How to get your UK Provisional Learner Driving License

Obtaining an UK Provisional Learner Driving license for those who do not have it, is often a priority for every new arrival here. Without it you often cannot apply to many jobs and in general, in this country it’s very difficult to get any daily chores done if you do not have a car. Furthermore, I also noticed that commuting by public transport is more expensive than commuting by car.

If you have an EU driving license, the process is quit simple. Any EU driving license is valid here. If you want, you can change it to a UK one quite easy. If you did not come with a driver’s license here, it’s not a problem, the procedure for obtaining one it’s relatively simple here.

First you apply for the UK Provisional Learner Driving License. With this license you can drive anywhere in the country except the motorways (the roads that start with the letter “M”) as long as you are supervised from the left seat by an experienced driver. You have be registered as a Learner driver on the car insurance. The experienced driver who supervises you must also be registered on the insurance of the car, must be at least 21 years old and have a driver’s license (UK or EU) for at least 3 years.

The driver who drives with a provisional learner permit must have displayed 2 square signs with the red letter “L” placed somewhere in a visible place in the front and on the back of the car. I recommend the magnetic ones because they do not leave permanent traces on the car.

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With this UK Provisional Learner License you can drive and gain all the experience and driving hours you want without having to resort to expensive lessons with driving instructors. You can apply as early as the age of 16 for this type of license, but the driver even if he passes all the exams will not be able to drive alone until he reaches 18 years old age.

To apply for the UK Provisional Learner Driving License in England, UK, go to: https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence, here you will be asked for your personal details, NINO social insurance number, and addresses where you have lived in the last 3 years. I have read somewhere that you must be for at least 6 months in the country in order to apply, we have not lied on the website and declared that we have been in the UK for only 3 months, and the rest of the addresses where we lived in France and Romania during the the last 3 years, and it seems that we had no problem. At the end of the online application you will have to pay by card an administrative fee of 34 pounds.

After about one week you will receive an envelope with the confirmation that you have applied for a UK provisional learner driving license. In the envelope you will find another empty envelope already marked with the return address, in which you must put an original document and a passport-type photo. I recommend sending the national ID card, keep your passport as it has the greatest power abroad.

After another week or so, if everything is OK, you will receive by mail an envelope with the new UK provisional learner driving license. Separately you will receive about the same time an envelope in which you will be returned the original document you previously sent to confirm your identity. Fortunately for us, we received both of them at the same time.

Congratulations!, now that you have an UK Provisional Learner Driving License and you can practice as many hours as you like in the car. When you feel ready and wish to apply for the permanent license, proceed to the next step: scheduling the theory test . To schedule the theory test, go to https://www.gov.uk/book-theory-test and choose the date when you want to take the test. To schedule the theory test you will need the data on the provisional learner permit, an email address and a debit card to pay the 23-pound fee online. The fee is paid for each examination, so I recommend that you learn well before you go to take the test. The test consists of 2 parts: part 1 with 50 multiple choice questions, of which you must answer correctly at least 43. Next is the Hazard perception test, which consists of viewing 14 video clips with different car situations in which you have to click at different times when you notice a developing danger situation. Depending on when you click during the movie clips you will receive a score between 1 and 5 points. You must earn at least 44 out of 75 points to pass this section. The theory test is not a major challenge, it can be passed easily from the first try if you study a little. There are numerous websites on the internet with mock tests and test videos where you can practice.

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Once you pass the theory test, before leaving the exam room you will be given a paper with a Reference Number that confirms that you have passed the theory test. You will need this Reference Number to schedule your practical driving test. Registration for the practical test is done on the government’s website https://www.gov.uk/book-driving-test. This exam consists of a practical driving test, under the supervision of a policeman. This gentleman will put place a GPS Navigation screen on the dashboard with a destination pre set by him. You must reach the destination using the visual and audio instructions of the device. On the road during the test, you will also have questions about the different functions and buttons inside your car, and also other practical test requirements such as performing a parallel parking or turning the car. The driving test examination costs 62 pounds (for each examination), it is paid online by card at the time of booking. The good news is that if you fail the driving test, you do not need to take the theory test again, just the practical driving test.

It’s not complicated right? Good luck then! If you have any further questions I look forward to them in the comments section or leave a message on the GarciaCalavera.com fb page. If you like the page you can give it a like and share the article to help others in this situation.

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