There are a lot of things I wish I had known before I moved abroad. Life isn’t necessarily a walk in the park, and if you live abroad you will undoubtedly struggle at some point in time. I have definitely struggled. For me, one of my biggest challenges since I moved to the UK in October 2016 has been driving.

Oh man, how I have struggled with driving in the UK.

My case might not be the same as other foreigners for a few reasons. First of all, I already know how to drive. In fact, I’ve been driving for over 11 years! Second of all, I learned how to drive on a manual. So while it can be difficult getting used to driving a manual again instead of automatic, it’s not the end of the world. Driving a stickshift is a bit like riding a bike. Once you know how to do it, you can pick it back up again. I was so annoyed at my parents for forcing me to learn to drive on a manual, so I “can drive any car anywhere in the world!” Now, I’m so grateful for that. Thanks, Mom and Dad!! So having gone through all of this, I wanted to share a bit about my experiences driving in the UK and getting my UK driver’s license.

Exchanging Your Foreign Driver’s License In The UK

You might just be lucky enough to be able to simply exchange your foreign driver’s license in the UK. You can then get a new British one. If you are from one of the following countries, you can simply send off a form and pay a fee (I believe it’s £43). You’ll then get a UK license in the mail in a few weeks. All countries in the European Union are eligible, as are “designated countries.” “Designated countries” mean they have an exchange agreement with Great Britain.

Here are the list of EU countries that you can exchange your license: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

The following countries also have an exchange agreement with the UK. So if your driver’s license is one of these, you can also exchange yours and get a British one without any problems: Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

You can find out more information on exchanging licenses here. You can also visit the gov.uk website and they’ve got a neat little quiz for you to see if you can exchange yours or not!

Unfortunately, the US isn’t on this list. I honestly have no idea WHY, but I think it has something to do with the driving test you take to get your license. So I wasn’t able to just exchange my driver’s license for a British one. Nope, I had to go through the entire process again, as if I didn’t know how to drive and was starting from scratch.

How To Get A Driver’s License As A Foreigner In The UK

You can drive with a foreign driver’s license in the UK for up to 12 months (1 year) after you move. Unfortunately, this is just one more way the UK government targets foreigners to make our lives as difficult as possible (more below). As you read this, remember that I pay thousands in visa fees to live here, so that my Minnesota driver’s license is now invalid here. But my friends and family can come here as tourists and drive on their US driver’s licenses without any problem! (But maybe that’s a rant for another time.)

Assuming you know how to drive, the process to get a driver’s license sounds pretty simple. You’ll need to buy a provisional driver’s license. Back home, this is what I’d call my permit (aka what I had when I was 15 until I passed my actual driving test one year later). You’ll then need to pay for and book a theory test. Once you’ve passed your theory test, you’ll need to pay for and book a practical test. Once you pass the practical test—congrats! You’ll have a UK driver’s license!

I got my provisional license in September 2017, when I knew my Minnesota driver’s license would be expiring soon. It costs £34 to get a UK provisional license. Keep in mind that unless you have a UK passport, you’ll need to send off proof of identity/residence. For me, this was my BRP (biometric residence permit). They required the actual physical card, which was pretty stressful for me. Without the BRP card, I had no physical proof of my right to live in the UK for about two weeks. (I was applying for jobs at the time so being without my BRP was very stressful!)

If you only have a provisional license, you will need to buy L-plates and put them on the front and back of your car. These signify that you are a learner driver to all other road users. You will also only be able to drive with another passenger in the front seat (“supervising”). That person must be over 21, and have been driving for a minimum 3 years. A note: whoever is supervising you is not allowed to use a mobile phone while supervising. You can buy L-plates here!

I took my theory test in January 2018. Theory tests currently cost £23. Whatever you do, I HIGHLY recommend buying and studying the official book. I used the AA Theory Test, Practical Test & Highway Code book. There is no way I would have passed without studying this from front to back and cramming hardcore in the days leading up to my theory test. Thankfully, the theory test isn’t difficult if you’ve studied the book. Most of it is just memorizing random facts. You can buy the book here!

