EU/ex UK residents applying for new UK driving licence ?

Graham376

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It's like being between the devil and the deep blue sea . . . . :unsure: ;)
See if this answers your question Driving licence exchange and recognition in the EU

What pi**ed me off, was handing in my UK license in February last year, being given a temporary one only valid in Portugal and nothing else heard until December, when I received a letter requesting I hand in my replacement UK one to start the process again. Covid is of course the excuse for the delay and I've no confidence much will have changed yet, there must be a hell of a backlog. Even if/when I receive license there will be an argument as they don't automatically include some UK groups such as trailers so, that would restrict me in UK as well :(

P.S. Forgot to mention the temporary one expired in August.
 

sailaboutvic

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This is true, I've possibly got about 10 active years left at best, I've sold up and rent now because I want the freedom of doing anything upping sticks and moving without hassle of possessions.
Its becoming more and more difficult to do that, all this discussion on here doesn't change the fact wherever you go you have to abide by some restrictive legislation one way or another.
And its getting much harder , we seriously thinking of doing some thing differently .
Maybe going back to bringon race horses.
But some where warm .
 

ean_p

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I wrote to DVLA asking if, as a UK (and Portuguese) resident, I can drive in the UK on a Portuguese license. Their reply, which doesn't directly answer my question -

We can only issue licences to customers who are resident in GB, whether or not they were born in Britain or have British citizenship.
Customers living abroad should contact the driving licence authority for advice on driving there and exchanging.
The Interpretation of the law is a matter for the courts and the Agency advises customers to seek legal advice if necessary.
When determining your status as a resident or a visitor, you may like to bear in mind that legal precedents have determined that ‘temporarily visiting’ indicates presence in this country for casual purposes as opposed to the regular habits of life.
Because neither visitor nor resident is defined in driver licensing legislation you should seek your own legal advice if you need further help determining your status.
The ultimate decision is down to the individual concerned and they must be prepared to justify their status if challenged.

RESIDENCY LEGISLATION
In order to apply for a GB driving licence you must be resident in GB.
This requirement is implemented by virtue of Section 89 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended. A copy of the Road Traffic Act 1988 may be viewed on the website of the Office of Public Sector Information: www.legislation.gov.uk
As long as you have the appropriate leave to remain in GB for 185 days or more, you can apply straight away for a driving licence.
Please be advised you would have cover to drive in the UK either as a visitor or resident on a valid Portuguese licence.
I think the gist of their reply goes back to my belief that residence is at the heart of the matter and what actually constitutes residence. The reference to right to remain for 185 days or more is the starting point and not a temporal requirement. That is to say you can't be resident if you not allowed to remain for at least 185 days. But that's not the same as saying you must remain for at least 185days. As a UK citizen then you'll always be able to fulfill that requirement no matter if you're in the country or not.
 

grumpygit

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What pi**ed me off, was handing in my UK license in February last year, being given a temporary one only valid in Portugal and nothing else heard until December, when I received a letter requesting I hand in my replacement UK one to start the process again. Covid is of course the excuse for the delay and I've no confidence much will have changed yet, there must be a hell of a backlog. Even if/when I receive license there will be an argument as they don't automatically include some UK groups such as trailers so, that would restrict me in UK as well :(

P.S. Forgot to mention the temporary one expired in August.

Yes it's all a bit of a mess really trying to hit the right point in law to keep legal. We have a Greek car (which I put in my wife's name) and scooter here but also a car in the UK that is kept taxed, tested and insured.
We don't have to hand ours in until the new Greek one arrives which can take as long as six months to get processed. It is the same here to, you don't get all your groups on the licence automatically, you have to pay for each one so it can work out expensive. A friend would have lived to retain his 7.5t licence was going to cost €480
 

DownWest

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Going back a bit, when one handed in one's UK licence in exchange for the Portuguese one, they said that I could exchange it back any time. In the case, I needed to drive back to UK a couple of months later and doubted the flimsy would work outside Portugal, so went in to temp exchange it. They said 'Hang on a minute' then shuffled the file and gave me my nice new Portuguese one. It usually took about 6 months back then and people asked who I knew to speed it up...
If they now send them to DLVC, obviously the swop back option no longer applies.
Much later, Re-applying for a UK one, they demanded I send them the (expired) Portuguese one before issuing the UK one.
 
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