Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used to decide whether UK citizens returning to the UK can exchange their non-British driving licence for a British licence.

The law requires that driving licences are only granted to drivers who are resident in the UK for at least 185 days in each calendar year and hold a valid, exchangeable licence which has been issued by an EU/EEA country or one of the other designation countries listed here.

If a driver does not hold an exchangeable licence but previously held a UK licence, the UK licence will be reissued.