Brexit exchange of driving licence

[RogeTeri]

Anyone living abroad? I’m in Portugal and am interested in what other expats are doing about driving licences post Brexit. If they are not exchanged before Brexit I understand it will mean me having to take a driving and written test in Portuguese which I doubt I could pass! On the other hand if exchanged pre Brexit it’s relatively straightforward. I’m reluctant to give up my uk licence but would like to hear what others think. Thanks

 

[tacr2man]

Why do you have to give up the UK licence ? I have UK and Australian driving licence . Dont they just recognize and issue if you have a local address ?

 

[2657]

Anyone living abroad? I’m in Portugal and am interested in what other expats are doing about driving licences post Brexit. If they are not exchanged before Brexit I understand it will mean me having to take a driving and written test in Portuguese which I doubt I could pass! On the other hand if exchanged pre Brexit it’s relatively straightforward. I’m reluctant to give up my uk licence but would like to hear what others think. Thanks

If you live there and have Portuguese residency then it is Portuguese law that you must have a Portuguese licence, theoretically within 3 months of obtaining residency.

I am also reluctant to give up my UK licence but I think that it will be easier to re instate a UK licence than to have to go through the procedure to obtain a Portuguese licence after Brexit.

I am not back in Portugal until the end of September but I have more or less decided to get the Portuguese licence when we get back.

Most of the others on our site that have taken Portuguese residency have already done that.

 

[RogeTeri]

I’m not sure on that. Much depends on whether or not we end up with a no-deal Brexit. Nobody seems to know the outcome as yet and we are running out of time. What I outlined maybe a worse case scenario. So much will depend on the government who don’t know themselves!

 

[Camping Gaza]

It's all still up in the air, nobody knows until official notices are posted.

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[2657]

Why do you have to give up the UK licence ? I have UK and Australian driving licence . Dont they just recognize and issue if you have a local address ?

No the UK licence is returned to DVLA, not sure whether that is Portuguese law or EU law.

 

[RogeTeri]

If you live there and have Portuguese residency then it is Portuguese law that you must have a Portuguese licence, theoretically within 3 months of obtaining residency.

I am also reluctant to give up my UK licence but I think that it will be easier to re instate a UK licence than to have to go through the procedure to obtain a Portuguese licence after Brexit.

I am not back in Portugal until the end of September but I have more or less decided to get the Portuguese licence when we get back.

Most of the others on our site that have taken Portuguese residency have already done that.

I seem to agree! I’m in uk until early October and if I’ve not heard to the contrary will do the same. Thanks

 

[2657]

I’m not sure on that. Much depends on whether or not we end up with a no-deal Brexit. Nobody seems to know the outcome as yet and we are running out of time. What I outlined maybe a worse case scenario. So much will depend on the government who don’t know themselves!

In mine and lots of others opinions the law in Portugal is as I stated, Portuguese Residency, even temporary, and you need a Portuguese licence. The chances of getting caught is another matter.

I think the only moot point is the ease of exchanging licences after Brexit.

 

[spitfire]

Have changed my UK licence for a French one as I live here ! As I understand it for France they are no longer exchanging them unless you have points or it is about to expire as they don’t have the manpower to deal with the volume ! The services for the whole of France have been centralised at Nantes re the backlog when before it was done locally at the prefecture

 

[filopastry]

Correct spitfire. I applied to exchange mine some months ago and received a reply stating that unless you have to change it because of Change of rights (groups), receipt of points (actaully taken away in France not added) or that the expiry date is due then they will not change a GB licence until Brexshit has been resolved. Official letters in my possession as proof.

Phil

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[rangi]

When I changed my Kiwi license to Aussie , they took ALL my other licenses to drive, and only gave me the Car /truck /trailer back, When I changed my Aussie for a UK , they gave me the same. Both times they kept my "Foreign License" I do have on my UK license however the letters "AUS"

 

[Charente16]

My French driving licence also has reference to my 'original' UK licence. Unfortunately, my C1 was cancelled by the French authorities when I reached at 65, I was told I would have to take French HGV driving course and test if I wanted to retain it.

So if you require a C1 for your vehicle, I would suggest you make some enquiries before surrendering your UK licence, otherwise it could become expensive. Although as has already been said you are obliged to exchange your licence if you are a Permanent Resident in another country.

