You always need to have valid car insurance and road tax, no matter what licence you’re using.For example, if you have an automatic licence from your country of issue, you will not be able to get a full manual UK licence. Your licence will be exchanged for the equivalent UK licence.Your licence should be valid in your country of issue for the entire time you’ll be using it in the UK before you exchange it.You need to be 21 if you’re planning to drive a lorry or a bus.You need to be 18 if you’re planning to drive a medium-sized vehicle (anything that’s 3500 - 7500 kg, or towing a trailer up to 750 kg).You need to be 17 to drive a standard car or motorbike.You need to be a resident of the UK to get a UK driving licence, so you need to have been living in the UK for at least 185 days before you can do any exchanging.However, there are a few standard rules to bear in mind that apply to everyone: The rules for exchanging a foreign driving licence for a UK one vary depending on which country originally issued your driving licence.
