Open consultation

Extension to the period of time during which Ukrainian driving licences can be used in GB

Published 6 January 2025

Foreword

The UK has consistently shown its support and commitment to Ukraine and until the conflict is resolved, we will continue to do so. My department has been actively engaged in making the transition to life in the UK as seamless as possible for those arriving here under such difficult circumstances, and initiatives such as the Free Onward Travel Scheme have all made it easier for Ukrainians to travel and settle into UK life.

We recognise, however, that continuing this transition is not always straightforward, and one area where Ukrainian arrivals must adapt, is in motoring. The continued ability of Ukrainians to get around is integral to integrating, socialising, accessing healthcare and working during their time in the UK.

Given the exceptional and temporary nature of Ukrainians’ residence in the UK under the Ukrainian Visa Schemes, this consultation is on proposals to enable Ukrainians to continue to drive in Great Britain (GB) without the need to exchange their licence. We welcome views about making this change, the length of time for the extension and whether there are any road safety considerations.

Lilian Greenwood MP

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Future of Roads)

Introduction

The UK has consistently played a leading role in supporting Ukraine and supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression. The Department for Transport has been actively engaged in making the transition to life in the UK as seamless as possible for those arriving here under these difficult circumstances.

As part of this, for Ukrainian licence holders offered or extended sanctuary for 36 months under the initial Appendix Ukraine Scheme (comprised of the Homes for Ukraine (HFU) scheme, Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) and the Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES)), we are proposing an extension of 18 months beyond the current 36-month period during which the holder of a Ukrainian driving licence is treated as the holder of a licence authorising the driving of cars in GB. This will apply to those who applied to the HFU or UFS pre-3pm on 19 February 2024 and those who applied to the UES pre-11:59pm on 16 May 2024.

For this group, this change will bring the licence eligibility up to 54-months after the holder becomes resident. The reason we are proposing to offer this extension is in order to bring driving licence eligibility into line with the planned 18-month extension to permission stay under the under the Home Office’s’ planned Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme. This will continue to support Ukrainian licence holders’ ability to get around and adapt to living in the UK, as they will not need to exchange their licence or take a further test during the extended period to continue driving a manual car including any such vehicle, they may have brought with them to GB.  

No new provision is required for Ukrainians who applied under the HFU scheme at or after 3pm on 19 February 2024. This is because there is an existing provision for the eligibility of a Ukrainian driving licence for 36 months in GB, under The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. These regulations align the eligibility of Ukrainian driving licences with a maximum duration of 36 months permission to stay offered by the Home Office for this group.

In Great Britain, we allow all those driving on non-UK, non-European Economic Area (EEA) driving licences who become resident, to continue using these for 12 months before we require them either to exchange their licences if eligible, or to take a driving test in order to continue driving here. As with some other countries, GB has a driving licence exchange agreement with Ukraine, and Ukrainian driving licences can be exchanged for GB licences. However, only Ukrainian licences issued after 28 December 2021 specify the type of vehicle transmission that a driver passed their test in. Therefore, licences that were issued prior to this date can only be exchanged for a GB licence which restricts the driver to driving automatic vehicles. Those with a Ukrainian licence issued before this date must take a GB manual test to obtain a GB manual licence.

This is a particular issue for those who have brought manual vehicles with them to the UK and may lose the right to drive them, despite planning to return home to Ukraine when it is safe to do so. This consultation seeks views on this proposed extension and provides the opportunity for other comments. This change can be made by secondary legislation.

The issue

For the first 36-months of being resident in GB, Ukrainians under the Appendix Ukraine Scheme can use their Ukrainian licence to drive all classes of small vehicles authorised by that licence, both automatic and manual vehicles (car) unless the licence shows a restriction. This followed secondary legislation in 2023, that extended it beyond the standard 12-month exchange period.

