britaly00

Is it possible to buy a car in Italy, and get it insured, using a full UK licence?

modicasa

If you're resident in ITaly, yes. Though you should convert your UK licence to an Italian one within a couple of years.

britaly00

Thankyou.
I guess your 'should' here means ' are obliged to'...
Good news anyway.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

I was advised that a UK driving license could be converted but that it was not necessary to do so . It was suggested that I keep my UK one until Brexit became clearer because if I converted it then i'd have an Iatlian licesne andmight nit then be able to riconvert ...

BritInParis

I would've thought the opposite to be true. If you passed your test in the UK then you'll always be able to get your GB licence back. Currently you can do a straight swap your GB licence to get an Italian licence. That may not be the case after Brexit.

modicasa

Your EU photo licence is technically valid till its expiry, but there is also an Italian law which says you need to convert within 1 or 2 years (can't remember frankly) I kept mine till its expiry, but other have since said they had to do it earlier. Theres a thread somewhere!

ononno

It is worth bearing in mind that though your UK licence technically expires at 70, a photocard licence must be replaced every 10 years, especially if t is issued using your passport photo.

37100

Not so anymore, Modicasa. Italy now abides by EU regulations. If your licence has an expiry date, you do not have to exchange it. However, it must be renewed according to Italian laws, 10 yrs under 50, 5 yrs under 70 etc from the date of residency even if the actual expiry date is later.

britaly00

Good news then, on balance. Cheers all.

modicasa

Yes, 37100 thats what i always thought, but I have heard of people having to change them before the expiry of the photocard because they have been resident here a couple of years.

philat98

The Motorizzazione says that for non EU licence holders licences can only be exchanged if there is a bilateral agreement with the country in question. I wonder how long that agreement will take to establish if we get the "no deal" Brexit?

HADENOUGHPIZZA

My current UK licence is valid until december 2026 and while the UK is considered a member of the EU it is valid in Italy . I rarely drive in the Uk my main worry would be that post Brexit I would not be able to drive here so my current plan is to wait until the final months and if necessary nip in and do the exchange as late as possible !

37100

It is valid until 2026 only if you are under 50. Under 50 it is only valid for 5 yrs and under 70 for 3 yrs. A UK driving licence must be renewed here once you are resident. That gets tricky if you previously converted a non EU driving licence to a UK one.

Hopefully, UK licences will remain valid ( and hopefully EHIC),. If not it will be back to converting them.

BritInParis

Given that there are far more Italians resident in the UK than Britons resident in Italy it would be in Italy's interest to do a deal as soon as possible.

philat98

When the UK voted for bendy bananas, Marathon bars and imperial units the concept of driving licence exchange didn't come into it. I can't imagine the Italian government rushing to establish bilateral agreements with the UK.