Eligibility criteria

If you arehold a Ukrainian nationaldriving licence and you are living in Great Britain (GB) on a Ukraine visa schemescheme, andyou can drive in Great Britain.

The length of time you holdcan acontinue Ukrainianto drivingdrive licence,depends you:on when you successfully applied for entry clearance or permission to stay in the United Kingdom.

• Criteria for 36 month extension

  You can drive in GB

Great Britain for up to 3 years (36 months) after you became resident if you have or had permission to stay under:
• dothe notUkraine needExtension toScheme, exchangewhich youryou Ukrainianapplied licencefor on or before 16 May 2024 and you have not applied for athe GBUkraine licencePermission Extension Scheme

The

• the Homes lengthfor ofUkraine timeSponsorship youScheme can(HFUS) continuewhich toyou driveapplied infor GBbefore depends3pm on when19 February 2024 and you successfullyhave not applied for entrythe clearanceUkraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPES)
• the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, where the application was made on or permissionafter to3pm stayon in19 February 2024, and have either not applied for the UnitedUkraine Kingdom.
  Permission Extension Scheme or, if granted leave under that scheme, have not applied for an extension of that leave
• the Ukraine Family Scheme and you have not applied for the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

Criteria for 54 month extension

You can drive in GBGreat Britain for up to 4 years and 6 months (54 months) after becomingyou became resident, if you successfullyhave applied for entry clearance or had permission to stay under either:under:

• the Homes for Ukraine schemeSponsorship orScheme thewhich Ukraineyou Familyapplied Schemefor before 3pm on 19 February 2024
• the Ukraine Family Scheme
• the Ukraine Extension Scheme which you applied for on or before 16 May 2024 – provided you became resident in GBGreat Britain on or after 3 March 2022

You must also then apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE)Scheme scheme before your existing leave to remain in the UK expires.

If youThis appliedrefers to the initial application under the UPEUkraine scheme,Permission youExtension Scheme, not an application to extend leave granted under that scheme.

You can continue to drive in GBGreat Britain while your application for the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme is being processed. If you withdraw your application or ityour application 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 3660 month extension

You can drive in GBGreat Britain for up to 35 years (36(60 months) after you became resident if youall successfullyof appliedthe forfollowing entryapply:

• you clearancehad or permission to stay under either:
  • the Homes for Ukraine ExtensionSponsorship Scheme onwhich you applied for at or beforeafter 163pm Mayon 19 February 2024
  • you have permission to stay under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme and you becameapplied residentfor inthat GBleave before 3the Marchexpiry 2022of your Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship leave
  • theyou Homeshave applied for an extension of your Ukraine schemePermission atExtension orScheme afterbefore 3pmthe onexpiry 19of Februaryyour 2024initial Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme leave period

  Driving

  You aftercan thecontinue endto ofdrive in Great Britain while your application for the extension periods

  to your Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme is being processed.

  If you wantwithdraw toyour continueapplication or your application is not successful, your eligibility to drive in Great Britain ends at that time.

  If your application is not processed after 24 months, the period that you can drive in Great Britain after you become resident will be capped at 5 years (60 months).

  Criteria for 78 month extension

  You can drive in GB for up to 6 years and 6 months (78 months) after becoming resident if any of the extensionfollowing periods,applies to you:

  • you willheld needan HFUS visa and applied for that visa before 3pm on 19 February 2024, you have permission to exchangestay yourunder the Ukraine licencePermission Extension Scheme (UPES), which you applied for abefore GBthe expiry of your HFUS leave, and now apply for an extension of your UPES licence.leave Youbefore willthe needexpiry of your initial UPES leave period
  • you held Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES) leave, which you applied for on or before 16 May 2024, became resident in Great Britain on or after 3 March 2022, you have permission to dostay thisunder UPES which you applied for before the endexpiry of theyour UES leave, and now apply for an extension period.

    Ifof your UPES leave before the expiry of your initial UPES leave period

  • you held Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) leave, you have alreadypermission exchangedto stay under UPES which you applied for before the expiry of your UkrainianUFS drivingleave, licenceand now apply for an extension of your UPES leave before the expiry of your initial UPES leave period
  • you have never held leave under HFUS, UFS or UES, held leave of a GBtype described in UKR 29.3(b) or (c) of the Appendix Ukraine Scheme to the Immigration Rules, you have permission to stay under UPES licence,which you applied for before the expiry of that leave, and now apply for an extension of your UPES leave before the expiry of your initial UPES leave period

  You can continue to usedrive in Great Britain while your GBapplication licence.for the extension to your Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme is being processed. If you withdraw your application or your application is not successful, your eligibility to drive in Great Britain ends at that time.

  If your application is not processed after 24 months, the period that you can drive in Great Britain after you become resident will be capped at 6 years and 6 months (78 months).

  Vehicles you can drive

  This applies to licences that permit the driving of:

  • cars up to 3,500kg
  • motorbikes and mopeds

  HowExchanging toyour exchangeUkrainian driving licence for a UkrainianGB driving licence

  If you want to exchange your Ukrainian licence for a GB licence, you must do this within 5 years of becoming resident in Great Britain. 

  The extension to the period during which you can drive on your Ukrainian licence does not extend this 5-year exchange period. 

  You can use this tool to to exchange your driving licence.. 

  Your licence should arrive within 3 weeks if you apply online. It may take longer if DVLAthe needsDriver toand makeVehicle additionalLicensing checks.Agency (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.

  DrivingNorthern licenceIreland

  If requirementsyou live in Northern IrelandIreland, different rules apply.

  InIf Northernyou Ireland,hold a valid Ukrainian driving licence, you needmay be able to exchangedrive youron Ukrainianthat licence for aup Northernto Ireland3 licenceyears withinafter 1becoming year.resident Youin canNorthern doIreland.

  See thisthe atNorthern Ireland guidance on exchanging your foreign driving licence. for further information.