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Driving licence

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:23 am
by Mags
Hiya all! My husband has just arrived in the UK, he has a 2 year spouse visa and is looking to buy a car, in the ope it'll make his chances of getting a job easier. He holds a US driving license, is that valid in the UK? If so, how does it work with insurance.. would that make the insurance more expensive?

He is under 21 and only been a UK resident for a short time, which will probably make the insurance very expensive, but my main worry is will his US license be valid here?

Hopefully someone will have been in the same situation as ourselves and offer a little advice.

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:37 am
by Wanderer
He can drive for 12 months from his initial date of arrival in UK on his US licence. Going out and coming again doesn't restart the 12 months like some of the Indian guys here think!

Then he must get a UK provisional licence and take a proper test like the rest of us!

Insurance will kill anyone under 21 in the UK, especially with no UK driving experience or NCB. we had an 18yo lass from San Diego staying with us, she drives a BMW 745i over there, if she lived here she'd struggle to insure a skateboard...

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:43 pm
by Mags
Thanks Wanderer, the cheapest quote we got was over 300 pounds per month.. its crazy. Someone on another site recommended Clements International, they have a fixed price and give you insurance anywhere in the world, which is pretty cool.

Here's the link for anyone that wants cheap insurance

https://www.clements.com/expatriate/int ... monial.asp

Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:20 pm
by SKUK
Cheap insurance may be but you need to make sure that they are part of the MIB here in UK else your insurance is invalid.

You can find more details here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ow ... /DG_071948