Learn About Driving Licence Rules
Residency Rules For Provisional Licence Holders

Residency rules

Aprovisional driving licence needs to be obtained in order to allow a driver to take a UK driving test. You must normally be a resident in the UK for more than 185 days before your application can be considered.

Applicants who are not UK citizens or citizens of another European Union or European Economic Area state (EU/EEA) will not be thought of as 'normally resident' in the UK for the purposes of obtaing a provisional licence:

1. do not have leave to remain in the UK
2. are in the country on a temporary basis without leave to remain either while awaiting a decision on an application to stay in the UK or following a decision refusing such an application

To obtain a driving licence from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), you will also need to have a permanent address in England, Scotland or Wales.

Residency rules for European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) drivers wishing to take a GB driving test

EU/EEA drivers who wish to pass a first test, or gain additional entitlement, must be normally resident in the UK. Drivers who have moved to the UK having been permanently resident in another state of the EU/EEA must normally have been resident in the UK for 185 days in the 12 months prior to the application for a driving test and a full licence. Normal residence means the place where an individual resides because of personal and/or occupational ties.

The vehicles you can drive or ride and minimum ages

In the United Kingdom, the minimum driving age for a car or van is 17 while a moped or restricted-power motorcycle can be ridden at 16. Anyone receiving Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate may drive a car or van from the age of 16. Until a United Kingdom driving test has been passed (which consists of three sections: theory and a hazard perception test followed by a supervised driving examination) a driver will hold a provisional licence and be subject to certain conditions.

The conditions attached to provisional licences of a particular category of vehicle are:

1. L-plates or (in Wales only) D plates (Welsh: Dysgwr) must be conspicuously displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle.
2. Learner drivers of a particular category and transmission type of vehicle must be accompanied by somebody aged at least 21 who has held a full driving licence for that category and transmission type for at least three years, except in the case of solo motorcycles and vehicles of certain categories designed solely for one person.
3. No trailer may be towed, except when driving a tractor or where a full licence gives provisional entitlement to drive a car with trailer, large goods vehicle with trailer or bus with trailer.
Motorcycle riders must not carry any pillion passenger.
4. Bus drivers must not carry any passenger except a person giving or receiving instruction.
5. Motorways must not be used by holders of car and motorcycle provisional licences.[6]

In Northern Ireland, learner drivers are limited to a speed of 45 mph (72 km/h), and drivers who have passed their test within the previous year must display "R" plates (restricted) and are also limited to a speed of 45 mph (72 km/h) until the expiry of the restricted period. "R" plates are similar in style to "L" plates, with a thick-set dark orange R displayed on a white background.

After passing a driving test, the provisional licence is surrendered for a full UK licence (which must be done within two years of passing the test) for the relevant kind of vehicle, although full car licences allow use of mopeds and motorcycles provided a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course is completed (There is no requirement to have a CBT in Northern Ireland). There are no extra speed, signage or alcohol consumption restrictions on newly passed drivers (unlike some other countries). However if a newly qualified driver gains six penalty points within two years of passing, the licence is automatically cancelled and the driver must pass the test again, including the theory test. Furthermore, the six points remains on the new licence until their designated expiry time. It is optional to display newly passed green on white 'P' (for Probationer) plates on the vehicle of newly passed drivers.

UK licences distinguish between automatic and manual transmission vehicles, dependent upon which type of vehicle the driving test is passed in. Whilst a manual transmission vehicle licence permits the holder to drive a vehicle of either kind, an automatic transmission vehicle licence is solely for vehicles with automatic transmission. The licence also shows if a driver requires glasses or contact lenses to meet the legal driving requirements, if this fact is known.

Forklifts require a separate licence. Forklift truck licences are issued by third party training companies, and not by the DVLA/DSA, which regulate all other vehicles.

Whilst the DVLA has included Welsh on driver licences issued in Wales for many years, requests for Scots Gaelic - also an official language in the UK - to be included on licences issued in Scotland have so far been rejected.

Reference Source:
Driving in UK on a foreign licence
Driving in UK as a student
Apply for a provisional driving licence
Exchanging a foreign licence

Convert Provisional Licence

Before you can convert your provisional driving licence into a full licence you will need to pass a practical test to drive a car safely on a public road.

The best way to prepare for your full driving licence is to book an intensive driving course in Birmingham. This type of driving course prepares you to pass your practical test in a shorter time than weekly driving lessons would.

Prepare now for the new test which started on October 4th 2010. An intensive driving course in Birmingham could help get you ready for the new practical test. The new driving test is called Independent Driving and calls for additional skills to be learned when compared with the previous type of test. Eco friendly driving also forms part of this new test.
Read more and watch the video....

Weekend courses

If you find it difficult to get a week off work, then why not try a weekend driving course. You can book either a Saturday or Sunday, or both, without any long term commitment. These courses are ideal as top ups for weekly lessons, or to give you a boost just before a driving test.
New drivers are especially welcome as a weekend of lessons could get your motoring career off to a great start. Weekend Courses   »»

New driver weekend courses

New drivers (beginners) are advised to start their driver training by having as many driving lessons as they can over a short period of time. This will help re-inforce the correct procedures for driving away fom the kerb, parking, gear changing & road procedures. A theory test pass is not required for this type of course. An intensive driving course for new drivers is not intended to get you through your test in a week. Those days have long since gone and if you see any websites out there that say any different, then treat them with suspician. You will learn to drive in a week, but you will not be ready for your driving test.
New driver courses  »»»
New driver weekend lessons  »»»

Previous driving lessons experience

Learner drivers with previous driving experience can sometimes book their driving test at the end of their driving course depending on what previous experience they have had and how long ago.
Your driving lessons may have been sometime ago & taken with a great driving instructor or one of the not so greats. You may have taken a driving test or two or had over 100 driving lessons of poor quality either yours through lack of concentration or your driving instructors lack of attention to your training. Either way, you might be best to book a trial lesson with me before you book your driving test. A trial lesson is not required to book your course unless a driving test is required at the end of your course. Learner drivers with a good driving record of training might only need to book one of the weekend courses.
Intensive courses for experienced learner drivers  »»»