need to drive for work but no UK licence!

I think I'm screwed here, but wanted to check with you well-informed lot just to be sure...

I've got a valid US licence and I've been living in the UK for 2 years now. Started out in central London, so had no need to drive or for a UK licence. Now, I'm up in Scotland and there's a job I'm likely to be offered, but it's in the countryside (i.e. no pub transport), so would need to drive.

I've read the myth about renewing US licences for 12 months by re-entering the country (though I know people who do it, anyway), but I'm curious as to how the DVLA would verify this information if I applied for a provisional licence? I just re-entered the UK recently on a brand new passport and brand new UK visa.

The job won't be able to wait for me to get a full UK drivers licence and I won't be able to get to work and back without driving myself. I'm screwed, right?

Help??

Hm. Not sure. If you've just come in on a new visa, that MIGHT reset the clock (just leaving and coming back wouldn't, though). Hopefully, someone who can comprehend the DVLA-speak on the website will be along soon.

Is it possible that you can use taxis until you're able to get your UK license? I know it's not ideal, but if the job is that perfect it might be an option. You may find that once you start working there someone will live close enough to you that you could ride share.

Leaving the UK and re-entering will not reset the 12 month clock UNLESS there has been a break in residency. IE, you moved back to the states with the intent not to return to the UK and then at some point wayyyy down the line decided to come back to the UK. That would be a break in residency.

Sorry, your only choice is to go for a UK license.

Is it possible that you can use taxis until you're able to get your UK license? I know it's not ideal, but if the job is that perfect it might be an option. You may find that once you start working there someone will live close enough to you that you could ride share.

I appreciate the creative thinking, but I'm afraid the job is about 15 miles away; paying return taxi fares on a daily basis over the course of months isn't really feasible. It's also a very small company with most folks living near work, so it's not likely I'll be able to carpool, tho can certainly ask.

Leaving the UK and re-entering will not reset the 12 month clock UNLESS there has been a break in residency. IE, you moved back to the states with the intent not to return to the UK and then at some point wayyyy down the line decided to come back to the UK. That would be a break in residency.

Sorry, your only choice is to go for a UK license.

Definitely not willing to break residency, as am aiming for citizenship. For the same reason, I don't want to do anything illegal, either.

This is the first job in months I've actually wanted to take. I guess now I can only hope they don't offer it to me... Bugger.

Thanks all the same for your replies.

Can I just ask why you don't want to get a UK license?

Can I just ask why you don't want to get a UK license?

I do want to get a UK licence. Timing is the critical factor:

• I'm going out of the country briefly this month, so cannot apply for a provisional licence until I return, as they'll need my passport
• My understanding is that you need to have your provisional licence before you can take your theory test, and the theory test needs to be passed before you can pass your practical test
• I also understand it can take time to get the tests scheduled

Not to be a pessimist, but basically, assuming I were to apply for a provisional licence as soon as I return from my trip, immediately schedule & take my theory test and then (assuming) once passed, schedule my practical (again, assuming I pass)... well, by then it'd probably be getting close to December and I'm going Stateside for a few weeks then. Happy to be corrected on this, if any of my research/assumptions are wrong.

Regardless, I suspect my potential employer won't be willing to wait til January for me to come on board.

Really is a pain in the ars* doing things by the book, but so be it.

I do want to get a UK licence. Timing is the critical factor:

• I'm going out of the country briefly this month, so cannot apply for a provisional licence until I return, as they'll need my passport
• My understanding is that you need to have your provisional licence before you can take your theory test, and the theory test needs to be passed before you can pass your practical test
• I also understand it can take time to get the tests scheduled

Not to be a pessimist, but basically, assuming I were to apply for a provisional licence as soon as I return from my trip, immediately schedule & take my theory test and then (assuming) once passed, schedule my practical (again, assuming I pass)... well, by then it'd probably be getting close to December and I'm going Stateside for a few weeks then. Happy to be corrected on this, if any of my research/assumptions are wrong.

Regardless, I suspect my potential employer won't be willing to wait til January for me to come on board.

Really is a pain in the ars* doing things by the book, but so be it.

Bugger.  Well good luck anyways with whatever you do.   

