Tom1983

Nope

Your driving licence becomes invalid. You can only apply for a driving licence residing in the UK.

Which could be seen as a good thing. You won't have your phone and e-mail inbox cluttered with "you had an accident 4 years ago, you could get a claim'. I don't believe the NZTA sell your information like the frauds at the DVLA do

JAJ

Really? Where does it say that on the DVLA website?
After x amount of time living in New Zealand it may not be acceptable to use in NZ any more, but it does not automatically become an invalid Great Britain licence.

Nearly true. However, like so often, Northern Ireland is forgotten. It has its own driving licence system, going back decades, and is not covered by the DVLA. A person living in Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) cannot apply for a driving licence from the DVLA. And vice versa.

Tom1983

Sorry a bit clearer, once the driver licence expires, it then becomes invalid
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The D798 has an adhesive window to cater for the driver’s new photograph to be secured to the form. This feature could not be replicated on a downloaded form.

Also, the law requires that UK driving licences can only be issued to UK residents. This helps to ensure that people are not able to obtain a licence in two or more countries, possibly to escape the consequences of a disqualification.

In the circumstances, no further action will be taken regarding your proposal, but we hope that this has explained the position. We would also like to extend our thanks for your time and effort in participating in this process.
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Therefore if he wanted to re-apply for a UK licence, he'd have to return to England to do so. When they see that he's been residing in New Zealand the past x amount of years (need to provide 3 years of address details), they may question whether to accept or not