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Will it be accepted?

Foreign driving licence for a DVLA exchange

What DVLA's official guidance requires when you exchange a foreign licence, including the one thing most people do not expect: for most countries, DVLA asks for no translation at all.

Every fact below links to its official source. Last checked 17 August 2026.

The short answer

For most exchangeable licences, DVLA asks for no translation at all. Only Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan need one, and DVLA names exactly where to get it.

Checked against all 23 designated-country pages

What the exchange route asks for

  • You can drive in the UK for 12 months after becoming resident without exchanging. After 12 months you must exchange your licence to keep driving
  • You can exchange it up to 5 years after becoming resident, if it has not expired
  • The fee is £43, and your new licence usually arrives within 3 weeks
  • Japan and the Republic of Korea: DVLA's whole instruction is to provide an official translation of your licence, and to contact your embassy
  • Taiwan: get the official translation from a Taipei Representative Office in the UK, in London or Edinburgh, and send it with the form, the £43 fee and your licence
  • Every other designated country: we checked all 23 outcome pages on 21 July 2026, and none of the other 20 mention a translation requirement at all

Source: GOV.UK, Exchange a foreign driving licence, country outcome pages

Where the guidance can catch you out

Originals only. DVLA says you must send the original identity document with your application. It explicitly rules out photocopies, laminated certificates and certified copies, including those certified by the Post Office document certification service.

The 5 year deadline is real. The outcome pages say you can exchange up to 5 years after becoming resident, if the licence has not expired. After that point, the guidance offers no exchange route.

Country quirks. Canada licence holders can only drive manual vehicles if they can prove they passed a manual vehicle test, otherwise they must drive an automatic, and similar manual-proof wording appears on the Taiwan and UAE pages. UAE licence holders also need a Licence Data Verification Letter from the UAE Ministry of Interior. That is an extra document, not a translation.

  • £43

    The DVLA exchange fee, from the official outcome pages

  • 3 weeks

    Usual arrival time for your new licence, 3 to 4 weeks for Taiwan and UAE

  • 3 of 23

    Designated countries whose licences involve a translation at all

The translation rule, in full

This is everything DVLA's exchange guidance says about translations, country by country:

  1. 1Japan: "You need to provide an official translation of your licence - contact your embassy"
  2. 2Republic of Korea: "You need to provide an official translation of your licence - contact your embassy"
  3. 3Taiwan: "Get an official translation of your licence from a Taipei Representative Office in the UK", with offices in London and Edinburgh
That is the complete requirement. DVLA does not define "official", and no DVLA page we checked mentions certified translations, professional translators or translator registers. The only named sources are your embassy, or for Taiwan a Taipei Representative Office. Wording from the GOV.UK exchange tool, checked 21 July 2026.

What the official guidance does not say

Most pages on this subject fill these gaps with guesses. We would rather tell you plainly where DVLA's guidance is silent:

  • The official guidance does not define what makes a translation "official" for Japan or Korea. The only instruction is to contact your embassy
  • The official guidance does not state any general certified-translation rule for DVLA. No page we checked mentions certified translations, commercial translators or translator registers
  • The official guidance does not mention sworn translators, UK or foreign, anywhere
  • The official guidance does not ask for an apostille or for any document to be legalised
  • The official guidance does not state any translation rule for non-English supporting documents. DVLA's identity document page has no translation requirement at all
  • The official guidance does not state what happens if a required translation is missing or unacceptable

What that means practically: for Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the safe route is the one DVLA names, your embassy or the Taipei Representative Office. For everything else, there is no translation requirement to meet, so do not pay for one that DVLA has not asked for. If your situation is unusual, confirm with DVLA before you send anything.

Sources for this page

We only publish what an official source says, and we re-check these pages on a schedule. If a source changes, this page is reviewed before we rely on it again.

What it confirmsOfficial sourceChecked
The 23 designated countries on the car and motorcycle routeGOV.UK, Exchange a foreign driving licence tool21 Jul 2026
Japan: embassy translation, £43 fee, 3 weeks, the 12 month and 5 year rulesGOV.UK, Japan licence outcome21 Jul 2026
Republic of Korea: embassy translationGOV.UK, Republic of Korea licence outcome21 Jul 2026
Taiwan: Taipei Representative Office translationGOV.UK, Taiwan licence outcome21 Jul 2026
Non-exchangeable countries: 12 months of driving, then testsGOV.UK, other countries outcome21 Jul 2026
Originals only, certified copies rejectedGOV.UK, ID for a driving licence application21 Jul 2026

This page is general information based on the official guidance linked above, as it stood on the date shown. It is not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.

Related official requirements

More pages in this series, each quoting the receiving organisation's own published wording, plus the prices if you need the translation done.

Need a certified translation for the rest of your move?

For the DVLA exchange itself, follow the embassy or representative office route DVLA names. But employers, universities, landlords and the Home Office usually do want certified translations of your documents. Ours are prepared by professional translators and accepted across the UK.

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Common questions

Does DVLA need a certified translation of my foreign driving licence?

For most licences, no. We checked all 23 designated-country outcome pages on 21 July 2026 and only Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan mention a translation. For Japan and Korea, DVLA says to get an official translation of your licence and to contact your embassy. For Taiwan, it names a Taipei Representative Office in the UK. No DVLA page we checked mentions certified translations or professional translators at all.

Does DVLA ask for an apostille, or for my documents to be legalised?

No. We checked the exchange outcome pages and DVLA's identity document guidance on 21 July 2026, and none of them mention apostilles or legalisation. The official guidance simply does not ask for it.

Can I send a certified copy of my passport with my application?

No. DVLA says you must send the original document with your driving licence application. It explicitly rules out photocopies, laminated certificates and certified copies, including those certified by the Post Office document certification service.

My country is not on the exchange list. What are my options?

DVLA's tool says you cannot exchange your licence, but you can drive for up to 12 months on your non-GB licence. After 12 months you will need to take a theory test and a practical test, and you will need to get a provisional driving licence before you can take the tests.

Will my licence definitely be exchanged?

No page can honestly promise that, and you should be cautious of any that does. What we can tell you is what the official guidance requires, with the source, so you can prepare your application exactly as DVLA asks. The decision is always DVLA's.