Scratcher

Officially that's not entirely true. DVLA state that your UK license is only valid if you live (and are resident) at the UK address stated on the document. Failure to notify the DVLA of any changes to your name and/or address is a criminal offense and you could be fined up to £1000.

That said, over 15 years of working around the world I have always maintained my UK license at a family members UK address.

Scratcher

Mitzyboy

You cant renew a UK licence when you are a resident in Italy. Is that what you meant?

modicasa

thats what i meant, but I also meant that your EU driving licence is valid until its expiry wherever you may live in Europe,

Scozzese

Yes... When you renew, you convert so to speak. But the law about the license being valid until expiry has actually been in force since 2007 - I drove on a UK driver's license for 4 years until it expired, and I checked, it was perfectly legal

Scozzese

Actually, if you look at the smallprint on the DVLA website, it says that the obligation to notify of a change in address is null and void if you move abroad. And due to EU laws on freedom of circulation, the British license is absolutely valdid if you are resident in the EU but not the UK

Sorry to be so nit picky about this, it's just because this is something I did a great deal of research on before a. driving here and b. converting my license

37100

Except that if you are resident in Italy, to drive legally under Italian law, you need to notify the authorities of any change of address and get a new sticky thing for your licence. As there isn't a space for one on a UK licence, you have to swap your UK one for an Italian one. In the past, several of our members had been ticked off for not complying. This new law clears things up (and follows EU rules).

I also read in the papers that last from Nov, EU authorities now share DL details.

Mitzyboy

Thats quite correct. Ive also dont much research and spoken to embassies and the DVLA.

The only thing people must remember is that the licence must also conform to the local country rules. For instance in Spain it is said that you have to have a local medical certificate to back up your licence, because a Spaniard has to have one to back up his Spanish licence. Different countries have different l"local" rules

MarkRD

The same would be true of Italy too.

Mitzyboy

In Spain its a few verbal questions and a reaction test on a computer programme.

MarkRD

Wow you're advanced! In Italy it's a quick sight test and "do you wear glasses?" "do you have any hereditary diseases?" "do you take any medication?" .. end of.

37100

Nothing like that here, Mitzyboy. You should register address changes and get a sticky for your licence.

duffer

So I renewed my UK DL when I was in the UK last summer even though I'm an Italian resident. I guess now that they are sharing details, I'd better get it exchanged for an Italian DL when it expires in 2022? Or do you think I should get it done ASAP? It only cost me £20 but if it means a big fine here in Italy if I get stopped then I'd rather avoid that. I need money for crack cocaine.

MarkRD

Agreed that money would be better spent elsewhere, but don't know how much a conversion costs these days.

But this is the final word as far as I'm concerned:
http://www.patente.it/info-patenti/stranieri-in-italia
Se si possiede una patente rilasciata da uno Stato dell'Unione Europea non ci sono problemi, la patente va bene lo stesso e non deve essere convertita nemmeno se si risiede in Italia da più di un anno. Anche per le patenti comunitarie si consiglia però di richiedere la conversione, oppure il riconoscimento di validità, al fine di velocizzare le pratiche relative al rinnovo o a eventuali duplicati per smarrimento, furto, ecc. Nella procedura di conversione la patente originale viene sostituita dalla patente italiana, mentre nell'operazione di riconoscimento la patente originale rimane in mano al conducente, su di essa viene semplicemente applicato un bollino adesivo che permette di identificarla nell'anagrafe nazionale degli abilitati alla guida.

Mitzyboy

The verbal question is along the lines of "can you see me"?

Mitzyboy

I just spent 5 months in the UK and mine was renewed whilst I was there.