Car insurance for international drivers in the UK

Car insurance for non UK residents

If you're a foreign driver on an international licence in the UK, you can get car insurance for non-UK residents.

Expat car insurance is available from some large car insurance providers, such as Admiral. But some, like Direct Line, only insure those with a UK or EU licence, not those with other international licences. In addition, there are some smaller car insurance providers that specialise in car insurance for expats, such as Marshmallow.

Do I need UK car insurance as an international driver?

All drivers in the UK need car insurance. Third Party Only (TPO) is the minimum requirement for car insurance in the UK—note, TPO only covers other people and their property, not injury to you or damage to your car (for this, you'd need a higher tier of cover such as Third Party, Fire and Theft, aka TPFT, or Comprehensive).

Anyone who buys or leases a car here in the UK will need UK-based car insurance, regardless of where their driving licence is from.

In some cases, if you have foreign car insurance from another country, this may be enough. For example, if you've brought a car into the UK from abroad then your car insurance in your home country may provide cover here in the UK. But there may be limits on how long you can get this cover in the UK (e.g. 90 days). And foreign car insurance might provide TPO cover only, with no protection for you or your vehicle (e.g. no cover for repairs if your car is damaged in an at-fault accident). If this is your situation, be sure to check the details of your foreign car insurance to ensure you have the cover you need.

Can I get car insurance with a non UK driver's licence?

Yes, you can get car insurance with an international driving licence—although it will probably cost more than insurance for a UK licence, all else equal.

Car insurance may be easier to get at an affordable price for drivers with a licence from the EU, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, compared to those from other countries.

Average cost of car insurance for new foreign drivers

Car insurance for an international license costs more than car insurance for drivers with a UK licence, because the perceived risk is higher. For example, non-UK drivers may have less experience on roundabouts, driving on the left hand side of the road or interpreting UK road signs—leading to a higher chance of accidents and claims.

NimbleFins ran tests and found out that younger international drivers, in particular, pay inflated rates. For example, a 35-year-old driver with an international (non-EU) licence might need to pay 120% more than a similar driver with a UK licence.

A 35-year-old with an EU licence might be charged around 30% more than one with a UK licence.

Older drivers such as those in their 60s might pay around 20% more with an EU or international licence.

Note: these rates are for sample drivers and are simply meant to show how prices can vary across different ages and countries of issue; your rates will certainly vary depending on the details of your application.

Car insurance may be more affordable for those with a licence from the EU, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

And without a history of no claims in the UK, motorists will pay more. The no claims discount can reach 75% after years without a claim, so foreign nationals can expect their rates to decrease over time as they build up their no claims history here in the UK.

New motorists who are middle aged are likely to pay less than the very young or very old, as we found in our research on new driver car insurance costs.

Temporary car insurance for international drivers in the UK

If you're only visiting or in the UK for a short time, valid car insurance for non-UK drivers is still required.

The options are:

Buying temporary car insurance is typically much easier and faster than being added as a named driver. And will likely be less expensive.

Temporary car insurance for non UK residents, visitors to the UK and other foreign drivers is available from various short-term car insurance providers.

Drivers on an EU licence will have an easier time finding temporary car insurance than visitors from other countries, with a wider selection of insurance providers will to insure them.

For example, our short-term car insurance partner GoShorty (get a quote below) will sell temporary insurance to drivers from overseas if they have a UK or EU driving licence. UK driving licence holders resident overseas might need cover as an expat coming home for the holidays or a family visit, for example. GoShorty will cover EU licence holders who have been resident in the UK for at least 12 months. Unfortunately GoShorty don’t currently offer temporary insurance for other overseas licence holders. So there are limitations...

Those hiring a rental car can secure car insurance through the car hire company directly as part of the rental. And some credit cards (more so from the US) may even provide insurance for cars rented using the card.

How long can I drive with an international driving licence in the UK?

You can drive in the UK with a foreign driving licence for at least 12 months.

If you're staying in the UK longer than this, you may need to either exchange your licence for a UK licence or you may need to re-sit your driving test in the UK. If depends on which country issued your driving licence.

EU driving licence in UK after Brexit

If you're under 70 years old, drivers with a full EU/EEC licence can drive on their foreign licence in the UK until it expires. You may exchange your EU licence for a GB licence (e.g. if it's required for your job or to try to get cheaper car insurance), but it's not required. You don't have to retake the driving test to exchange your EU licence for a UK one.

If you're over 70 years old, you can drive on a full EU/EEC licence until you reach 70 years old or for three years after becoming resident (whichever is the longer period). After this point, you must exchange your EU/EEC driving licence for a UK one.

In other words, if you were younger than 67 when you became a resident, you can drive on your EU licence until you’re 70; if you were 67 or older when you became a resident, you can drive on your EU licence for a max of 3 years. For example, if you become a resident at 69, you can drive on the EU licence in the UK until you're 69 + 3 or 72 years old. When you cannot drive on your EU licence anymore, you can exchange it for a GB licence.

Note: if you want to drive a vehicle weighing more than 3.5 tonnes or a bus with 9 or more passenger seats you'll need to register with the DVLA within 12 months of becoming a resident.

'Designated' country driving licence in UK

Drivers with a full, valid driving licence from a 'designated' country can:

In other words, you can drive on a designated country foreign driving licence for up to 12 months; by then, you'd need to exchange your driving licence for a UK licence to continue driving legally. If you haven't exchanged it within five years, it's too late and you'll need to re-sit your driving test here in the UK.

'Designated countries' are Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Republic of North Macedonia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe; and the same rules apply for Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.

If you’ve got a bus or lorry licence you can only drive buses or lorries in GB if you’ve driven the vehicle into GB yourself.

Other country driving licence in UK

If you’ve got a full, valid licence from another country that is not EU/EEC or a designated country, you can drive a car or motorcycle in Great Britain for 12 months. This applies to those from the USA, India, etc.

After 12 months, you'll need to apply for a GB provisional driving licence and then pass the theory and practical driving tests to continue driving in GB. (Unlike those from EU/EEC and designated countries, it's not possible to simply exchange your foreign licence for a GB licence.)

Which countries driving licence can be exchanged in UK?

Those from the EU, EEC or a designated country can exchange their foreign driving licence in the UK:

To learn more about exchanging a non-GB driving licence, use this tool on gov.uk.

Change EU driving licence to UK

To exchange your driving licence to a UK one, you must:

Your exchanged licence should arrive in 3 to 4 weeks, but might take longer if you’ve declared a medical condition that needs to be checked.

What if I've lost my international licence?

A foreign driver who has lost their international driving licence and is unable to get a duplicate from the issuing country can apply for a GB licence from the DVLA.

Can I drive with international license in UK if I have provisional?

No, only those with a full international licence can drive in the UK. Someone with a provisional international licence who wants to drive in the UK will need to apply for a GB provisional driving licence and then pass the theory and practical driving tests.

The length of time that one can drive with a full licence depends on which country issued the licence.