The current requirement for a holder of a Ukrainian driving licence (who has permission to stay under the Appendix Ukraine Scheme), who is resident in GB, is to exchange it for a GB licence after 36-months if they wish to continue driving without passing a GB driving test. This, however, has specific impacts on Ukrainian licence holders who applied to the HFU scheme and the UFS before 3pm on 19 February 2024 or the UES before 11:59pm on 16 May 2024 as part of the Appendix Ukraine Scheme as these individuals were granted 36 months leave. Notably this would not align with the further extension of 18 months, under the UPE scheme, planned by Home Office bringing their maximum stay to a total of 54 months.

In May 2021, legislation was put in place to allow a Ukrainian car licence to be exchanged for a GB licence without the need to take a GB driving test. This followed Ukrainian testing standards being assessed as equivalent to those in GB by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. However, drivers who took a test in Ukraine before 28 December 2021 are only being issued with a GB licence to drive vehicles with automatic transmission when their Ukrainian licence is exchanged. This is because the Ukrainian driver licensing authority does not retain information to confirm whether a test was taken in a manual or automatic vehicle before this date and would award a successful test candidate for both manual and automatic vehicles. This information is now recorded, and a successful test candidate is awarded either an automatic licence or manual licence. Many of these licence holders own a car with manual transmission.

A Ukrainian licence holder who exchanges for a GB licence but is restricted to driving automatic vehicles, can upgrade this by taking a manual practical test for which they would not be required to pass a GB theory test. The restriction to only have entitlement to drive vehicles with automatic transmission is not unique to the exchange arrangement for Ukrainian licence holders. It is also applied to driving licence exchange arrangements with other countries who do not hold information to confirm the type of vehicle in which a test was taken. However, evidence from representations received by the Department for Transport and its agencies suggests that a number of those arriving here because of the conflict have fled with their own car.

In these circumstances, the requirement to exchange and the issue of a GB licence restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission, means most individuals would no longer be able to drive their vehicle in GB. To continue driving, they would need to either dispose of their existing car and incur the cost of acquiring a new vehicle with automatic transmission or incur the £62 cost of a GB manual driving test. This would be in addition to the £43 cost of exchanging their Ukraine licence and assumes a first-time pass. Evidence from representations also suggests that even those without their own car may on exchange lose the ability to drive cars they have been given use of by their hosts.

These issues are of course faced by other holders of foreign licences living in GB, including asylum seekers and refugee groups. However, the circumstances of Ukrainians in GB because of the conflict may be distinct. It is unlikely that large numbers from other refugee groups will have arrived in GB with their own car and, unlike those who have come to live in GB for other reasons (for example to take up employment or join family).

Those who applied pre-3pm on 19 February 2024 under the HFU or the UFS were granted 3 years leave in the UK (or 4.5 years if the Home Office offer the opportunity to extend through the proposed UPE scheme). Those who applied under the UES pre-11:59pm on 16 May 2024 were also granted 3 years leave in the UK, with the option to extend to 4.5 year through the proposed UPE scheme.

For those who applied to the Appendix Ukraine Scheme at or after 3pm on 19 February 2024, an initial 18-month leave to stay in the UK is available through the HFU scheme (or 36 months leave total if offered the opportunity to extend through the UPE scheme). For these individuals, the intention remains that they return to Ukraine as soon as circumstances allow. Other schemes such as the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the British National Overseas Visa Scheme for those from Hong Kong provide for the applicant to remain permanently. In this context, the requirement to exchange a Ukrainian licence and then apply for its reinstatement on return to Ukraine creates a potentially unnecessary burden (exchangeable driving licences must be surrendered on application for a GB licence and, if exchanged, are returned to the issuing authority).

Proposed intervention

We are proposing again, for visa holders granted 36 months permission to stay (before the changes to HFU scheme and the UFS came into force on 19 February 2024 and the changes to the UES came into force on 16 May 2024), to extend the period of time during which the holder of a Ukrainian driving licence is treated as the holder of a licence authorising the driving of cars up to 3,500kg and motorcycles (category A) in GB. This consultation seeks views on the proposed extension as set out and provides the opportunity for other comments. We are not seeking to allow Ukrainians to drive on their Ukrainian licence indefinitely, just to match Home Office visas. This change can be made by secondary legislation.

