New move for licence exchanges

The rules cover the exchange of licences for small vehicles

Drivers from six more countries outside the EU can exchange their licence for a NI licence under new rules.

The legislation, which comes into operation on 12 October, was announced by Environment Minister Edwin Poots.

It covers the exchange of licences for small vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles.

It adds six new countries to a designated list: Canada, the Falkland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Monaco, South Africa and the Republic of Korea.

The Department of the Environment said it would give greater flexibility in exchanging licences issued by other countries and brings the law in Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.

The minister said: "Under existing legislation, if a country was designated for the exchange of driving licences, all licences issued by that country have to be accepted.

Driving tests

"This sometimes prevented countries from being designated because they exchanged licences with another country where the driving tests standards are not accepted as satisfactory by the UK.

"Under this new legislation, such licences can be excluded from the exchange arrangements of a designation country."

He said that under the new legislation any driver coming to live in Northern Ireland, who holds an acceptable licence issued by one of the designated countries, can exchange that licence for a Northern Ireland licence, without having to pass a Northern Ireland driving test.

When this legislation is in place, the designated countries will be: Australia; Barbados; British Virgin Islands; Canada; Falkland Island; Faroe Islands (cars only); Hong Kong; Japan; New Zealand; Principality of Monaco; Republic of Korea (cars only); Singapore; South Africa; Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

Separate arrangements exist for the exchange of licences issued by member states of the European Economic Area (EEA).