Getting a UK driver's license

Hi Everybody,

Unfortunately I think I already know the answer to this question, but just to be sure: Are there any agreements whereby if you come from a certain state you can just exchange your U.S. license for a British one, as you can do in France, or do I definitely have to take the test etc. to get a UK license?

If I do have to take it, do you have any general tips for the easiest way to prepare for it/caveats/ etc.?

Thanks

I don't know of any reciprocal agreements for American driving licenses .. although you can exchange EU licenses and also licenses from a range of countries from Australia to Zimbabwe.  There's what I understand is a full list at:   http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm.

Just supposing it was possible to exchange a license from (say) Montana into a French one - perhaps if someone moved from that state to France and there was such an agreement - then there would be no reason that they couldn't exchange, in due course, the French one for a British one, resulting (in the end) in a full UK license based on a test passed in the USA.  I am just "musing" here .... call in the computer scientist in me 

I would imagine that you'd have to actually go to live in France (and have a passport with a visa to do so) in order to do that exchange...and then get a visa to live here.  Which would be a pain.

But if you are just moving from the US to the UK...nope, you have to go through all the hassle again, including getting the provisional license (like a driving permit), take the 'written' test (which many people do fail) and then take the driving test (which has about a 50% pass rate).

There is at least one or two other threads on how to prepare for this test...just do a search on here.  I am using a few cds to study for the theory & hazard perception part (the 'written part') and then will take lessons for the driving part (there are some major differences in the way you are expected to drive and you can fail easily: for example, you cannot pass one hand over the other when turning the wheel...you need to slide them).

Thanks to both of you. Well, looks like I can't escape it. I won't be settling in the UK but it makes sense for me to get a UK license because I WILL be settling somewhere in the EU, and I think you can generally exchange a UK passport for that of another EU nation...I know you can do that in France, for example. Let me know if you've heard otherwise for any other European countries...

Thanks

AMERICAN FREAK

I'm pretty sure you are right about that - you can exchange a UK license for a EU one. 

It's part of the overall EU dictats on such things that you can swap a UK license for one in any other EU country (and vice versa) without any re-testing.

However......

Since we adopted the EU-format photo-card licenses, there is also a new EU rule which comes into play which states that you may continue using your old license for as long as it is valid when moving to another EU country.     So somebody who has just obtained a new UK license, for example, could move to France and not have to exchange for a French license for 10 years.

Some literature still states the need to exchange within a year, or 3 months, or whatever, so as usual with EU legislation there seems to be some confusion around.

Still, if you could "live" in France just long enough to get a French license, you could then use it to drive in the UK for as long as it remains valid (not sure if their licenses run 10 years or less).

Excellent. Thanks very much indeed for this useful advice. At least I'll know that the pain of getting the license is fully worthwhile! : )