Exchanging a foreign driving licence in the UK
If your licence is from a designated country, you must exchange it to keep driving after 12 months of residence in Great Britain. You can exchange up to 5 years after becoming resident if it has not expired. The DVLA exchange costs £43 using form D1. Other licence holders need to pass the theory and practical tests.
Which route applies to you
Use the GOV.UK exchange tool (opens in a new tab) to check your country. The list changes, so we do not copy it here.
- Designated country: exchange with DVLA using form D1.
- Non-designated country: check the GOV.UK guidance on driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence. You will usually need a provisional licence and to pass the theory and practical tests.
- Northern Ireland: DVA runs its own process.
Exchanging a designated-country licence
Official step · You do this
Get form D1
From a Post Office that offers DVLA services.
Official step · You do this
Send the form, your original licence and the £43 fee to DVLA
Some countries need extra documents. For example, Japanese licences need an official translation from the embassy. You sign the form yourself.
Official step · The authority does this
DVLA issues your licence
Usually within 3 weeks, according to GOV.UK.
| Item | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| DVLA licence exchange (D1) | £43 | Paid to the authority |
Do you need us?
For designated countries, the official process is simple, in English and costs £43, and the GOV.UK tool explains each step. Where we help most is with licences from non-designated countries: we plan your test route with you.
Our service
Services for this country
Licence Route Check
A written summary of your route, your deadline and your documents, with links to every official source.
€95incl. 21% VAT
Independent help with the official process. You can also apply to the authority yourself; its fees are paid to it, separately from ours. How we work
Official sources for this pageSpotted something out of date?