An American who moves to London can drive on a California licence for exactly as long as a newcomer from Manila or Istanbul: 12 months. The United States has no licence exchange agreement with Great Britain. Ukraine has one, and its drivers on the visa schemes get years more than the usual 12 months.
The rules are not intuitive, and neither are the translation questions. A Turkish card carries an English heading and a Chinese card an English title, yet both can still need translating; an all-English US licence never does.
This guide takes each country in turn, then covers the test route, translations and Northern Ireland. The general rules are in driving licence translation for the DVLA.
Which of these licences can be exchanged in the UK?
Only Ukraine's. GOV.UK's exchange tool lists 23 designated countries and territories; Ukraine, Hong Kong and Taiwan are on it, and the Philippines, Turkey, mainland China and the United States are not. For those, GOV.UK says: "You cannot exchange your licence but you can drive for up to 12 months on your non-GB licence."
| Licence | Exchange in GB | UN convention behind its International Driving Permit | On Aviva's list for an overseas no-claims discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | No | 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna | No |
| Ukraine | Yes, on form D1 | 1968 Vienna | Yes |
| Turkey | No | 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna | No |
| Mainland China | No (Hong Kong and Taiwan can) | Neither | No (Hong Kong and Taiwan are listed) |
| United States | No | 1949 Geneva | Yes |
How do Ukrainian licence holders drive and exchange in the UK?
If you are on a Ukraine visa scheme, GOV.UK's guidance, updated on 27 July 2026, lets you drive cars up to 3,500kg, motorbikes and mopeds for at least 3 years after becoming resident. That rises to 4 years 6 months, 5 years or 6 years 6 months depending on when you applied to your scheme and whether you applied to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, and then to extend it, before your permission expired. You can keep driving while such an application is processed; if it is withdrawn or refused, "your eligibility to drive ends at that time." Without a scheme visa, the usual 12 months applies. See Ukraine schemes in 2026.
The exchange itself is simple:
- Collect form D1 from a Post Office that offers DVLA services.
- Send the form, the £43 fee and your licence, with proof of identity such as a share code. GOV.UK's Ukraine answer lists nothing else: no translation, no letter of entitlement.
- Wait. GOV.UK says the licence "will usually arrive within 3 weeks".
Two limits apply. You must exchange within 5 years of becoming resident, and the longer driving period "does not extend this 5-year exchange period." And if you passed your test before 28 December 2021, you can only exchange for a licence for automatic cars; motorcycle entitlement cannot be exchanged at all.
The card format that PRADO dates to 2021 is titled in Ukrainian, English and French ("ПОСВІДЧЕННЯ ВОДІЯ / DRIVING LICENCE / PERMIS DE CONDUIRE"); the 2016 version adds Russian. Scan both sides before you post it: Northern Ireland returns surrendered licences to the issuing authority, and a copy may be all an insurer can see later. Aviva lists Ukraine among the countries whose no-claims history it may consider, with proof in English or translated by what it calls an "authorised/sworn translator"; ask what it accepts before ordering. For civil documents, see Ukrainian documents.
Why can't I exchange a US licence?
Because the United States is not a designated country, so the DVLA treats a US licence like any other from outside the list. Each US state and territory issues its own licences, but no state's licence can be exchanged: you get 12 months, then a provisional licence and both tests.
A US licence entirely in English needs no translation for anyone in the UK, and visitors need no International Driving Permit to drive here, because UK law accepts a national licence. Hertz recommends an IDP for licences issued outside the EU and "not in English". Aviva does list the United States for an overseas no-claims discount, with proof in English, so ask your US insurer for a letter before you leave.
What about Philippine licences?
Also not exchangeable, and if every entry is in English, nothing to translate. The Land Transportation Office issues professional and non-professional licences, and Republic Act No. 10930 requires each to show the holder's full name, date of birth, height, weight, sex, eye colour, blood type, address, licence number and dates of issue and expiry. Licences run for 5 years from the holder's birthday, and 10 years on renewal for drivers with no violations. PRADO's specimen is titled "NON-PROFESSIONAL DRIVER'S LICENCE" under "REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS", with a 2D barcode on the back.
The trap is the name. HM Passport Office notes that a Philippine middle name is usually the mother's maiden name, and that a married woman who takes her husband's surname replaces it with her own maiden name. Enter it as a middle name on UK forms exactly as the passport shows it.
What about Turkish licences?
Not exchangeable, and partly in English. PRADO records the card issued since 2016 with bilingual headings: "SÜRÜCÜ BELGESİ / DRIVING LICENCE" and "TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ / REPUBLIC OF TURKEY". Anything else printed in Turkish needs translating for an English reader.