I do want to get a UK licence. Timing is the critical factor:

• I'm going out of the country briefly this month, so cannot apply for a provisional licence until I return, as they'll need my passport
• My understanding is that you need to have your provisional licence before you can take your theory test, and the theory test needs to be passed before you can pass your practical test
• I also understand it can take time to get the tests scheduled

Not to be a pessimist, but basically, assuming I were to apply for a provisional licence as soon as I return from my trip, immediately schedule & take my theory test and then (assuming) once passed, schedule my practical (again, assuming I pass)... well, by then it'd probably be getting close to December and I'm going Stateside for a few weeks then. Happy to be corrected on this, if any of my research/assumptions are wrong.

Regardless, I suspect my potential employer won't be willing to wait til January for me to come on board.

Really is a pain in the ars* doing things by the book, but so be it.

Yep, everything you said is true. It would be worth going through the process (or at least beginning the process) as soon as you can to avoid this ever happening to you again. Sorry it wasn't good news.  I've decided to go for my licence now, even though I only live a mile from work, just so that if I should ever lose this job, getting to work at another job wouldn't be an issue. So try to look at it as thinking ahead so not having a licence doesn't hold you back. Good luck!

I agree, get started on this now so that future possibilities no longer have to be held back by not having your UK licence.

I would say to anyone reading who is about to move here and thus be on their one year grace period of legal driving on their valid US licence: if you possibly can, start on the process of getting your UK licence as soon as you can, even while your legality to drive on your US licence is still good. It is a huge drag to no longer be licensed to drive when that Year One runs out and you still don't have your UK licence. While I understand about living in a big city and not feeling you need to drive, getting that test pass done with sooner rather than later is usually best, as you never know if the place you live or the job you land will change one day and not being legal to drive anymore will be an issue.

I agree, get started on this now so that future possibilities no longer have to be held back by not having your UK licence.

I would say to anyone reading who is about to move here and thus be on their one year grace period of legal driving on their valid US licence: if you possibly can, start on the process of getting your UK licence as soon as you can, even while your legality to drive on your US licence is still good. It is a huge drag to no longer be licensed to drive when that Year One runs out and you still don't have your UK licence. While I understand about living in a big city and not feeling you need to drive, getting that test pass done with sooner rather than later is usually best, as you never know if the place you live will or the job you land will change one day and not driving will be an issue.

Agreed. I now plan on going for my UK licence, regardless of the job situation.

To be fair, up until recently, there was no chance of me moving out of London (i.e. needing a car), as I was on an employer-sponsored visa. Not even sure anymore when it was I became aware of the 12 month limit. I do put a lot of effort into keeping up on various visa and immigration issues, but this one I just didn't anticipate.

Oh, well. It's no use crying over spilt milk now. Fingers crossed an even better opportunity presents itself that will let me commute by bike or on foot... AND that I get my UK licence in the near future.

Good for you, and good luck!

Although, as someone in London myself, in my opinion these days even London life is more convenient with a car and one's UK licence, at least at hand should you need it, despite the bountiful public transportation system in all its forms -- which still has some drawbacks.

I've made lumbering bus journeys that took a convoluted hour to get to the same place it takes fourteen minutes to get to in a car trip.

I appreciate the creative thinking, but I'm afraid the job is about 15 miles away; paying return taxi fares on a daily basis over the course of months isn't really feasible. It's also a very small company with most folks living near work, so it's not likely I'll be able to carpool, tho can certainly ask.

If it meant working versus not working I would bike to work, try to get a UK license asap, and cadge rides when I could. 15 miles really isn't that long of a bike commute. Of course, you're going to have to deal with the rain and evening darkness...

If it meant working versus not working I would bike to work, try to get a UK license asap, and cadge rides when I could. 15 miles really isn't that long of a bike commute. Of course, you're going to have to deal with the rain and evening darkness...

Dude, with all due respect, that's insane!!  I would never ride 15 miles to and from work...that sounds like something a hard-core cycler would do, which I surely am not.  And as you say, during the bad weather and in particular, it gets dark in Scotland very early this time of year.

If it meant working versus not working I would bike to work, try to get a UK license asap, and cadge rides when I could. 15 miles really isn't that long of a bike commute. Of course, you're going to have to deal with the rain and evening darkness...

I used to bike 7.5 miles each way to work in San Francisco and enjoyed that, but this is twice the distance and involves winding, hilly country roads, not just city streets. And, as you've so aptly pointed out, Scotland's kinda rainy and dark in the winter.