Requirements For Malaysians Driving In United Kingdom

Basically, there are 3 types of visitors who land up in the United Kingdom (U.K.). They are:

i) Those who come to U.K. on social visit staying on for a short period of time only.

ii) Students who arrive in the U.K. to attend some courses in universities or colleges.

iii) Those who visit U.K. for a longer period of time, say a year or so.

All 3 categories of Malaysian drivers at times require to drive in the U.K.

This is because transport will be a major problem for them. To be able to drive oneself around, will not only be cheaper and less hassle is involved, it is more convenient in the long run.

As a reminder, Malaysians who wish to drive in the U.K. should ensure their licenses are:

i) Valid, meaning not expired.

ii) Have their licenses translated into English. As our Malaysian licenses are normally in Bahasa Malaysia, a translated license would assist the British authorities and the police tremendously.

iii) See to it that you are covered with a minimum 3rd party insurance.

As mentioned earlier on, those going over to the United Kingdom as students or on social visits can continue using their Malaysian driving licenses.

However, those categories of people, assuming that a person has been posted in the U.K. to work will obviously be there for a longer period of time. In this case, a Malaysian would therefore ideally be advised to obtain an International Driving License (I.D.L.) issued normally by the Road Transport Department in Kuala Lumpur.

In normal circumstances, a Malaysian driver arriving in the U.K. can drive with his Malaysian license without much problems. The police and transport authorities will pose no problems.

According to the Department of Vehicle Licensing Authorities (D.V.L.A.) Swansea, United Kingdom advised a foreign visitor can drive for a period of 12 months.

Malaysians who stay in U.K. longer than the stipulated period of time mentioned above are advised to then attempt to secure a full British license. Obviously, to do this, one has first to attempt getting a provisional or learner’s license.