Your driving licence when you move abroad
For people moving from the US, Canada or the UK. How long you can drive on your licence after you become resident, where you can swap it without a test, and why a UK licence often exchanges where a US one doesn't. Covers Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan, Australia, the US, Canada and the UK.
US passportsCanadian passportsUK passports Updated 3 Nov 2026 6 min read
Your home licence works while you visit. It stops working soon after you become resident. Each country sets its own grace period: none in Ireland, 6 months in Spain and Germany, 12 months in the UK. After that, you exchange your licence or pass a local test. Where your licence was issued often decides which. A UK licence exchanges without a test in most of Europe. A US licence usually doesn’t, and some countries accept only certain US states or Canadian provinces.
Visitors and residents follow different rules
- As a visitor, you drive on your home licence, sometimes with an International Driving Permit (IDP).
- Once you are resident, a grace period starts. When it ends, you need a local licence.
- Residence has a definition. Ireland and the UK both count you as normally resident if you live there at least 185 days a year.
- An IDP doesn’t extend the grace period. GOV.UK says: do not apply for an IDP if you’re moving abroad. Exchange your licence or apply for a new one instead.
International Driving Permits
An IDP is a translation of your licence. Always carry your licence with it.
| You hold a licence from | Who issues the IDP | Convention | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| The US | AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA), the only two the State Department authorises | 1949 | 1 year. It cannot be renewed. |
| Canada | The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) | 1949 | 1 year from the date of issue |
| The UK | Certain shops with PayPoint, for £5.50. You must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, be 18 or over, and hold a full UK licence. | 1926, 1949 or 1968, depending on the country | 1926 and 1949: 12 months. 1968: 3 years, or until your UK licence expires if sooner. |
Two points for UK movers:
- Pick the right permit. GOV.UK lists 1926 for Mexico. It lists 1949 for Spain, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Canada and the US. It lists 1968 for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal.
- Buy it before you leave. You must live in the UK to get one.
Japan accepts only IDPs issued under the Geneva (1949) Convention.
The rules for residents, by country
| Country | Driving on your licence after you become resident | US licence | Canadian licence | UK licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 6 months from normal residence | No exchange. Get a Spanish licence. | No exchange. Get a Spanish licence. | Exchange without tests. Fee €28.87. You need a DVLA check code. |
| Portugal | Allowed while resident if the licence was issued less than 15 years ago and you are under 60 | Exchange without exams. A medical is required. | Same as US | Same as US |
| France | 1 year from normal residence. Apply to exchange within that year. | Car licences exchange from 18 states only: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin | Car licences exchange from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec | Exchange, all categories. Licences issued before 2021 stay valid while in force. Licences issued from 2021 must be exchanged. |
| Italy | 1 year from residence, with an IDP or an official Italian translation | No conversion (diplomats only). Pass the Italian test. | No conversion (diplomats only). Pass the Italian test. | Convert without tests. Apply within 6 years of becoming resident. |
| Ireland | No grace period. Exchange or apply once you take up normal residence. | Not exchangeable. Start the learner process. | Exchange from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Saskatchewan | Exchange |
| Germany | 6 months. Your local office can extend this by up to 6 months if you will live there no more than 12 months. | Car licences from listed states exchange without tests, for example Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Some, such as Florida and Connecticut, need the theory test. Unlisted states, such as California and New York, need the theory and practical tests. | Car licences from every province and territory except Nunavut exchange without tests | Exchange, all categories, without tests |
| Netherlands | 185 days after you relocate | No exchange, unless the expat scheme (30% facility) applies | Exchange from Alberta and Québec (car) only | Exchange, all categories |
| Mexico | Check with the transport office of your Mexican state | Check with your state’s transport office | Check with your state’s transport office | Check with your state’s transport office |
| Costa Rica | Tourists may use a valid US licence. Long-term residents need a Costa Rican licence. | Apply for a Costa Rican licence. You need a medical exam, a driver safety course and a driving test. | Check with Costa Rica’s licensing office | Check with Costa Rica’s licensing office |
| Japan | With an IDP: 1 year from arrival, or until the IDP expires if sooner | Convert at the prefectural police licence centre. The knowledge and skills tests can be waived if the police confirm your knowledge and skill. You must have spent 3 months in the issuing country after your licence was issued. | Same as US | Same as US |
| Australia (New South Wales) | 3 months for permanent residents | Transfer without tests, any state | Transfer without tests | Transfer without tests |
| United States | Rules differ by state. Check with your state’s motor vehicle agency. | Not applicable | Check with your state’s motor vehicle agency | Check with your state’s motor vehicle agency |
| Canada (Ontario) | 60 days. British Columbia gives 90 days to switch. | Exchange. Knowledge or road tests may apply, depending on your experience. | Exchange between provinces | Great Britain licences exchange. Tests may apply, depending on your experience. |
| United Kingdom (Great Britain) | 12 months from becoming resident | No exchange. Get a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. | Exchange within 5 years of becoming resident | Not applicable |
Notes on the table:
- Australia licenses drivers by state and territory. The row shows New South Wales. Check with your own state or territory.
- Mexico requires Mexican liability insurance. The Government of Canada says Canadian car insurance is not valid there.
- Germany issues your German licence only when you hand in your foreign one. Japan lets you keep yours.
- France doesn’t exchange digital licences. Bring the physical card.
UK movers to the EU can read After Brexit: moving to the EU from the UK for visas and residence.
Keeping your home licence valid
UK licences are tied to a UK address:
- You cannot register a foreign address on a British driving licence. GOV.UK tells you to contact the licensing authority in your new country.
- The DVLA’s renewal service requires you to be resident in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own service.
- A photocard licence must be renewed every 10 years. If yours expires soon, renew it before you move.
US and Canadian licences follow the rules of the state or province that issued them. Check with your state’s motor vehicle agency or your provincial licensing office before you go.
Before you move
- Find your destination in the table, and note when your grace period ends.
- If you can exchange, gather the documents early. Spain asks UK holders for a DVLA check code. Ireland may ask UK holders for a Letter of Entitlement dated within 6 months of the application.
- If you can’t exchange, plan for lessons and tests in your new country.
- If you move to British Columbia, bring proof of your driving history. You need at least 2 years of experience to skip its graduated licensing.
- Keep your original physical licence. France, for one, exchanges only a physical card.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the licensing authority in your new country before you rely on them.