The UK government is thinking about making it easier for people from Moldova who move to Britain to drive here. Right now, if you have a driving licence from outside Europe, you can only use it for your first year in the UK. After that, you have to take a British driving test to keep driving legally. But this new plan would mean Moldovan drivers could simply swap their licence for a British one without doing another test.
Officials have checked Moldova’s driving tests and rules and think they’re just as good as Britain’s. This means they trust that Moldovan drivers already meet UK standards. If the change happens, it would help thousands of people – we’re talking about over 33,000 drivers from Moldova who’ve applied for UK provisional licences in just the last six years.
The best part is this would save people both time and money. Taking driving lessons and tests in the UK can cost hundreds of pounds, plus all the time spent practicing and waiting for test dates. The government also thinks it might help reduce the long waiting lists for driving tests that many learner drivers are facing right now.
They’re asking what the public thinks about this idea, but you don’t have long to give your opinion – the deadline is midnight tonight. The UK already has similar deals with countries like Australia, America, Japan and South Africa, where drivers from those places can easily swap their licences. This would just add Moldova to that list.
It’s worth noting that this wouldn’t affect Northern Ireland, where they have different driving licence rules. If you want to say what you think about the plan, you need to email or write to the DVLA’s international team before the end of today. After that, the government will decide whether to go ahead with the change.
