Gems

Hello,
Just saw a UK newspaper article that says the UK photo licence only lasts 10years.
So checked and hubbies photo licence runs out next year 2009. (The paper part say 2040)
We are in OZ and he has Australian licence now.

Do we need to renew the UK licence? If so are you allowed to do it from overseas? How?

Or is it not worth doing if you intend to stay in OZ?
We are on 457 visa, so dont have PR yet, so half thinking we should renew it.

If you ever go back can you swap the OZ licence over? Not likely but nobody know what they will be doing in 20yrs time.

Gems

JAJ

You can get a new Great Britain licence if you return to GB. I somehow doubt they will renew the card if you are not resident in GB.

But you could check the DVLA website.

sa2uk2oz

My mom forwarded mail on to us last week, one was from the DVLA requesting licence renewal. Renewal is for UK residents only, and it clearly states that you may swap licences for a British one from a number of countries, one of them being Australia.

GinaUK

You can't renew it from overseas if all you have is your overseas address.

But if you ever come back to the UK and need a UK licence, you just present the paper part to get a new UK photo licence. In other words, your husband's is entitled to drive till 2040. It's just the photocard that expires every 10 years because a person's appreance might change.

So, I wouldn't worry about it (just keep the paper part in a safe place).

Gina

Gems

Thanks, will just leave it.
Good to know we just need to keep the paper part to get the UK licence back. Not that we are planning on going back.

Gems

annqldau

Is that the piece of paper you get new with the photo card and not the original paper licence?

GinaUK

Yes, it's the piece of paper you get with the photo card (you would have sent back the original licence when you got the new photo licence).

Gina

stepbeanie

Swapped my Australian license for British one when I came back here got full license & could only drive an automatic, no test no nothing! May have changed now though with the new theory tests that they brought in. It actually says on my paper part that it was swapped for an Aussie license

discobay

What if one never changed their original pink paper licence for the new ones with photos? Are the original ones still valid and will they continue to be?

GinaUK

The old UK paper licence is at the moment still a valid driving licence document in the UK. Whether there will come a time when everyone in the UK must exchange it for a photocard licence - nobody knows.

Gina

annqldau

Snap... I'm waiting till I have to but my husband has the other sort.

stepbeanie

That's a downright lie! After finding the paper part of my new photo licence it has nothing on it pertaining to the Australian Licence the only thing I can find under 12. codes on the back of the photo part it says 70AUS which I presume is the info for the change back from Oz. I wonder if I can get my Aussie Licence back without the test?

lapin_windstar

You're not allowed to get a renewal/replacement when you're living outside the UK. But if you're temporarily outside the UK on a work assignment that you need a licence for , Swansea will post it to a temporary address overseas. Having said all that, if you have no immediate plans to go back and you can just do a direct exchange anyway, it's probably not worth the hassle.
There will be attrition - you're supposed to change it whenever you change address, when you hit 65, when you want a different entitlement, when you lose it etc. Eventually the old greenies will die out.

discobay

I no longer have my own address in the UK though my parents still live there. I believe that one needs to show correspondence received at one's UK address to apply for a replacement licence.

JAJ

Most Australian states do not require a test from British licence holders. Even before they brought in this concession, the majority would waive the test if you previously held an Australian licence.