COVID and Driving License

Anyone heard anything about an extension to the one year rule on driving in the UK on US license (usually 1 year cap).
Obviously, with the backlog of tests it’s going to be 6 months until my American Spouse completes her driving license / test in the Uk and so can’t drive after the one year expires.

Thank you

Anyone heard anything about an extension to the one year rule on driving in the UK on US license (usually 1 year cap).
Obviously, with the backlog of tests it’s going to be 6 months until my American Spouse completes her driving license / test in the Uk and so can’t drive after the one year expires.

Thank you

Not that I can see. The guidance is still the same.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence

And there is nothing mentioned in the Covid section.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-driving-tests-and-theory-tests

She can still drive after the year but must follow the rules of a learner driver.

Not that I can see. The guidance is still the same.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence

And there is nothing mentioned in the Covid section.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-driving-tests-and-theory-tests

She can still drive after the year but must follow the rules of a learner driver.

I sent for my provisional license on 3 Aug. The mail tracker says the post office has my letter for delivery (no record of a signed receipt), and the DVLA haven't recorded receiving it. I understand that COVID has slowed the process down but I sent my biometric card off with my application. Should I be worried and trying to track my application down, or is this what others are experiencing?

I sent for my provisional license on 3 Aug. The mail tracker says the post office has my letter for delivery (no record of a signed receipt), and the DVLA haven't recorded receiving it. I understand that COVID has slowed the process down but I sent my biometric card off with my application. Should I be worried and trying to track my application down, or is this what others are experiencing?

Other people have been experiencing issues too. They stopped processing provisional licences during Covid so there were big delays with receiving documents back.

We had a few people who applied for their provisional licences back in Feb/March before Covid started and they didn't get their BRPs and documents back until June.

See this thread for the other experiences:
https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=97956.msg1296989#msg1296989

Yes, was just going to dig that thread up. 

Other people have been experiencing issues too. They stopped processing provisional licences during Covid so there were big delays with receiving documents back.

We had a few people who applied for their provisional licences back in Feb/March before Covid started and they didn't get their BRPs and documents back until June.

See this thread for the other experiences:
https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=97956.msg1296989#msg1296989

Great, thank you, and to Larrabee, too! I saw that thread before but hadn't seen much recent info (unless posts have been added since I looked). We just bought a new car (our first since I moved over in 2018). I'm anxious to drive, but I'll have to be patient, as usual. 

This forum is awesome, though. I always feel better when I know I'm not alone. You have so much good advice to share!

Dear all,

I have just got off the phone with DVLA about this exact situation.

My wife applied in feb for her provisional, didn’t get it untill June and had to wait until the end of July for her theory test. Unfortunately the DVLA website is down to book practical test and I’m expecting a long wait!

The DVLA today told me that there would be no extension for foreign driving license  over the 12 months. Very disappointing!

Hope this helps

Yours Aye

LaserRadial


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dear all,

I have just got off the phone with DVLA about this exact situation.

My wife applied in feb for her provisional, didn’t get it untill June and had to wait until the end of July for her theory test. Unfortunately the DVLA website is down to book practical test and I’m expecting a long wait!

The DVLA today told me that there would be no extension for foreign driving license  over the 12 months. Very disappointing!

Hope this helps

Yours Aye

LaserRadial


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They won't allow you to supervise without the 3 years of EU/UK license either. It's made my husband getting through the last 2 months of lessons before his road test very difficult!

Anyone heard anything about an extension to the one year rule on driving in the UK on US license (usually 1 year cap).
Obviously, with the backlog of tests it’s going to be 6 months until my American Spouse completes her driving license / test in the Uk and so can’t drive after the one year expires.

Thank you

Hi, I'm in the same position as your spouse and can't drive here now. It's hard getting my 6 year old to school and myself to work every day.  There is a petition to the UK parliament to grant an extension for non-UK license holders due to the Covid backlog.   Here is the link for your consideration:  https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/329081 [nofollow]

Hi all, I am still waiting for my provisional license.  In the meantime, I have written to my local member of parliament and she called the DVLA as she thinks we have a valid point.  The DVLA has about  30 days to respond, so fingers crossed.  It may be worth for others to contact their MPs too, especially as we are in lockdown again with a very long wait in sight.  Like all of you, I'm paying my car tax, insurance and meanwhile my car is just sitting in the driveway slowly falling into disrepair.   

My husband and my US licenses are set to expire at the end of this month and we are estimating the soonest we can complete or UK driving tests is February and worse case, March! We have had the same issues as others with delays in getting our provisional licences due to lockdown, tests getting cancelled, and the overall backlog of test appointments.

Below is the language we are using when writing formal complaints and letters. Feel free to copy and paste and customize for your purposes. I would encourage other expats in the same position to write your local MP, write Boris Johnson (he has a general email address at Ask Boris website), file a complaint to the DVLA and the DVSA on their websites, and call the DVLA as frequently as possible explaining your situation. The more people that are calling and writing in, the more chance they will consider extending the 12-month period for non-UK driving licenses. Also be sure to sign and share the active petition which has almost 5,000 signers to date, but needs at least 10,000 for a formal response from government.

Sign the petition and send around:
newcomer link: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/329081 [nonactive]

Form Letter Sample:

Dear Madam or Sir:

Due to this pandemic and the much slower than normal processing timelines of the DVLA and the backlog of testing dates at the DVSA, many responsible and proactive expat families like ours have not been given fair and timely access to complete the tests required to receive our full UK driving licenses before our 12-month non-UK license period expires at the end of this month.

For the same reasons expiring GB license holders received an 11-month extension on the 1st of September, non-UK license holders should be granted the same extension especially considering this most recent lockdown period. The Executive Officer of the DVLA stated in her press release on 1 September that being able to drive is the lifeline for families in the UK.

My husband and I are at risk of losing our income and our ability to take our two girls to primary school. And based on current testing backlogs, we may not be able to complete our driving tests until April 2021 at the earliest.

As prideful residents of Kent and the UK, please consider advocating for an extension to the 12-month deadline for non-UK license holders due to the circumstances of the pandemic.

Thank you for the additional suggestions.  I have been trying to circulate the petition for some weeks now.
I will send my letter to Boris Johnson as well.  It's really a struggle without a car...I'm a single mom with a son in primary school, as well as a nurse working for an NHS hospital.  We walk to school, and then I have to take a bus or taxi to work which is both expensive and risky given the situation.  I will keep trying to get the word out!

Like all of you, I'm paying my car tax, insurance and meanwhile my car is just sitting in the driveway slowly falling into disrepair.

It may be a bit late in the game now but if you want to stop paying tax and insurance and you have a private driveway or garage to leave your car in, you can declare it off road by filling in a SORN.

https://www.gov.uk/make-a-sorn

https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

The SORN is automatically cancelled when you tax your vehicle again.

Thank you, it's something to consider.  I just had hoped the process would go more quickly!

An update from my end – our MP has written a formal letter to Ms Julie Lennard, Chief Executive of the DVLA requesting the DVLA consider our circumstances and offer a solution.

I’m wondering if anyone else has had success in getting their MP to respond or take action? Or any other developments?