It’s also important to remember that you will need to learn a new vocabulary for driving in the UK. Instead of “blinker,” you’ll need to say “turn signal.” Instead of “brights,” you’ll need to say “high beams.” Instead of “gas,” you’ll need to say “petrol.” I still never use these British terms in my everyday life, but I learned all of it for my tests.

Your theory test is only valid for 2 years. This is why I went into panic mode in September 2019 as I needed to pass my practical test by January 2020, or else I’d have to pay to re-take my theory test!

After you’ve passed the theory test, you can pay for and book a practical driving test. At the moment, the test is currently £62. I highly recommend taking driving lessons before your test (more below), especially if you already know how to drive.

So as a summary, here are the steps you need to do to get a UK driver’s license as a foreigner:

• Buy a provisional license
• Pass your theory test
• Pass your practical test!

Struggling On The Wrong Side Of The Road

Driving in the UK has been such a struggle for me. I have spent a lot of money on it and I have shed a LOT of tears over it. A lot of this was practical: roundabouts confused (and scared) me, streets and roads are so much more narrow here, I freaked out at cars coming towards me as I sat on the right-hand side of the car. We have also had 3 cars since August 2017. Each time we got a new car, I had to re-learn the biting point, gear location (we have a 6-gear car now!), and more.

But more than anything, driving in the UK was a mind-game and much more of a mental block.

For starters, my experience made me feel that the entire process is just one more way the UK government makes foreigners’ lives more difficult here. Getting a driver’s license was one more hoop I had to jump through—to prove to this government and this country that I am good enough. I’ve been driving for a decade, without a single accident (!), but I’m not a good enough driver to be able to drive here?! (Especially when I know a few of my British friends here are, no offense, not exceptionally good or safe drivers!!)

Britain does not do a good job at welcoming immigrants/foreigners. Driving was one more thing this country had taken from me. Besides my money (#visafees), my job prospects, my mental stability, etc., I felt like the UK had taken my love of driving from me too. Because I LOVED driving! I loved going for drives! I loved road trips! And driving on the wrong side of the road, in the UK, I absolutely hated it. I HATED driving. Carrying this weight of never-feeling-good-enough-in-the-eyes-of-the-UK-government is difficult, and it included driving.

The only times I have ever seriously considered moving back to the US were following difficult driving lessons. On two different occasions, I called Adam crying and said, “I can’t do it anymore, this is too hard. I want to move back home.” Driving was something so natural to me. Having to go through everything just to get a plastic card to prove I was good enough was really, really difficult.

While I struggled with driving since we got a car in August 2017, things were really challenging for me in 2019. Adam was seriously injured in a car crash in January 2019, he broke his leg and ankle, and our car was completely destroyed. Even though I wasn’t in the car with him during the crash, I think I ended up with as much mental trauma surrounding driving than Adam did.

After we got a new car in April 2019, every time I got in the car to drive all I saw was Adam lying broken in a hospital bed on a trauma board. We went on an amazing road trip to Scotland to visit the Isle of Skye in May, and he drove all 1000 miles there and back. I couldn’t get in the driver’s seat. I was a horrible front-seat-driver instead. I was terrified whenever we came close to another car that there was going to be another car crash and Adam wouldn’t be okay this time.

I had a huge mental block about driving in the UK. I just couldn’t do it.

Why I Recommend Driving Lessons

I realized I needed to get serious about passing my practical driving test in September 2019, and got myself signed up for driving lessons. It was embarrassing for me (I’d been driving for 10 years!!!!!), it was frustrating, it was expensive, but it was completely necessary. If you are planning to take your UK driving test, I strongly recommend taking driving lessons beforehand.

The UK practical driving test isn’t necessarily hard to pass, but it is SO easy to fail. Missing an exit or even a gear change (something we all do at some point in time!!) can be an automatic fail. If you don’t check your mirrors every 8-10 seconds, you will fail. It is extremely difficult to pass because you can fail so easily. This is why I think that especially if you know how to drive (like me), have been driving for years (like me), and know how to drive a manual (like me), you still need to take driving lessons. Lessons will also really build your confidence in a way that driving on your own or with a partner just can’t.

