Driving woes

Hi Forum,

I have a wierd query.

Me and my wife have been in the UK since the beginning of 2008 and have recently got extension to work here till 2013.

I am planning to visit India in the end of the year. While I am there I am planning to get my wife some driving training and a full Indian driving license.

Now my question is, when we come back to the UK will she be able to legally drive for 12 months, before getting a Full UK Driving licence?

Any inputs appreciated.

Regards

InUkOnHsmp wrote:Hi Forum,

I have a wierd query.

Me and my wife have been in the UK since the beginning of 2008 and have recently got extension to work here till 2013.

I am planning to visit India in the end of the year. While I am there I am planning to get my wife some driving training and a full Indian driving license.

Now my question is, when we come back to the UK will she be able to legally drive for 12 months, before getting a Full UK Driving licence?

Any inputs appreciated.

Regards

12 months starts the first time residence permit is issued , otherwise it will be perpentual

12 months from first time appctln get residency , otherwise no one need to sit actual driving test

regards

Hi Sushil,

Thanks for the input.

I understand that, my only confusion was since she did not have an Indian driving license at that point I was wondering if this might afterall be legal.

I totally understand that the chances of this happening are not so good!

Regards

InUkOnHsmp wrote:Hi Sushil,

Thanks for the input.

I understand that, my only confusion was since she did not have an Indian driving license at that point I was wondering if this might afterall be legal.

I totally understand that the chances of this happening are not so good!

Regards

very much doubt it mate. As far as I know, it is only valid for the very first time you enter UK not after that. Just get her to pass UK driving license

Thanks ID.

Guess thats what we would have to do. I was just wondering if getting her a license in India would help her practise here for 12 months or so before going for the test.

Doesnt look like it !

Cheers

I was just wondering if getting her a license in India would help her practise here

I have been selective in the words of yours I have copied. And yes, driving in India would help her general driving ability. But as regards a UK driving licence, the Indian licence will make no difference whatsoever.

Has she yet got a UK provisional driving licence? If not, get that, and then get her studying for th Theory Test!

Hi John,

I get your point we are in the process of moving in that direction.

The biggest problem I observed when practising in the UK was that one needs someone with 3 yrs of experience of driving on a FULL license needs to accompany him when driving on provisional license.

Now people like me who are new to the country do not have such contacts and thats a huge barrier to cross, unless one is lucky.

So effectively you end up only driving when taking classes with instructors and take several attempts to pass the driving test.

This is the hurdle I was trying to workaround when I put this post!

Thanks for your inputs everyone.

Regards

A joke NOT to any offend any one

I learned driving from Ramnik , while learning he used to scold me many times

one day he was saying some asked him in general how many hrs required some is very novice to get licnece in uk , he said around 30

agiain he asked if he have indian expereince of driving than how many , Ramnik replied 45 hrs , 15 to bring person in order

CHEER

Sushil-ACCA wrote:A joke NOT to any offend any one

I learned driving from Ramnik , while learning he used to scold me many times

one day he was saying some asked him in general how many hrs required some is very novice to get licnece in uk , he said around 30

agiain he asked if he have indian expereince of driving than how many , Ramnik replied 45 hrs , 15 to bring person in order

CHEER

That's probably true as well. Most of my friend driving in India failed in their first attempt whereas people who learned here passed with flying colour.

A small tip,

If you live in london, birmingham or manchester
You can easily find some very cheap driving lessons like 10 per hour, Just have a look on gumtree, local papers, etc

Its best to have lessons in the UK,



Good Luck,

Its best to have lessons in the UK,

Agree, but it will do no harm at all studying for and trying to pass the Theory Test, even before starting those practical lessons. After all someone cannot even apply to take the Practical Test until they have the pass certificate from the Theory Test.

John wrote: Agree, but it will do no harm at all studying for and trying to pass the Theory Test, even before starting those practical lessons. After all someone cannot even apply to take the Practical Test until they have the pass certificate from the Theory Test.

Wise advise. It is easy to related to the information poured by the driving instructor once you know theory well. Also takes less driving lessons and you already know most of the road signs etc.

Thanks for your inputs John and Chetan.

We will start the proceedings as soon as we are back from India as they take the passport for granting provisional licence.

I have also heard of this thingy called the International Driving Permit, do things change if we get her an IDP? How does it differ from a simple Indian driving license?

Regards

InUkOnHsmp wrote:Thanks for your inputs John and Chetan.

