warrigal

Hello I am from Australia
I am asking about what are the requirement for Drivers Licences in the UK and the rest of Europe, In particular classes for Heavy Vehicles (trucks and large campervans in Europe)

In Australia you have to have a heavy vehicle licence for anything larger than 3.5 - 4 tonne GVM

I have got a international Driving permit.

Would i Have to first get uk drivers licence

Planning a trip driving through Europe and Russia
Any help greatly appreciated


GEOFF

Lorna at Vicenza

This is for a UK driving license ...........

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...ns/DG_10037875

You should check out if your international license has any restrictions though.

Mitzyboy

You can drive up to a 7.5 ton GW on a normal licence in the UK. You need to check to see if there is a reciprocal licence agreement between Australia and the country you choose, i.e. if your Australian licence is valid in that country

warrigal

Well it better change over to the uk or France, I've got enough problems getting a Drivers Licence in Australia with the rediculus licenceing program here now, 3 Year provisional licence, can't do a Truck Licence unless you have held a licence 1 year or more.

Does any one know In Australia a C licence (car) Is a vehicle Up to 4.5 Tonne
A Truck Licence ( heavey vehicle) Class LR, MR, HR is vehicles over 4.5 tonne and up

any advice appreciated
I wish to drive large camper (mobile Home) or Large cargo truck or ex army truck

Thankyou

Mitzyboy

Might be worth asking in the Auz section, but I found this so you may be out of luck

The non EU countries with which Spain has a licence exchange agreement are: Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Bulgaria, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Morocco and Chile.
Any person with a licence from a country other than those will need to take the full Spanish drivers' text.

warrigal

well i found the answer

In the UK category B allows the holder to drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and category C1 to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes.

I am afraid that your Australian licence does not allow you to drive large vehicles in Great Britain or exchange this entitlement for the British equivalent. Whilst we have licence arrangements with Australia, these apply only to small vehicles such as cars and motorcycles.

The acceptance of large goods vehicle and passenger carrying vehicle entitlements from designated countries was always a temporary arrangement pending resolution of the legal position. This was confirmed in April 1998 and was based on statutory provisions on which we have no discretion. Since then DVLA has no longer exchanged these entitlements.

You may drive small vehicles in Great Britain for up to 12 months from the time you became resident. Driving must cease after 12 months unless the licence has been exchanged for a British one during this time. Although your licence conveys no entitlement to drive after 12 months, it remains valid for exchange provided an application is made within 5 years of become resident.

If you reside in the UK, in order to exchange your Australian licence (small vehicles only) and apply for provisional C1 entitlement, please complete application form D2 and have medical form D4 completed by a doctor.

Return these forms to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BT together with your Australian licence and the fee of £50.00.

You will then be issued with a full UK licence for small vehicles and provisional entitlement for C1 to enable you to take the relevant tests and gain full C1 entitlement.

But in Australia C licence car you can drive a Bigger vehicle Up to 4.5 Ton


So that stops my plans for a Light truck drive through europe in a vehicle 3.8 ton, unless i can get a C1 Uk , and i can't do that because I am not a resident.


thank you anyway all

jdr

I thought that the International Drivers Permit along with the original licence covered driving in all countries temporally, not needed in Europe with a European licence though.

warrigal

Only for a Standard vehicle (CAR) for Biggger vehicle the native Licence of the vehicle and International permit well not appartartly in the uk.
and you can only change over the Car licence.

I read there are some unqualified lorry drivers in the uk with fak licences

And here in Australia the heavy vehicle licence is a specialist licence and extremly hard to get with different health requirements Medical checks etc So no euro trip for me unless i can get A C1 uk licence or a AUS Heavy Vehicle with International Permit

IF anyone else has sucessfully driven through Europe please post or PM me
Working holidays europe etc

end of topic

anyway

Rotor

[QUOTE=Mitzyboy;7743554]You can drive up to a 7.5 ton GW on a normal licence in the UK. You need to check to see if there is a reciprocal licence agreement between Australia and the country you choose, i.e. if your Australian licence is valid in that country[/QUOTE]

Showing your age there!! a newly qualified car license holder is no longer allowed to drive 7.5 tonne!!! , now limited to 3.5 tonne, I think this has been the case for over ten years!!

jdr

He`s nearly as old as me. lol

Mitzyboy

Showing your age there!! a newly qualified car license holder is no longer allowed to drive 7.5 tonne!!! , now limited to 3.5 tonne, I think this has been the case for over ten years!![/quote]

No I'm not showing my age. You can drive a 7.5 tonner on a normal car licence. I've done it. Not sure if there a restriction on newly qualified licence holders though

warrigal

I have contacted the DVLA and had email in response to my questions, and I have been sent forms for licences

The Answer is no the won't change my AUSTRALIAN Licence they will only give me a Class B catagory (CAR)(under 3.5 ton) and only if I am a resident of the Uk for 180 days prior to application. Then after that I can Apply for a Provisional Entiltelment For C1 only (vehicles up to 7.5 Ton)

Graduate licencing System B-C1-C B-D1-D

It not as though I what to drive a semi trailer (Big rig) just a Rigid body truck.
(SMALL) 5/6/7 ton

It Stuffs up anyone who wants to come to the Uk and get a Truck body Camper van and tour the uk or europe. (what i what to do)


In Australia (our National licencing System) you have to have held a C class Licence (Vehicles up to 4.5 ton) for one year before you can apply , well even try to do a learner test for a LR (light rigid Vehicle) (4.5 ton to 8 ton)

Graduate licencing system C- LR-MR-HR-HC-MC

I don't have a Truck Licence in austrailia

So I am lloking a european licencing system


thankyou to all who have made suggestions

the DVLA 1997 law on licences stuffs it for me

Casa Santo Estevo

Touring Europe sounds a great idea, but I can see that the plans may fall down a bit when you really think about some logistics.

1)If you are not going to be a resident of any European country how are you going to register and insure the vehicle in your name?

2)How will you got the vehicle through it’s annual test if you are our of the country of its registration at the time. For example; you cannot have, say, a U.K. registered camper and obtain an ITV (certification of roadworthiness) done in Spain.

3)I would have thought that to insure any vehicle in the country of registration you will need to have a licence of the said EU country. But maybe someone else can give you confirmation as to how to get around this one.

4)If you are in Europe for more than 90 days out of a 180 then you will need a different sort of visa than a Schengen one. That may prove difficult to obtain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement

5)All EU licences are now the same. So if you went seeking a possible alternative to the U.K. stance you may come across the same barriers.

One final observation: If you do not have a truck licence in Australia then how can you expect to obtain on in Europe?

Mitzyboy

No I'm not showing my age. You can drive a 7.5 tonner on a normal car licence. I've done it. Not sure if there a restriction on newly qualified licence holders though[/quote]

I ought to qualify this. You can drive a 7.5 tonner on a normal car licence if you passed your test (your licence was valid before) before the year 2000

Ka Ora!

I ought to qualify this. You can drive a 7.5 tonner on a normal car licence if you passed your test (your licence was valid before) before the year 2000[/QUOTE]

Yup it changed, Transit van is the biggest for most new drivers. But as a side note In france you will get a lot of grief from the gendarmes if driving a 7 tonner even on a old DL as in France its always been separate and you know how difficult the buggers can be.