in your licence when you move. What another country may or may not require is of no concern to them.

In that case, they will ask for it as a condition of issue of a South Australia licence. If they don't ask for it, then how can you be obliged to surrender it?

donovandenese

GB rules (its on the dvla website) say you should comply with the rules of the place you are moving to - when you sign the south australian driving licence application form you agree to wording on the form which states that you will surrender your overseas licence. they do ask you to do it - it is a condition of issue that you are agreeing to by signing the form. I was also told to do that verbally by the SA transport staff. So thats what I did.

it could be entirely diff for other states - am only saying what the rules are in south australia. I do wonder however if you live elsewhere where you can keep both the GB and Oz licence - how do you renew the photocard every 10 years without a UK address? also not sure why you would want to pay for 2 licences?

JAJ

There is no such thing in the law as "should". Either you must do so, or you don't have to do so.

So why on earth don't they take it if it's so important to them that you not keep it?

You cannot renew the photocard if you do not live in GB. That is a principle among most driving licence jurisdictions. But the licence itself remains valid until age 70 and if you later on return to the U.K. keeping it will protect you in case the DVLA "lose" all your records.

donovandenese

i assume they don't take the licence as legally they aren't allowed to take it off you - its your obligation to return it. it was the same back in the UK when my husband exchanged his Oz licence for a GB one - his old licence was returned to him by the DVLA but he was told to surrender it back to Oz.

just before i left the uk i got the renewal form for the photocard. it said i had to return the form with payment by X date or face a fine, alternatively i could surrender my licence (paper and photocard). as i was moving to oz i waited til I got here, got the SA licence, then surrendered the GB one as I was told to by the DVLA and Transport SA. There wasn't an option on the form to keep the paper licence and not renew the photocard. Should I ever need a UK licence it doesn't matter if the DVLA have lost any old records as I can easily exchange the SA licence for the UK one. I did ring the DVLA and check what I should do - they said to surrender the licence.

JAJ

They can take it themselves and return it to the DVLA if they really want to.

So have you looked to see what the criminal penalty is if you don't "send it back" to DVLA? Assuming you don't try to use it.

If you send it back, what happens if it gets lost in the mail or in the DVLA system and the surrender is never registered?

Lenmil

Here in Tasmania you just take your UK license to "Service Tas" and after a few minutes of paper work and a picture your all done. You have to have been driving a certain amount of time to be exempt to a driving test. Sorry don't know what that is at the moment. But i did not have to sit any tests. You can even have a smile on your license. Nice.

donovandenese

the penalty for not renewing your photcard licence when it is ready for renewal is up to £1000 - this is stated in bold on the front of the letter issued to you at your last registered GB address a couple of months before the photcard expires. If you don't want to renew it you have to surrender it.

i sent my licence back by registered mail.