Driving in the UK

Great Britain is England, Wales, and Scotland. GOV.UK uses a tool, not a single sentence, for whether you can drive there on a licence from outside Great Britain. Northern Ireland is a different process.

Your licence

Use Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence. GOV.UK also has a tool to exchange a non-GB driving licence for a British licence. It says there is a different process for a Northern Ireland licence.

Legal obligations of drivers and riders says that before you drive you must have the correct driving licence, be the minimum driving age, and meet the minimum eyesight rules. That page does not print the age on the overview, so this guide does not print one either. The vehicle must be registered with DVLA, taxed, roadworthy, and have a current MOT if it needs one.

The RAF Lakenheath motor vehicles page says to learn the regulations, local laws, and licence and registration requirements at the installation. It does not print a host-nation licence period on that overview. Use the installation page and GOV.UK rather than a number from somewhere else.

Insurance

GOV.UK vehicle insurance says you must have motor insurance to drive on UK roads. Third party insurance is the legal minimum. That covers damage or injury to any other person, vehicle, animal, or property. It does not cover other costs, such as repair to your own vehicle. The legal-obligations page says the same minimum: third party insurance that covers your use of the vehicle.

Which policy you buy, and what it costs, is between you and an insurer. This page does not name an insurer.

More in this set

• UK life overview
• SOFA basics
• TRICARE and the NHS
• Phones and internet