We are proposing an increase to match the new length of visa that are expected to be given to the group of visa holders granted an initial 36 months permission to stay, increasing the period during which they can use their Ukrainian licence to drive cars and motorcycles by a further 18 months (an extension from the current 36-months (3 years) to 54-months (4.5 years)). This would allow eligible Ukrainian licence holders to continue using their Ukrainian licence in GB for a period of up to 54 months after becoming resident.

This extension would only apply to Category B (Car) and Category A (Motorcycles). Licences in other categories are not being considered at this time.

Ukrainians who have applied for the HFU scheme post-3pm on 19 February 2024 eligible for an initial 18-month permission to stay under the HFU scheme. The UPE scheme planned by Home Office, would allow these individuals to apply for permission to stay for a further 18 months, bringing their maximum stay to a total of 36 months. This cohort of individuals are already permitted to use their Ukrainian driving licence to drive cars and motorcycles for a period of 36 months after they become resident in GB in accordance with the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. Therefore, their licence eligibility will match their total period of stay and as such no further extension is required in respect of their licence eligibility. This extension would only apply to Category B (Car) and Category A (Motorcycles). Licences in other categories are not being considered at this time.

Question

Do you agree with extending the period during which Ukrainian licence holders can drive cars in GB without having to exchange their licence for a GB licence or take a test by a further 18 months for those applied under the HUS or the UFS before 3pm on 19 February 2024 or the UES before 11:59pm on 16 May 2024?

Rationale and potential impacts

Requiring Ukrainians in GB on the Home Office visa scheme to exchange for a GB driving licence when they already have a Ukrainian licence introduces an administrative and financial burden, that could impact on their continued integration into GB and the ability to continue their lives smoothly (for example continued access employment, education, and health opportunities). To note, this applies to other refugee groups who also face this barrier.  

This requirement introduces processes that are potentially unnecessary for Ukrainians, given their stay in GB is not expected to be permanent. However, where a Ukrainian national stays in GB beyond their initial Home Office issued visa (potentially under indefinite leave to remain), they will be expected to follow standard processes to exchange their licence for a GB licence. 

Accounting for the original period of 36 months’ stay granted (and the corresponding licence eligibility extension under The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2023), as the UFS opened on 4 March 2022, and HFU on 18 March 2022, there is a risk that some Ukrainian licence holders will see the eligibility of their licences expire in 2025 before our proposed legislation would come into force. They will have the option to exchange their Ukrainian licence for a UK licence, if necessary. 

Requirement to exchange also potentially makes it more challenging for Ukrainians who have a driving related job or who need to drive in order to get to work, especially if they cannot afford the fees associated with getting a GB driving licence. Likewise, any Ukrainian who brought a manual vehicle to the UK, may face the additional burden of not having the right to drive it.

The proposal would continue to remove the financial and administrative burden of licence exchange and issues relating to the restriction of GB driving entitlement to the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission. This is in line with the UK government’s commitment to support the people of Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression and forms part of a wider approach that keeps us aligned with the support provided by our international partners.

There are, however, risks that by extending the period during which a Ukrainian licence holder is treated as the holder of a licence authorising the holder to drive cars in GB, motor insurance providers may refuse to offer motor insurance or charge higher premiums to Ukrainian drivers that do not exchange their licence for a GB licence. However, there is nothing preventing Ukrainian licence holders exchanging their licence earlier, should they so wish.

An extension could be argued to pose additional road safety risks, particularly given the issue around the unknown nature of tests for licences issued before 28 December 2021. However, compared to many other foreign licences, there is some reassurance in the fact that Ukraine’s driving test and licensing standards have been assessed as equivalent to those in GB and the right to use the licence will remain time limited in the line with the temporary nature of their intended stay.

The extent of potential benefits and risks is difficult to assess as exact numbers of Ukraine licence holders in GB is unknown. Figures obtained from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency driver records on 7 January 2023 show that from May 2021 to December 2022, 8,335 Ukraine driving licences were exchanged for a GB licence. Of these, 4,961 were in the period following the Russian invasion from March to December 2022.