I think I’m a pretty good driver. I can be extremely cautious when I need to. Being Minnesotan, I’m comfortable driving in bad weather conditions. I rarely speed (speeding tickets are expensive) and I always use my blinker.

While I’m a good driver, I also have 10 years of bad habits ingrained in me that I had to break. I would never check my mirror before putting my blinker on, only after. I don’t keep my hands at 10-and-2, but usually have one hand on the gear stick. I might drive 1-5 miles per hour over the speed limit, instead of only driving at the speed limit or below. I can parallel park on the right (at one of my jobs I parked on a one-way street and so knew how to do it #thanksMenchies), but not very neatly. But I literally hadn’t done a 90-degree back (“reverse bay parking” in British English) since I passed my test in November 2008. In order for me to pass my test, I had to break all of these habits, and re-learn quite a lot.

I would definitely have failed my driving test if I hadn’t have had lessons. Instead of paying to take the test and failing, I chose to invest some of that money into lessons. I’d rather pay for a lesson to improve, than pay for a test I’d fail.

Driving Lessons With Apollo Driving School (Sean)

I signed myself up for driving lessons with Sean at Apollo Driving School—one of my co-workers recommended him and she passed her test about 6 months before me. Sean only does lessons in 2-hour blocks, which I definitely think is a good idea. After one hour, I felt like I was just starting to get better at remembering all the good things I needed to do. Then I could actually practice those good habits during the second hour.

As the weeks went on and I got more confident with driving, I finally started feeling natural driving on the other side of the road. But then this would bring on different issues, like not checking my mirrors enough! For the last few weeks, I constantly struggled with finding the middle ground between driving exceptionally well, and feeling relaxed and at ease driving.

Lessons are at a slightly higher cost following the pandemic: £29.50/hour, or he does a deal for £285 for 10 hours. I had one lesson per week, and overall I had just about 10 weeks (20 hours) of driving lessons before taking my test. While he doesn’t do lessons on weekends, Sean was super flexible with fitting in lessons around my work schedule, to have lessons after I finished at 5pm, or in the morning before I started the late shift at 11:30am.

Sean is a really great driving instructor—if you’re learning to drive in York, I can’t recommend him enough. He is also a really nice guy, and very patient. I cried a lot during some of my lessons and he was always really understanding and never made me feel embarrassed! You can contact him via the Apollo Driving School website, or on his Facebook page. I can’t promise it for everyone, but he even bought me a chocolate milkshake from McDonald’s after my test!

Passing My UK Driving Test

I was so scared about taking my driving test. I could not fail it. If I failed, I may as well give up on my entire life in the UK. Move back home, where it’s easier and I can drive. I didn’t tell anyone besides Adam and my parents/sister when my actual test was, since I was so scared of failing.

On 29 November 2019, I PASSED my driver’s test and officially became a fully licensed UK driver!!!!!

If you’ve been taking lessons, your driving test won’t be that more intense. It takes a total of 45 minutes, driving on all different road types and speed limits. You’ll have to do some “show-me-tell-me” questions, proving you know very basic car maintenance and how to pop the hood (“open the bonnet”), and how to check you have enough oil/coolant/windshield fluid. During the test, you’ll be asked one as well, like showing how to use your lights, window, or horn etc. You may also have to follow a GPS/sat nav system depending on which examiner you get and if they come out with a round bag.

Instead of asking me to parallel park or 90-degree back, my driving examiner asked me to drive to the TACO BELL PARKING LOT and pull into a spot there!!!!! Taco Bell has always been there for me in my time of need, and I think this only proves my long-lasting relationship with T-Bell!!!

I have never been so happy, so relieved, so thrilled, so overjoyed. Passing this test meant everything to me. And thankfully, now I won’t have to worry about driving in the UK ever again! Adam got me prosecco and some P-plates to celebrate! (P-plates stand for “passed,” so other road users know you are a new driver and maybe not very confident!) You can buy P-plates here.