Robert

 

[Sundowners]

You can change your UK licence for a Portuguese one but you lose your C1+E, you will only get B1+E. You can however, use your English licence, but if you do not change it before it expires you will have to take your test again.

 

[gus-lopez]

You can change your UK licence for a Portuguese one but you lose your C1+E, you will only get B1+E. You can however, use your English licence, but if you do not change it before it expires you will have to take your test again.

that's illegal under EU rules. iIt has to be exchanged for exactly what is on the Uk one regardless of wheter you have taken a test or not.

Unfortunately, my C1 was cancelled by the French authorities when I reached at 65, I was told I would have to take French HGV driving course and test if I wanted to retain it.

i cannot see that that would be legal under EU rules either as if, having exchanged it , they have been allowing you to use it & renewing it for many years why would you suddenly need an hgv test?
Here it is exchanged 'as is'. renewals for B + are every 10 years but for C1+E every 5 but B+ is autorenewed at same time. Renewal is medical/eye test etc/new photo every time & all done in a dedicated office.
At 70 it becomes 5years & 3 years if memory serves me right ?

 

[Sundowners]

We went to an official office the other day, not part of the government, and were told that we will lose the C1+E and only have the B1+E. She did say we could drive our 6 ton motorhome on that category, but we don’t think we will chance it. We told her we were concerned as on our English licence category B1+E we can drive up to a 3.5 ton vehicle towing a trailer up to the maximum train weight of the towing vehicle, she confirmed that we would have no problems driving our motorhome of six tonne. Do we chance it, no don’t think so. We have another solution if we don’t sell it, so not worried on that score.

Even though we can import it tax free having owned it for more than a year, we would not be able to sell it on for five years, if we did we would have to pay the import tax pro data, depending on when we sell it. Yes we know it’s against EU rules to charge import duty, but this is Portugal and they do. Portugal like a lot of other European countries obey the rules that suit them, not like the British who bow down to them.

But we still love it here.?

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[spitfire]

My French driving licence also has reference to my 'original' UK licence. Unfortunately, my C1 was cancelled by the French authorities when I reached at 65, I was told I would have to take French HGV driving course and test if I wanted to retain it.

So if you require a C1 for your vehicle, I would suggest you make some enquiries before surrendering your UK licence, otherwise it could become expensive. Although as has already been said you are obliged to exchange your licence if you are a Permanent Resident in another country.

Robert

Still have C1 on our licences . Is a direct transfer of catagories but did have to take a medical to retain and every 2 years as 70 years young

 

[DL42846]

I changed my UK licence to a French one a few years back. On the UK one I was able to drive up to a 7.5 tonne. The French couldn't understand it and gave me a full French license enabling me to drive everything from a bus. bus with trailer. HGV , HGV with trailer Articulators. I had to have a medical which I haven't renewed so I'm back down to a max of three and a half tonne.

 

[Janiemou]

Just received our new Greek licences & C1 has been cancelled. Luckily, we are under the limit.

 

[Charente16]

I agree every EU country with the exception of the UK 'Cherry Picks' which rules it will follow. In France, before 'centralisation' of Driving Licences/Car Registrations/Resident Permits, it was all done at the local Prefecture, and all 'Prefectures were different in their intreptation of the rules and these changed according to who you saw on a particular day!

Here in the Charante, I was intially refused a French License because I was an EU Citizen - not required but "Madame the Gendarme said I must"; her response GO. I waited around until Madame exchanged places with some one else and got my licence.

Likewise, filled - out our application for a 'Carte d'Sejour' together with all the paperwork and submitted it to our Mairie for their approval, subsequently informed by the Prefecture that we didn't need one as we were British/UK citizens. Neigbouring Departments, at that time, insisted you have one. Finally got one last year from Nantes after 15 years without one.

Robert

 

[denisejoe]

If you live somewhere in the European union other than your own country for more than a year you have to apply for a licence in that country

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[bobandjanie]

We changed ours to Spanish, Janie kept her C1, but because of me losing the sight in one eye only got a 3.5t, but kept my full bike license, you have to pass a medical and a driving test on the computer.
Yes you have to take the test once out of Europe. Bob.

 

[jumartoo]

We changed our UK licences to Spanish a few years ago. Martin kept his C1, I didn't! I'm not too bothered cos I don't even drive our 3.5 moho and we're unlikely to go bigger and I'd certainly not want to drive that!!!