Applying for a Provisional Licence-Do you have to go to the DVLA?

if the dvla loses your passport.. are they legally responsible to pay for a new one including replacing your visa?

i really doubt it. (but would hope to be pleasantly surprised on this one)

Well.. it is Monday and I still don't have my passport back (I got my provisional on Friday).. and now with the upcoming mail strikes!!! I am really worrying.

and.. NO I didn't send my application with a self-addressed envelope, the reason was that I went to the DVLA for the picture signature and I didn't knew they were actually going to take my application+passport and mail them!!!  I guess it is my fault for trusting UK services....

Well... it has only been 10 working days (they told me to wait 15 working days).

other news: I booked the theory test for Aug 16!!!!

i really doubt it. (but would hope to be pleasantly surprised on this one)

I doubt it as well.

Ok...planning on going down to the DVLA tomorrow. But looking at the form, I just realised that we may be moving out of our current London flat shortly. Do you think it's ok to put my in-laws address on the application? My husband has most of his important documents still registered at that address, and in the long run I would prefer to have it tied to a more permanent address since we probably will be moving around quite a bit in the next couple of years. Just wondering what people think of this plan.

Ok...planning on going down to the DVLA tomorrow. But looking at the form, I just realised that we may be moving out of our current London flat shortly. Do you think it's ok to put my in-laws address on the application? My husband has most of his important documents still registered at that address, and in the long run I would prefer to have it tied to a more permanent address since we probably will be moving around quite a bit in the next couple of years. Just wondering what people think of this plan.

I'm 99% sure it's illegal to have anything other than your own permanent address on your driving license.  Will do some research and report back.

Thanks, Lola.

As soon as I wrote that out I thougth that this is clearly not a good idea. Just trying to avoid having to change the address down the line, but I guess it can't be avoided. I was thinking about it in terms of I have my US license attached to my mom's house, but that is my permanent address in the US, and I did live there for 20 years!

Sorry for all my questions...you've all be so helpful.

Hopefully this is my last one!

As my passport is in my maiden name, I will have to bring my marriage certificate. Are they going to need to send the original to Swansea? I have numerous copies, and will bring the original to the DVLA, but am hoping not to have to send it off A) as I hate parting with all of these important documents and B) I don't think it will fit in the Special Delivery return envelope I just got from the Post Office.

Any ideas??

is your copy of the certificate certified?  If it is a certified copy, you are just fine to send that one, but if it isn't and is just a xerox, it probably won't count I'm guessing.

I'm curious about a certificate that wouldn't fit.  I had our kind of ceremonial one that looks more formal, but isn't actually certified as the evidence had to go back to the registrar before they certified the record of our marriage, then I have multiple certified copies I made that are just normal page size copies with the official stamp of the registrar showing that they are official copies.

Thanks, Cadenza.

Sadly it's not a certified copy. Getting the one copy was all we had time for after the wedding, as it usually takes 1 month to get your certificate by mail from New York City. We had already twisted a few arms to get it in person the day after the wedding so we could go to the consulate the day after that. Getting official copies is on my list of things to do next time I am home.

When I say it won't fit, technically it will...it's folded, and in a standard size envelope...I just keep it in a hard plastic cover so that it won't get damaged/ripped, and that won't fit. As the special delivery envelopes are those flexible plastic with no structure, I wanted to avoid having to send it without the cover, but I guess that looks like a risk I will just have to take.

Can't wait until this is all over!!

when I sent my passport in special delivery pre-paid I did send one of those flexible plastic envelopes, and I'll admit my marriage certificate came back pretty wrinkled, but you could always try sending it special delivery both ways and I'm sure your plastic envelope would fit in the plastic envelope and protect it.

Otherwise, I believe you can just attach special delivery stickers to any envelope.  I don't know if that works for pre-paid special delivery though.  I'll find out.  My passport is going in to the DVLA special delivery today.

Just got back from the DVLA and getting my photo signed.  I didn't realize that they send the passports in their special post.  I had brought another special delivery envelope just in case.  As it turns out I would have been fine with just the return special delivery envelope.  They stamped my photo and sent it on to Swansea.

I asked the lady at the post office, just to be sure and she assured me that any envelope can be special delivery.  You just need to pay the right postage and stick some special delivery stamps on it.  So if you don't want to send the plastic flexible envelope, you can make your own envelope.

We shall see how long it takes now to come back.  The guy at the counter told me this is the worst time of year to apply for a licence!  Thanks a lot!  I don't have any time pressure here before my US licence expires!

why is it neccessary to send in your passport anyway? why cant they just check to see if its you at the DVLA nearest to you?

because that's the way they do it.  Yes, I know, it's stupid, but they insist that their special people at Swansea need to check it out.  You can't get around it in the situation most of us expats are in.

Wow!  That was quick!  It only took eight days for my provisional and my passport to come back (in separate posts). 

I was so happy it went quickly, but I'm not so happy about my testing date.  I've heard that it can take a while to get the practice test, but I hadn't heard about the theory test taking a while.  My date is nearly a month from now which will only leave me 1.5 months to get my practical test done before my US license period ends.  I'm going to have to start calling in and see if they have earlier test dates available somewhere.