UK Driving License Re-Newal

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 13:30

Just in case anyone is interested: I asked the DVLA how I renew my license now that I live abroad. Here is their relply (name altered):



Dear Mr Waddo







Thank you for your email received on 3/10/11. Your email reference number is 742219.







As you now live abroad, you will be unable to renew your British (GB) driving licence - DVLA issue GB licences to GB residents only.







Please check with the licensing authorities where you now live for further advice on driving there.

0maintenance


Joined: 22/09/2010
Posts: 2179

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 14:05

I have just learnt a lesson from this post.



When i renew my licence i shall tell a little white lie about my address.

CarrieRBag



Joined: 23/12/2008
Posts: 1374

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 14:07

I had mine sent to a relative then I collected when I next went back.

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 14:48

So would we be allowed to drive in the uk on our trnc licenses then?

martinev


Joined: 24/10/2008
Posts: 320

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 15:15

Re:message 4

As I understand it, only for a year then you would presumably have to take the UK test.



Martinev

marcosthechef



Joined: 30/11/2009
Posts: 646

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 15:43

Message 2



mine runs out next year.....oh, I've just moved to my mums house in Canterbury, Kent, UK ...ahhh so I am a resident in the UK after all.



I think that the TRNC licence will not be valid for car hire firms in the UK, I vaguelly remember that prob cropping up at Stansted about 4 years ago

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 16:02

I always use my TRNC licence to hire cars in the UK at Stanstead.



But then again seeing how the locals drive here, may be it should not be Valid.

carian


Joined: 13/03/2009
Posts: 336

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 16:40

We hired a car no problem with our TRNC licences.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 18:12

TRNC license in UK is no problem for 12 months. Looks to me like the solution for renewing your UK license is to lie if you live here permanently. I doubt that all the governments computer systems are inter linked so how they would check that you told the truth and move abroad on a permanent basis is quite beyond me. I learn new lessons about the systems in the UK every day and I am glad that the systems here work!



Its a crazy world when you have to tell lies to make things work.



Tomorrows task is to ask the Insurance office on the South side if I will be allowed to drive after my "Photo Card" license expires but my driving license (bit of tatty green paper) is still valid up till my 70th birthday.



I will post the answer later tomorrow.

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 19:44

Mick,

As it's not compulsory (as far as I'm aware) to have a 'plastic' driving licence - or to produce one, or even tell anyone that you've got one - why bother?

Throw the useless plastic one away, and carry on using the 'paper counterpart' - forget that you ever had a plastic one.

I know people who never bothered to apply for a plastic one - they never had any problems, so why go and bring it up, & give the ROC the chance to be 'awkward' when it's something that they do so well

rejela


Joined: 09/02/2011
Posts: 293

Message Posted:
06/10/2011 20:20

I have been away from Good Old England for over 10 years now, so I am open to correction. From memory, the paper counterpart is the actual driving licence and for that reason shows all the relevant information that used to be shown on the older style licence. The photo ID card is actually just that, although it has probably become the norm, when stopped by police to produce the photo ID as it verifies who you there and then. Like I say, I may be out of date on the legislation back there but the counterpart does not finish at the same time as the photo ID card.

Does anyone know if you can get reported for not having the photo ID card?

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
07/10/2011 16:54

Keith/rejela, The paper bit you have with your photo license is not a license but simply a provisional license to allow you to drive other vehicles than that which you have passed a driving test for. The photo license is your actual driving license and has all the categories of vehicles that you are allowed to drive printed into the plastic. Both the photo and paper parts of the license form the whole license and must be kept together. Once the expiry date on the photo license has passed you are no longer licensed to drive and can be fined for not having a driving license if you continue to drive without renewing the photo license. Now that is the good news for you all. The old style paper license should have been exchanged already for the photo license but if you have not done so then it is still valid up to the date of your 70th birthday, at which point you have to re-apply for a new license anyway and will end up with one of the bits of plastic.

More to follow........

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
07/10/2011 16:59

More....



The RoC will not entertain anyone who holds an EU passport (unless you are a Cypriot) driving on a TRNC license. We all know that EU rules should prevent them from doing this but they continue to get away with it. Today I renewed my insurance and road certificate in the South and when asked for my license I asked which one they wanted. The told me that the TRNC license is only good for use in TRNC and is not valid anywhere else in the world - this despite me being fourth in the que behind three Turkish Cypriots who could only produce their TRNC license and were accepted by the RoC and the road test certificate was issued to them. I did not argue the point, just walked away.



Then I took my copy of the DVLA letter to show the lady in the first insurance booth (have known her a long time) and she said the same thing and asked me what I would do when my UK license ran out next year - stop spending my money in the RoC I replied! Take a test here and get a RoC licens

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
07/10/2011 17:03

Even more.....



Take a test here and get a RoC license she said, its an easy test anyway. I don't have an address in the RoC so how can I do that I asked. Wait she said and made a phone call to her contact in the RoC license authority.



The answer she got was simple - Just exchange your UK license for a RoC license and then you can drive in the RoC and also use the RoC license anywhere else in the world. Are you sure I asked???? Yes she said, when you are ready to do it just come and see me and I will give you the information you need and directions to where you need to go!!!



This is not a tried and tested process but I will give it a shot in early November and then try to track this post back and let you know what happens. Worth a shot as you can exchange your RoC license for a UK license if you ever go back to the UK as well. That's all I know so no questions please - later!!!!!

Whistler


Joined: 28/07/2008
Posts: 1332

Message Posted:
07/10/2011 17:09

Waddo. Would be interested to see how you got on. I think Atilla the Hun (excuse if spelt wrongly but I expect you get the drift). She told me "You cannot drive your license is expired" (meaning the photocard part) Tried to tell her the green bit of paper was actually my licence which doesn`t expire until March next year. Even the guy behind me (turkish) told her. But she wouldn`t listen. They even positioned someone to guide us back in to the border crossing when we got the other side. Interested to hear your experience.