Immigrant driving licence rules tightened
Friday 26 March 2010 Back to Blog
Van contract hire may become more difficult for Britain's immigrants following a tightening of the rules governing driving licences.
The Department for Transport has said that from now on only people who have been granted permission to stay in the UK for more than 185 days will be able to apply for a provisional licence and take a driving test.
In a written statement to the House of Commons, transport minister Paul Clark said the change would be administrative, taking place under existing legal framework, meaning it is not necessary to submit it to parliamentary approval.
"It is right that those whose status remains undecided and those without leave should not be seeking to establish the benefits of ordinary settled life in the UK, including access to driving licences," he said.
The rule change will only apply to those coming to the country from outside the EU.
According to 2006 figures from the Department of Transport63 per cent of women and 81 per cent of men in Great Britain have a full car driving licence.