HM Passport Office notes that Turkish names have up to 2 forenames and a surname, and that "the child's middle forename may be shown before the first forename" on official documents. The translation keeps the order printed and notes the passport form.
What about Chinese licences?
Not exchangeable, and the hardest of the five for hire desks. PRADO's specimen shows the English title "Driving License of the People's Republic of China" and a validity of 6 years, up to a maximum of 10. Apart from that title, any part in Chinese needs translating for an English reader.
China is party to neither the 1949 nor the 1968 UN road traffic convention, so there is no Chinese International Driving Permit. Enterprise says renters whose licences are in "a language and characters different to those of the country of car hire" need an IDP, and that renters from countries outside the IDP agreement "should carry a certified translation". For a mainland Chinese licence, that translation is the only option.
Hong Kong and Taiwan are different. Both are designated: a Hong Kong licence is exchanged on form D1 for £43, while a Taiwanese one needs "an official translation of your licence from a Taipei Representative Office in the UK", which no translation company can supply. HM Passport Office notes that Chinese citizens are "referred to by their surname first", so the translation gives the name in the passport's order.
What happens after the 12 months?
For Philippine, Turkish, Chinese and US licences, you become a learner:
- Provisional licence: £34 online or £43 by post, with permission to live in Great Britain for at least 185 days.
- Learner rules: a supervisor over 21 who has held a full UK, EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein licence for 3 years, L plates, and motorways only with an approved instructor in a dual-controlled car.
- Tests: theory £23, in English, Welsh or British Sign Language only; practical £62 on weekdays or £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
- New driver rules: section 1 of the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 counts no test from these countries, so six penalty points in the two years after your GB test revoke your licence.
What should a driving licence translation show?
Everything on both sides, as printed: names in the passport's spelling and order, every category with its dates, restrictions and conditions, the issuing authority, the licence number, stamps and any QR or barcode text. Matching foreign categories to GB ones is the insurer's or DVLA's job, never the translator's.
How is Northern Ireland different?
The DVA handles licences there. Ukrainian licences may be used for 3 years from becoming resident in Northern Ireland, since 25 March 2024, and are exchanged on form DL1 for £62.50, with the manual-test rule above. For the other four, nidirect says you "must get a provisional NI licence and pass a driving test(s) before the 12 month period elapses" to keep driving without a break.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a US licence can be swapped because the countries are close allies.
- Paying a translation company for a Taiwanese licence that only a Taipei Representative Office can translate.
- Driving after month 12 on a Philippine, Turkish, Chinese or US licence without learner plates.
- Missing the 5-year exchange window while relying on the Ukraine scheme driving extension.
- Arriving at a hire desk with a Chinese licence alone.
- A translated name in a different order from the passport.
Checklist: before you drive, exchange or translate
Questions people ask
Can I exchange my US driving licence in the UK?
No. The United States is not one of the 23 designated countries and territories, so no state's licence can be exchanged. You can drive on it for 12 months after becoming resident, then you need a GB provisional licence and must pass the theory and practical tests.
How long can I drive in the UK on a Ukrainian licence?
In Great Britain, on a Ukraine visa scheme, at least 3 years after becoming resident, and up to 4 years 6 months, 5 years or 6 years 6 months depending on your scheme and Ukraine Permission Extension applications; without a scheme visa it is 12 months. Northern Ireland allows 3 years. Either way, you must exchange within 5 years if you want a UK licence.
Does the DVLA need a translation of my Ukrainian licence?
No. GOV.UK asks for form D1, the £43 fee and the licence, and mentions no translation. In Northern Ireland, evidence that you passed a manual test may need explaining, so ask the DVA what it accepts first.
Can I drive in the UK on a Chinese driving licence?
Yes, for 12 months as a visitor or new resident, but you cannot exchange it. China issues no International Driving Permit, so hire companies such as Enterprise expect a certified translation alongside the licence.
Is a Hong Kong or Taiwanese licence treated like a mainland Chinese one?
No. Hong Kong and Taiwan are designated, so their licences can be exchanged on form D1. A Taiwanese licence needs an official translation from a Taipei Representative Office in the UK, and translations from anyone else are not what GOV.UK asks for.
Do I need a translation of my Philippine or US licence?
Not if every word on it is in English, which is what the DVLA, insurers and hire desks read. Translate only a part that is not, or a separate document such as a driving record an insurer asks for.
How much does a driving licence translation cost, and how long does it take?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words, and a card licence with both sides is usually one page. Most single-page documents are delivered as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and a printed copy by post is £14.95 extra.