We will start the proceedings as soon as we are back from India as they take the passport for granting provisional licence.

I have also heard of this thingy called the International Driving Permit, do things change if we get her an IDP? How does it differ from a simple Indian driving license?

Regards

You can drive in UK for initial one year on Indian/international driving license. But if you have already spent over one year in UK, than there is not point getting it done.

I agree, getting a IDP will not assist at all.

Let's just clarify this. If someone comes to the UK as a visitor, effectively they start a (upto) 12 month period when they can drive in the UK, subject of course to them having a full driving licence from outside the UK. But of course they will not in the UK for anything like 12 months as a visitor.

Then let's assume that that person later returns to the UK again as a visitor. They would start a new (upto) 12 month period of legal driving.

However, none of the above assists anyone who is in the UK on a long-term visa, such as spouse visa, Tier 1, HSMP, student, or dependent thereof, where they can only drive legally in the UK on their overseas licence for the first 12 months in the UK, and no longer.

Also be aware that people have been successfully prosecuted for exceeding the 12 month limit, and not just for driving without a licence. They also tend to be prosecuted for driving without insurance, given that it is undoubtedly a term of any insurance policy that the person has a valid licence. So no licence also means no insurance.

Thanks john, that sounds scary.

I dont want to be on the wrong side of the law for whatever reason, so would go for a conventional approach for getting a UK driving licence .

Thanks all for your inputs, this has been an informative dicsussion.

Regards

@ OP

Your International License is only valid from the first day of intial entry into uk for 12 months. (If your wife entered uk on HSMP intially in Jan 2008 it is only valid for 12 months after) If she gets her International driving license in 2009 (It is Invalid- I wouldnt take chances if i were you).

Besides, the cost of Insurance using a Non-Uk full driving license is usually high. I have both full (international driving license from my country) but i got the Full Uk driving License (after 2 failed test though) when my International Driving license expired.

Your best option, is to go for Driving Lessons in Uk and get the Full Uk driving License

Cannot find the link but as others said your international DL is valid for 12 months after your first entry to Uk and it gets valid again if your time out of country exceeds 90 days..

InUkOnHsmp wrote:Hi Forum,

I have a wierd query.

Me and my wife have been in the UK since the beginning of 2008 and have recently got extension to work here till 2013.

I am planning to visit India in the end of the year. While I am there I am planning to get my wife some driving training and a full Indian driving license.

Now my question is, when we come back to the UK will she be able to legally drive for 12 months, before getting a Full UK Driving licence?

Any inputs appreciated.

Regards

NKSG that is incorrect information. The clock does not start again if out of country time exceeds 90 days.

Check this link posted by mvent00
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... DG_4022561

If someone came to this country as a resident, then it is only the first 12 months. Even if someone came on a non visitor visa, and are out for 90 days they do not lose their residency status.

nksg wrote:Cannot find the link but as others said your international DL is valid for 12 months after your first entry to Uk and it gets valid again if your time out of country exceeds 90 days..

InUkOnHsmp wrote:Hi Forum,

I have a wierd query.

Me and my wife have been in the UK since the beginning of 2008 and have recently got extension to work here till 2013.

I am planning to visit India in the end of the year. While I am there I am planning to get my wife some driving training and a full Indian driving license.

Now my question is, when we come back to the UK will she be able to legally drive for 12 months, before getting a Full UK Driving licence?

Any inputs appreciated.

Regards

nksg wrote:Cannot find the link but as others said your international DL is valid for 12 months after your first entry to Uk and it gets valid again if your time out of country exceeds 90 days..

This link should help.Below is extract from the link.
VISITOR
Provided your full licence or driving permit remains valid, you may drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and with up to eight passenger seats, for up to 12 months from the date of coming to GB. However, you may only drive large vehicles which have been registered outside GB and which you have driven into the country.

Please provide me some good driving institute to learn driving.

It actually depends on the area you live.

I have found (in my personal experience and also that of my wife and friends) that a local instructor is often better / cheaper / more accomodating than the chains like BSM, Red etc.

I suggest you check your local papers or gumtree etc, if it is relevant to your area.

Also, (again in personal experience and not to offend anyone), I have found the pass %s more if you take a Brit instructor than an asian one, especially outside greater london.

Good Luck.

PS : Can moderators please move this topic to the General forum as this has nothing to do with Tier 1.?