Theory online - European Community/ European Economic Area (EC/EEA licences)

The interactive website that partners The Car and Motorcycle Theory Test book

Buy a Copy Now Car Learners Marking Sheets Your road to a full licence Getting Started Before you go out on the road Starting to Drive The Car Theory Test Applying for the Theory Test Sitting the Theory Test Sitting the Hazard Perception Section of the Theory Test Are Your Ready for the Practical Driving Test Applying for the Practical Driving Test The Day of the Driving Test Car Drivers Show me Tell Me Questions and Answers Show Me questions for Car Drivers Tell Me questions for Car Drivers Now You're on the Road Motorcycle Learners Your road to a full Motorcycle licence Getting Started Before you go out on the road Compulsory Basic Training The Theory Test Applying for the theory test Sitting the Theory Test Sitting the Hazard Perception Section of the Theory Test Training for your practical motorcycle test Applying for the Practical Motorcycle Test The Day of the Motorcycle Test FAQs FAQS for Learner Car Drivers FAQs for Learner Motorcyclists Hazard Perception Forms and Downloads Information Licences INF28 - Driving a Minibus INF29 - Minimum Test Vehicles INF30 - Requirements for Towing Trailers in Great Britian INF32 - Wheelclamping and removal of vehicles without tax INF34 - Exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty for Historic Vehicles INF38 - Driving in Great Britain (GB) as a visitor or a new resident Licences from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man INF46 - Registration Numbers and You INF55 - SORN Statutory Off Road Notification - A guide for motor traders INF94 - Customer service guide for drivers with Medical Conditions INF95 - A general guide to Driving Licences

European Community/ European Economic Area (EC/EEA licences)

Driving licences issued by countries in the European Community and three other countries in the European Economic Area (EC/EEA) are treated equally. The countries are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Visiting Great Britain

If you have a valid EC/EEA licence and you are visiting GB, you can drive any vehicle covered by the categories shown on it.

Coming to live in Great Britain

If you have a valid EC/EEA licence, this will authorise you to drive in this country for the periods set out below.

Ordinary licences

Until you are 70 or have lived in GB for three years, whichever is longer.

Vocational licences

If you are younger than 45, until you are 45, or have lived in GB for five years, whichever is longer.
If you are over 45 (but under 65) until you are 66 or have lived in GB for five years, whichever happens sooner.
If you are aged 65 or over, until you have lived in GB for 12 months.

You must get a British driving licence to continue driving in GB after these periods.

Register of European Community Licence holders

By law, if you live in GB and hold an EC/EEA vocational licence you must register your details with us.

If you hold an EC/EEA ordinary licence you can also register if you want to. To register, go to your nearest DVLA local office (see section 10) and pick up form ‘Counterpart Driving Licence for EC/EEA full licence holders’ (D9), or you can phone DVLA Customer Enquiries on 0870 240 0009 and we will send the form to you or you can download the D9 from www.direct.gov.uk/motoringforms

Reporting health conditions

The booklet ‘Driving licences’ (D100) will give you more information about the types of condition you must tell us about. These include conditions you had before coming to live here, which you may have already reported to other authorities, and those health conditions you have recently found out about. In most cases, our rules will be the same as those in other EC/EEA countries.

Taking a test

If you want to take a GB driving test you must normally live in GB. If you have moved to GB recently from another EC/EEA country, you must have lived in GB for 185 days in the 12 months before you can apply for a driving test and a full licence.

To take a GB driving test you will need to do one of the following.

n Apply for a GB counterpart document (D58/2) by filling in a D9 and enclosing your EC/EEA driving licence. We will send these back to you, free of charge, with your D58/2. However, you must pay the appropriate fee and give up your EC/EEA driving licence in exchange for a GB one when you claim your full licence.

n Exchange your EC/EEA driving licence for GB equivalent and ask us for appropriate provisional entitlement.

Vehicles you can also drive in GB if you have an EC/EEA licence

If you have an EC/EEA ordinary licence you can also drive certain vehicles in GB to which the normal requirements for driving large vehicles do not apply. You can get more details about these vehicles and the conditions that apply to them in the factsheet ‘Special Licensing Arrangements For Drivers of Large Vehicles’ (INF52).

EC/EEA licences issued in exchange for licences from elsewhere

If you got an EC/EEA licence by exchanging one from a designated country (see section 3), it will only be valid in GB for 12 months. However, you can exchange it for a GB licence.
If you got an EC/EEA licence by exchanging one from a country that is not a designated country (see section 5) it will only be valid for 12 months. You cannot exchange this for a GB licence.
If you get a licence from any country outside the EC/EEA which you had exchanged for an EC/EEA licence, that licence will be valid in GB for only 12 months. You can exchange the licence for a GB one if you prove you are entitled to an EC/EEA licence.