Driving in Great Britain: Ukrainian driving licence exchange
Source: gov.uk (2025-02-27)

Driving licence requirements for Ukrainians living in Great Britain on a Ukraine visa scheme.

Eligibility criteria

If you are a Ukrainian national living in Great Britain (GB) on a Ukraine visa scheme and you hold a Ukrainian driving licence, you:
- can drive in GB
- do not need to exchange your Ukrainian licence for a GB licence
The length of time you can continue to drive in GB depends on when you successfully applied for entry clearance or permission to stay in the United Kingdom.

Criteria for 54 month extension

You can drive in GB for up to 4 years and 6 months (54 months) after becoming resident, if you successfully applied for entry clearance or permission to stay under either:
- the Homes for Ukraine scheme or the Ukraine Family Scheme before 3pm on 19 February 2024
- the Ukraine Extension Scheme on or before 16 May 2024 – provided you became resident in GB on or after March 2022
You must also then apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme before your existing leave to remain in the UK expires.

If you applied under the UPE scheme, you can continue to drive in GB while your application is being processed. If you withdraw your application or it is not successful, your eligibility to drive on a Ukraine licence ends at that time.

If your application to UPE is not processed after 18 months, the period that you can drive in GB after you become resident will be capped at 4 years and 6 months.

Criteria for 36 month extension

You can drive in GB for up to 3 years (36 months) after you became resident if you successfully applied for entry clearance or permission to stay under either:
- the Ukraine Extension Scheme on or before 16 May 2024 and you became resident in GB before 3 March 2022
- the Homes for Ukraine scheme at or after 3pm on 19 February 2024
Driving after the end of the extension periods

If you want to continue to drive in GB after the extension periods, you will need to exchange your Ukraine licence for a GB licence. You will need to do this before the end of the extension period.

If you have already exchanged your Ukrainian driving licence for a GB licence, you can continue to use your GB licence.

Vehicles you can drive

This applies to licences that permit the driving of:
- cars up to 3,500kg
- motorbikes and mopeds
How to exchange a Ukrainian driving licence

You can use this tool to exchange your driving licence (https://www.gov.uk/exchange-foreign-driving-licence).

Your licence should arrive within 3 weeks if you apply online. It may take longer if DVLA needs to make additional checks.

If you passed your driving test before 28 December 2021

You can only exchange your driving licence for a GB licence that allows you to drive automatic vehicles. You will need to take a driving test for manual cars to keep driving these vehicles.

If you passed your driving test on or after 28 December 2021

If your current licence allows you to drive manual cars, you can exchange it for a GB licence that allows you to continue driving manual cars.

Driving licence requirements in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, you need to exchange your Ukrainian licence for a Northern Ireland licence within 1 year. You can do this at exchanging your foreign driving licence (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/exchanging-your-foreign-driving-licence).