Driving friends car in England
#1
Kelowna newbies July 15
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Kelowna
Posts: 79
Driving friends car in England
Hi all,
im headed home in a few weeks (West Yorkshire) for holidays (From Kelowna) and my friend has offered me her car to borrow but her insurance company want a letter from the DVLA? i have no idea what this is? I’ve done the bot chat on DVLA online but it isn’t bringing anything up? I have a BC drivers license and had a UK but surrendered it here when I moved in 2015. Any help appreciated!
-Beckie
im headed home in a few weeks (West Yorkshire) for holidays (From Kelowna) and my friend has offered me her car to borrow but her insurance company want a letter from the DVLA? i have no idea what this is? I’ve done the bot chat on DVLA online but it isn’t bringing anything up? I have a BC drivers license and had a UK but surrendered it here when I moved in 2015. Any help appreciated!
-Beckie
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,619
Re: Driving friends car in England
Ask your friend to ask her insurance company what the letter should state?
#3
Re: Driving friends car in England
..... I'm headed home in a few weeks (West Yorkshire) for holidays (From Kelowna) and my friend has offered me her car to borrow but her insurance company want a letter from the DVLA? i have no idea what this is? I’ve done the bot chat on DVLA online but it isn’t bringing anything up? I have a BC drivers license and had a UK but surrendered it here when I moved in 2015. Any help appreciated! ....
#4
Re: Driving friends car in England
The short of this is that it's usually cheaper to rent a car than to arrange coverage to drive someone else's car, Most companies will not add a driver to a policy if that driver does not have a valid UK license (that means living at the address on the license). There is a company, Car, Van, Home or Breakdown Insurance from Sterling (sterling-insurance.co.uk), that deals in short term coverage for non-resident drivers.
#5
Re: Driving friends car in England
What dbd says. I have never been able to get my parents insurance during visits home with no UK licence.
#6
Re: Driving friends car in England
I've always found this issue with UK insurance very peculiar that they don't allow for this.
In Canada, the vehicle is insured, and most insurers will cover a visitor with foreign license borrowing the car so long as that license is recognized by the province/territory the vehicle is being operated in and/or the person has a valid IDP.
In Malta, i've had no problem being listed as a permanent driver on a vehicle with my Canadian license. There, also, the vehicle is insured to be driven by anyone over 25 years old no matter where their license was issued. The only reason I need to be on the policy is that i'm a young driver.
In Canada, the vehicle is insured, and most insurers will cover a visitor with foreign license borrowing the car so long as that license is recognized by the province/territory the vehicle is being operated in and/or the person has a valid IDP.
In Malta, i've had no problem being listed as a permanent driver on a vehicle with my Canadian license. There, also, the vehicle is insured to be driven by anyone over 25 years old no matter where their license was issued. The only reason I need to be on the policy is that i'm a young driver.
#7
Re: Driving friends car in England
I've always found this issue with UK insurance very peculiar that they don't allow for this.
In Canada, the vehicle is insured, and most insurers will cover a visitor with foreign license borrowing the car so long as that license is recognized by the province/territory the vehicle is being operated in and/or the person has a valid IDP.
In Malta, i've had no problem being listed as a permanent driver on a vehicle with my Canadian license. There, also, the vehicle is insured to be driven by anyone over 25 years old no matter where their license was issued. The only reason I need to be on the policy is that i'm a young driver.
In Canada, the vehicle is insured, and most insurers will cover a visitor with foreign license borrowing the car so long as that license is recognized by the province/territory the vehicle is being operated in and/or the person has a valid IDP.
In Malta, i've had no problem being listed as a permanent driver on a vehicle with my Canadian license. There, also, the vehicle is insured to be driven by anyone over 25 years old no matter where their license was issued. The only reason I need to be on the policy is that i'm a young driver.
I only ever had naned driver coverage, and I think moat British car owners are the same. I had no reason to buy "any driver" coverage.
Last edited by Pulaski; Aug 25th 2022 at 9:32 pm.
#8
Re: Driving friends car in England
I've always found this issue with UK insurance very peculiar that they don't allow for this.
In Canada, the vehicle is insured, and most insurers will cover a visitor with foreign license borrowing the car so long as that license is recognized by the province/territory the vehicle is being operated in and/or the person has a valid IDP.
In Malta, i've had no problem being listed as a permanent driver on a vehicle with my Canadian license. There, also, the vehicle is insured to be driven by anyone over 25 years old no matter where their license was issued. The only reason I need to be on the policy is that i'm a young driver.
In Canada, the vehicle is insured, and most insurers will cover a visitor with foreign license borrowing the car so long as that license is recognized by the province/territory the vehicle is being operated in and/or the person has a valid IDP.
In Malta, i've had no problem being listed as a permanent driver on a vehicle with my Canadian license. There, also, the vehicle is insured to be driven by anyone over 25 years old no matter where their license was issued. The only reason I need to be on the policy is that i'm a young driver.
Clients of Canadian insurance companies benefit from vehicles in Canada typically being insured for "any driver". In Ontario the carrier is on the hook even if the car is involved in an injury claim after being stolen or after the policy has lapsed if no new one has been purchased. The policy is priced based on the known drivers in the household (unless excluded).
If the insured were to advise the insurance carrier of the presence of a foreign driver they might be charged extra or the foreign driver might be explicitly excluded. I don't read the T&Cs of policies but would not surprised to find that there are conditions, widely ignored, limiting undeclared drivers either by jurisdiction of license or by extent of use. It certainly isn't the case that insurance companies here welcome use of vehicles they cover by transient people.
#9
Re: Driving friends car in England
An IDP is an official translation of the driving license of another country, it alone does not indicate a right to drive and, in the case of two jurisdictions that issue licenses in the same language, such as the UK and most, perhaps all, Canadian provinces, has no relevance. Someone with a Canadian license does not need a IDP ....
#10
Re: Driving friends car in England
I continue to be astounded by how many people believe that an IDP adds pixie dust to any foreign driving situation, adding miraculous protections and rights. .... Just a few weeks ago someone in the US forum reported having been told by a "professional" relocation agent that an IDP would allow him and his wife to drive for 12 months after arriving to live and work. Clearly the agent was oblivious to the fact that the "12 months" is a concession granted to visitors by the federal government under the international treaty on driving and recognition of driving licenses, and that it is state driving laws and regulations that apply once you become "resident" in a state, by actions such as renting or buying a home, starting work, putting your children in school, etc.
#11
Re: Driving friends car in England
Having documentation for legal purposes is the key (and the problem) to not getting busted for driving without insurance at a traffic stop or accident.
eta as others said IDP is useless in this scenario - unless the Canadian license is in French!
Last edited by RICH; Aug 26th 2022 at 2:31 am.
#12
Re: Driving friends car in England
I'm not arguing that an IDP is a magic bullet...just know it has been required in some countries and by some insurers. I don't think the average insurance agent you get on the phone knows the rules for this either, so they think IDP = magic bullet. (Speaking for Ontario.)
#13
Re: Driving friends car in England