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I am a British citizen and am UK Tax resident. I have had a holiday home in Italy for 16 years (spend approximately 120 days a year there). I have an Italian registered car which is taxed etc. in Italy and a UK registered and taxed car. BUT, at present, I only have a UK driving license, as I understand it is only possible to have one EU driving license (so long as Britain is an EU member).

If I get an Italian driving license for my Italian car now I will have to surrender my UK driving license. Will I be able to apply for a new UK driving license?

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  • Thanks Martin , have come to the same conclusion after speaking to DVLA and Italian Motor Agent .Both effectively said until we leave the EU nothing changes i.e.one can only have one driving license in the EU. Not sure that I need the IDL until we actually leave which could be years off ! Will probably wait until the date we are actually going to leave is announced . Thanks again
    – TYROL5
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 15:13

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You can apply for a new UK license ... but you will probably have to pass another driving test. It's also not clear you can apply for an Italian license if you are not resident in Italy.

I suggest at the moment, your best bet will be to drive on a UK licence + IDP (which is not that expensive), and hope that after a few years an agreement is reached to recognize UK licences EU-wide. (If Parliament does eventually endorse Mrs May deal, that will happen straight away.)

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  • You can apply for a new UK license ... but you will probably have to pass another driving test What are you basing this on? If you exchange your British licence for an Italian licence, the DVLA will have recorded this, and will know you passed a UK driving test! I think it's very unlikely that British expats who exchanged British licences for European ones will be forced to retake their driving test if they want a British licence back.
    – MJeffryes
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 8:53
  • @MJeffryes Ex-pats who want a UK license back can exchange their European licence for a UK one - which would still leave the OP with one license, whereas he wants to end up with two.
    – Martin Bonner supports Monica
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 10:59
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    I understand the logic now, but I don't think the DVLA would let you take a test at all in these circumstances. As OP says, you can't hold more than one EU licence. So I think the application would be unsuccessful, unless OP sends in their Italian licence for exchange (and of course, in that case they won't need to take a test).
    – MJeffryes
    Commented Mar 4, 2019 at 11:23

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