I am travelling to England in June08 and wonder...

I am travelling to England in June 2008 and wonder if my old green English Driving License (which is valid until 2016) can be used to drive in England whilst on vacation? Or do I need to get an International driving license?

New drivers in the UK are required to have a Photocard driving licence as a result of a European Union directive requiring all member states to issue driving licences in a card format. The photocard licence includes the image and signature of the holder.

However your old green driving licence can still be used but it must be accompanied by a photo ID, like your passport.

If you would like to exchange your paper licence to a photocard licence you can do so online at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Motoringtransactions/BeforeyouapplyC/DG_066954

You can pay by credit card and the charge is £17.50 but you will have to have a permanent address in England, Scotland and Wales.

However, assuming that you are a holder of a valid USA driving licence, if you intend to drive in several countries you should consider obtaining an IDP - a permit that is accepted as an international driving permit.

This is honoured in more than 150 countries (those that signed the 1949 Covention on Road Traffic plus some others) and functions as an official translation into 10 foreign languages. It is proof that the holder possess a valid driving licence, issued by a competent authority in the holder's country of residence.

The IDP does not a replace your native driving licence, and should be used as a supplment to a valid native licence. You therefore cannot use an IDP in your country of residence.

It's useful to know that Brits driving who are holders of a full valid UK licence do not need an IDP to drive in the USA or Canada but must have both parts of their licence (photocard and paper section) to hand.

An IDP does come in handy though because some car hire companies will want to see an IDP even if one is not required to drive in their country.

24 April 2008