escapedtonz

Anyone who is not ordinarily resident in the UK and goes to the UK and uses their UK license is driving illegally on two counts :-
(1) It is a condition of your UK driving license that you are ordinarily a resident. You must have a UK postal address attached to your UK driving license. Overseas addresses will not be accepted. If you don't live at the UK address linked to your license or more to the point you are not ordinarily a resident in the UK you shouldn't be using a UK license to drive.
(2) You are not insured even if you have insurance through family, friends, the rental company. Again, the vehicle insurance has a condition that the person driving is legal to drive and has a suitable license allowing you to drive that class of vehicle and again you must be a UK resident to remain eligible. No insurance = driving illegally as it is mandatory in the UK.

It is NOT the responsibility of the vehicle owner, rental company or whoever else to ensure you are driving with or specifying the correct license to drive in the UK or whether you have adequate insurance. There's only one person who is responsible for all of that and it's the person's face you have never seen in the flesh.....only in the mirror!

barnsleymat

So when I rock up to the rental place in a couple of weeks I should definitely use my NZ licence?

escapedtonz

Oh yes!

They'll happily accept your UK license but you'll be driving illegally and uninsured.
I heard of a recent court case where a British woman went home and drove a rental car on her UK license, wrote the car off in an accident and the rental car insurance refused to pay out because she had used her UK license when she wasn't legally entitled to drive. Got landed with a hefty bill to pay for a new rental car plus all the other costs involved.
Tried to find it on Google but not placed me mitts on it yet.

scrubbedexpat094

Definitely yes. I rented a car in the UK last year and used my NZ driving licence. Had absolutely no problems at all. Did show my passport and I think I took some address verification too. I booked my rental from here prior to going to the UK and the confirmation listed what I needed to provide re:identification .

Hope that helps chuck.

Stormer999

Simple speak......if you are resident in NZ then you do not have a valid UK driving licence...nor a bus pass...they are useless bits of card.

Jerseygirl

Could you please post a link to confirm that the above is correct? I ask because AFAIK a UK DL is still valid if you are not a UK resident...but you cannot renew it.

Edit: I emailed the DVLA a few years ago and asked them because this question was being asked quite often on BE. They also quoted me an EU law that had been passed saying only UK residents can renew a UK driving license.

Persephone

Last year I rented in Ireland on my NZ licence. My Dad also attached me to his car insurance so I could drive and/or borrow his car occasionally whilst over in the UK for 4 months ie be the sober driver...
Cost was 38 pounds and I made sure he told them I was on a NZ licence.

barnsleymat

But will I also have to drive like a Kiwi because I reckon if I did I'd bring the entire motorway network in the South West to its knees. Is that really fair?

Persephone

Sit in the outside lane of the M5 and fly the NZ flag with pride Or preferably the middle and outside lanes at the same time for extra authenticity.

Stormer999

I shall be on the M 25 on Monday and absolutely dreading it after NZ SI empty roads.....

Stormer999

Come to think about it.......Nor me....

scrubbedexpat094

Of course you do. Tail gate anything infront of you, speed up if anything tries to overtake you, on joining a dual carriageway or motorway head immediately to the outside lane and stay there whilst driving at a steady speed of 68miles/hour.

I'll let my friend in Ivybridge, nr Plymouth know not to bother going out whilst you are there. Exact dates please ;-)

BEVS

Phew. That's me fine then.

Tom H

I'm using my NZ license when I return to the UK in December for Christmas. I am expecting a 6 hour road test on what side of the road to drive on. Oh and be transported to the closest hotel to spend 24 hours there before I'm allowed to go behind a wheel.

Will you kindly let the Daily Mail, Daily Express and the red top papers know your arrival dates Matt? Just so that if you do cause an accident there, they can write a 297 page article on how dangerous you foreign drivers are in the UK, causing all the accidents and killing the locals. Make sure they put dangerous Kiwi driver so that the local press here can pick up on it.

Blade Down Under

Just say youre a Maori kiwi.

You'll get away with anything that way