International drivers license?

Hi everyone,
I had a question maybe someone might know the answer to. My new boss (british) told me I could get an international drivers license instead of having to go through taking the driving tests. He said his wife who's dutch got one and didn't have to take the driving test. I have an American license.
Thanks for any help,
Linda

I wish that were true, but it's not.  US licenses cannot be exchanged for UK licenses.  Welcome to the forum with the rest of us going through this ordeal.

Jim

Hi Linda,

The IDP (International Driving Permit) isn't really a driver's license in itself.  It's merely a document which confirms the validity of a regular national or state license in about a dozen different languages.

Somebody with a Dutch license would be able to simply exchange it for a U.K. license by virtue of the EU rules on such matters.  In fact the rules now say that you can drive on another EU license until it expires (which could be up to 10 years) before having to get a U.K. license in its place.

Unfortunately, a U.S. license is only accepted as valid here for a period of one year, so you're stuck with the bureaucracy of the tests

(Although I understand that some people do "get away" with simply renewing and continuing to use a U.S. license for several years...... ).

(Although I understand that some people do "get away" with simply renewing and continuing to use a U.S. license for several years...... ).

Which if they are caught using it, will result in an amazingly HEFTY fine (as found out by one of the faculty at the American School one year)...

Yeah......   The way the government seems to treat relatively trivial things as though you've committed some major felony is quite amazing.