Cars and Driving Licences

In Sheffield most students do not own or run a car, but live within a twenty-minute walk of the campus or use the very frequent and reliable bus and tram services.

1. Important legal requirements – the car

1. All motor vehicles in GB must be registered, taxed and insured. Tax costs from £100 per year. Insurance may be several hundred pounds.
2. Buying a car - see Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency website
3. If you buy a used car, check the Registration Document to see whether it is you or the seller who needs to send it off to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to notify them of the change of keeper.
4. You must ensure that road tax for you car is paid before you drive it. You can obtain a tax disc by completing an application form (V10) that is available from any Post Office. You will need to take the completed form together with the following documents to a Post Office that issues tax discs:
   1. the Registration Document (see above); and
   2. the certificate of insurance (see below); and
   3. if the vehicle is over 3 years old, a current test certificate of roadworthiness (MoT). The MoT test is available at most garages, but make sure that the garage is an approved MoT centre (they will display a sign which says this).
5. The tax disc must be displayed in your car at all times.
6. The law in GB requires all motorists to have valid insurance that provides them with cover for the vehicle that they are driving.
   1. The cost of motor insurance cover will vary according to a number of factors such as your age, how long you have been driving, where you are living, the age and value of your car and the type of car you have.
   2. You will find a wide range of insurance companies listed in the telephone directory, or your bank or building society may have a close link to one.
   3. Many insurance companies offer special policies for students.
7. If you bring your vehicle with you, then the vehicle may remain in the UK and be exempt from UK registration and licensing requirements for the duration of the period of study, as long as it is fully registered and tax paid in its home country.

2. Important Legal Requirements – The Driver

1. you must drive on the left-hand side of the road and overtake only on the right;
2. if you are riding a motor cycle or a moped, you must wear a crash helmet;
3. the driver and front seat passengers must wear seat belts; rear seat passengers must wear seat belts where they are fitted;
4. you must not drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
5. you must observe speed limits: 30 or 40 mph (miles per hour) in towns and built-up areas, 70 mph on motorways and 60 mph on all other roads;
6. you must observe the minimum age requirements:
   1. the minimum age for driving a car or riding a motorcycle up to 25kW is 17 years of age;
   2. the minimum age or driving a medium sized goods vehicle is 18.
7. you must have a licence that allows you to drive in GB – this is in two parts, one of which is a photocard issued by the DVLA.

3. Driving Licences

If you wish to drive in Britain you must find out whether or not you can use your existing licence and for how long. This will depend on where your licence was issued. You may be able to:

1. drive in GB using your current licence;
2. apply to exchange your licence for a GB licence; or
3. apply for a provisional licence and take a driving test in order to obtain a full licence.

4. Licences issued by a European Economic area country
   1. If you have a valid full driving licence issued in an EEA country (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), you do not need to exchange it for a GB licence. Provided your licence remains valid, you may drive in Great Britain until age 70 if you hold a car licence or a motorcycle licence or until 45 if it covers larger vehicles. If you wish to continue driving after your EEA licence expires, a British driving licence must be obtained.
   2. You may apply to exchange your EEA licence if you become resident in Great Britain at any time whether your licence has expired or not. A fee is charged for this service.
5. If your EEA licence was issued in exchange for a non-EEA licence
   1. If you have an EEA licence that was issued on the strength of a licence from a designated country:

      Australia	Barbados
      British Virgin Islands	Canada
      Falkland Islands	Hong Kong
      Japan	Malta
      Monaco	New Zealand
      Republic of Cyprus	Republic of Korea
      Singapore	South Africa
      Switzerland	Zimbabwe

      
      The licence will only be valid for driving in GB for 12 months but is acceptable for exchange for a GB licence.
6. If your non-EEA licence was issued in exchange for an EEA licence
   If you have a non-EEA licence that was originally issued on the basis of an EEA licence and you are able to provide evidence of that licence, you may drive for up to 12 months. You may apply to exchange it if you become resident in Great Britain.
7. Licences issued in Northern Ireland
   You can exchange a full Northern Ireland driving licence for a full GB licence (DVLA charges a fee for this) or you can use your licence in GB until it expires. A Northern Ireland licence may be exchanged provided it was issued on or after 1 January 1976. When it expires you can apply for a GB licence.
8. Licences issued in Gibraltar and Designated Countries
   (see above for designated countries)
   1. Students coming to GB for at least 12 months with a full valid ordinary licence (eg drivers of cars) issued by Gibraltar or any one of the above countries can drive small vehicles for 12 months from the date of entry into GB.
   2. If you want to continue driving after the 12 month period then you must obtain a GB licence by the end of the 12 month period. This can be done, provided you consider yourself to be resident in GB, by making an application on a D1 form (available from Post Office) to exchange your licence for a GB licence. The DVLA charges a fee for this service. If you do not exchange your licence before the end of the 12 month period then you must stop driving. You can apply to exchange your licence at any time between 6 months and 5 years of becoming resident in GB. The DVLA requires the motorist to surrender his/her foreign licence, which is then returned to the original issuing authority.
   3. Note that if a Japanese licence is sent to the DVLA in exchange for a GB licence then it must be accompanied by an official translation, available for a fee from the Embassy of Japan in London or the Consulate-General in Edinburgh.
   4. With the exception of Gibraltar licences, a full valid vocational licence (e.g. medium/large vehicles, minibuses/buses) will not be exchanged for a British licence.
9. Licences issued in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man
   If you have a full valid ordinary licence you can drive in GB for up to 12 months from the time you became resident. If you want to carry on driving after the 12 month period then you must exchange your licence for a British one. A licence from Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man can be exchanged for a British one provided it has been valid within the last 10 years. The DVLA charges a fee for this service.
10. Licence issued in all other countries
    1. International students coming to GB for 12 months or less
       If you are studying in GB for 12 months or less you can drive any small vehicle (for example a car or van up to 3.5 tonnes) for up to 12 months from the date you first arrived in GB to take up your studies if:
    2. you have a full valid driving licence from your own country or an international driving permit, and
    3. your licence or permit remains valid during your stay.
    4. International students coming to GB for more than 12 months
       If you are studying in GB for more than 12 months, you must obtain a provisional GB licence (which will allow you to apply for a driving test) and pass a driving test before the 12 month period elapses. You can apply for a provisional licence (on the D1 form that is available from the Post Office) once you have been resident in GB for 6 months.
       If you do not obtain a provisional licence within the first 12 months of your stay you must stop driving at the end of the 12 month period until you have obtained a provisional licence.

Acknowledgements to UKCOSA for the information contained above.