The best part is that I get to enjoy driving again. A few weeks after passing my test, I was driving Adam and I home. The radio put on some great songs, and I just jammed out driving. Because I was just driving, and I knew how to do it. And I knew that I knew how to do it. I loved it.

Driving on the wrong side of the road is now fairly normal for me. I don’t have horrific anxiety. I don’t cry and I don’t panic. I just drive. It is such a relief to be able to feel this way!

My Tips For Driving In The UK

I understand the struggle is real with driving in the UK. Driving on the wrong side of the road is hard. Here are some of my tips for driving in the UK!

Be very alert to road signs. You can master roundabouts if you pay attention to signage—the signs will tell you which lane you need to be in. So then when you get to the roundabout, you can just follow your lane around! Speed limits can regularly change and to avoid pricey speeding tickets, make sure you are paying attention and following all speed limits! If it’s your first time driving in the UK, read up on your theory and learn the speed limits for different roads. If the road changes size, the change in speed limit may not be marked. Also, be aware of what the “national speed limit” signs look like as this indicates the speed limit without numbers—it’s a white circle with a black diagonal line through it.

Learn what variable speed limits are and don’t get caught out. I still don’t really understand what these are. But for driving on motorways (major highways), some of them will be variable speed limits. There will be a big sign indicating this on the entry lane (slip road) onto the highway if the road is a variable speed limit. It basically means that if there are flashing signs overhead telling you to slow down to 60 or 50 or 40 or 20, you need to otherwise you’re breaking the law. These are apparently to manage traffic and avoid traffic jams, but I really just think it’s a way for the government to squeeze a bit more money from regular people through tickets. Either way, watch out.

There are cameras everywhere. Don’t drive like an asshole. But seriously, don’t drive like an asshole because chances are there will be a camera somewhere that will see you. The camera will be able to use your license plate to track you down and send a ticket to your house.

You can park your car facing either way on both sides of the street. It’s completely legal to park your car facing either direction. If you park on the left or the right, you can park whichever way is easiest for you—you don’t have to drive around the block to come up on the correct side. It is also generally accepted to park your car on the curb (either part-way on the curb, or just completely on the curb!). I don’t like doing this, but people do it everywhere, all the time. However, keep in mind that this may block people in wheelchairs or strollers from being able to use the sidewalk, and technically it is illegal.

There is less room for cars—be careful and watch your mirrors. Streets in cities in the UK (and in Europe in general) are much more narrow than streets in the US. Country roads might only be wide enough to allow one car to drive at a time. When you meet another driver, you need to get to a designated passing place, a wider bit of road (remember it might be behind you!). My street allows parking on both sides and there is *just* enough room to drive down with cars on both sides. Always watch your mirrors, and if you’re parking somewhere with tight spaces, tuck your mirrors in. I had never done this ever until I moved to the UK, and I do it every single day. It’s a must on the street I live on. Parking lots (“car parks”) tend to have smaller spaces so you might need to be a bit more careful, slower, and precise when parking. Just be careful and go slow!

Try not to play mind-games. Trust me, it’s easy to get wrapped up in overthinking every single thing you do in the car. Try not to. It won’t really help you, and it’ll only give you more anxiety. You will reach a point where it feels natural to you.

Practice, practice, practice. You will never feel more confident in driving if you don’t actually drive. If you have access to a car, drive as much as you can. In the weeks leading up to my test, Adam and I were driving 3 nights a week for extra practice. It really helped me.

Driving in the UK has been such a struggle and a challenge for me. Driving on the wrong side of the road isn’t easy, and going through the bureaucratic system to get a driving license here is seriously difficult!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me with this. To Adam for always believing in me, to Sean for getting me ready to pass my test, and to all of you for offering good luck and best wishes! I hope this helps give more information on what you need to do to get a UK driving license, and how the process actually works!

Have you ever gotten a driver’s license in a foreign country? What was the process like?

You might also like my posts:

What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved Abroad

13 Tips For Surviving Life Abroad

15 Harsh Truths About Living In England

3 Years Of Living In England: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

What I’ve Learned About British Culture After 2 Years Living In England

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