Figures published on 24 June 2024 show 208,900 Ukrainian nationals have so far arrived in the UK under one of the visa schemes and 33,000 have been granted an extension to an existing permission to stay because of the conflict. It is possible though that a significant number of these hold a Ukraine driving licence and could, under current rules, be approaching the point where they need to obtain a GB licence and so could benefit from an extension.   

Road safety considerations

Extending will entail some degree of road safety risk. Without a GB test or licence, there is a continued risk from unfamiliarity with GB’s roads (driving on the left, using a right-hand drive car) and road signage, particularly from road signs which are written in English (rather than pictograms) which could increase the exposure of the number and frequency of crashes; especially as we would expect more Ukrainians to want to drive the longer, they are with us. While the original extension created a level of risk, several responses to the previous consultation highlighted the greatest risk to be within the first 12-months, as the driver gets used to GB’s roads. We do not know whether the additional extension will exacerbate this risk.

In cases where a driving test in a manual vehicle is required for a Ukrainian licence holder there is the opportunity for an examiner to fully assess the driver’s capabilities on GB’s roads. If skills are not up to the required standard, then they would not be granted a GB manual licence. Any delay therefore to this testing opportunity could be seen by some to constitute a road safety risk.

There is also an ongoing risk that roadside enforcement may be negatively affected by extending the length of time the Ukrainian licences may be used in GB. For example, this could lead to Ukrainian driving licences being considered a target for cloning or counterfeiting, because they are currently more difficult to check with the Ukrainian authorities. This could lead to issues with the enforcement of driving offences, driving bans or other rule breaking activities. Asking drivers to exchange their Ukrainian driving licences for GB licences brings them more readily into the scope of our driving enforcement regime.

Question

Do you have any comments on the above road safety considerations with any extension?

Question

Are there any other considerations with the extension that we have not considered?

Question

Do you have any other comments you would like to raise?

How to respond

See the ways to respond section of the consultation page on GOV.UK to find out how you can respond to this consultation. 

The consultation period began on 6 January 2025 and will run until 19 January 2025. Ensure that your response reaches us before the closing date.

What will happen next

A summary of responses, including the next steps, will be published within 3 months of the consultation closing. Paper copies will be available on request.

If you have questions about this consultation, please contact:

Road Safety Division,
Great Minster House,
33 Horseferry Road,
London, SW1P 4DR

Ukraine.Licences@dft.gov.uk

Full list of consultation questions

Question 1: Do you agree with extending the period during which Ukrainian licence holders can drive cars or motorcycle in GB without having to exchange their licence for a GB licence or take a test by a further 18 months for those applied under the Homes for Ukraine scheme or the Ukraine Family Scheme before 3pm on 19 February 2024 or the Ukraine Extension Scheme before 11:59pm on 16 May 2024?

Question 2: Do you have any comments on the above road safety considerations with any extension?

Question 3: Are there any other considerations with the extension that we have not considered?

Question 4: Do you have any other comments you would like to raise?

Freedom of Information

Information provided in response to this consultation may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

If you want information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that under the FOIA there is a statutory code of practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence.

In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information, we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the department.

The department will process your personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and UK GDPR and in the majority of circumstances this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.

Data protection

The Department for Transport (DfT) is carrying out this consultation on our proposal to extend the period of time during which Ukrainian driving licences can be used in Great Britain. This consultation and the processing of personal data that it entails is necessary for the exercise of our functions as a government department. If your answers contain any information that allows you to be identified, DfT will, under data protection law, be the Controller for this information.  

As part of this consultation we’re asking for your name and email address. This is in case we need to ask you follow-up questions about any of your responses. You do not have to give us this personal information. If you do provide it, we will use it only for the purpose of asking follow-up questions. 

DfT’s privacy policy has more information about your rights in relation to your personal data, how to complain and how to contact the Data Protection Officer.

Consultation principles

The consultation is being conducted in line with the government’s key consultation principles.