Views wanted on allowing drivers who hold a Cayman Islands licence to drive cars and light motorcycles to exchange it for a British equivalent
Open consultation
Exchange of driving licences issued in the Cayman Islands
From:Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Published:1 August 2017
This consultation closes at
11:59pm on 29 August 2017
Summary
This consultation seeks your views on allowing drivers who hold a licence to drive cars and light motorcycles which was issued originally in the Cayman Islands to exchange it for a British equivalent, if the driver becomes resident in Great Britain.
Consultation description
This change will apply in England, Scotland and Wales only. Driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly may choose to amend the law in Northern Ireland in due course.
Documents
Exchange of driving licences issued in
Cayman Islands
Introduction
This consultation seeks your views on allowing drivers who hold a licence to drive cars and
light motorcycles which was issued originally in the Cayman Islands to exchange it for a
British equivalent, if the driver becomes resident in Great Britain.
This change will apply in England, Scotland and Wales only. Driver licensing is a devolved
matter in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly may choose to amend the law in
Northern Ireland in due course.
Background
In 2015 the government of the Cayman Islands requested recognition of their driving licences
for exchange in Great Britain.
People coming to Great Britain from outside the European Community/European Economic
Area (EC/EEA) may drive small vehicles (motorcycles, cars, and vehicles up to 3500kgs or with
up to eight passenger seats) for up to a year using their valid national driving licences. After this
time, to continue driving they must pass a British driving test, unless they hold a licence issued
in a country or territory designated by law for the purpose of exchanging driving licences. Once
a country has been designated, its licences may be exchanged for British equivalents subject to
the holders meeting the normal British requirements on health and minimum ages.
The countries that are presently designated for licence exchange purposes are: Andorra,
Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong,
Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and
Zimbabwe.
The following requirements must be met:
i) Applicants must show that they did not obtain the licence by way of a previous exchange
for one issued in a third country whose licensing and testing standards do not meet those
applied in Great Britain.
ii) Licences issued as a result of a test passed in a vehicle with automatic transmission will be
exchanged for a British licence with entitlement to drive automatic vehicles only.
iii) Licences must be valid at the time of application.
The proposal
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is considering allowing licences that were
issued in the Cayman Islands to be exchanged for the British equivalent if the holders of such
licences become resident in Great Britain.
The current licensing and testing standards in the Cayman Islands have been assessed
and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has approved the standards for cars and light
motorcycles not exceeding 125cc only. The proposed arrangement will not, therefore, include
entitlement to drive large motorcycles.
Subject to the outcome of this consultation, changes will be included in an order made under
sections 108 (2) to (2B) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Consultation question
Are you aware of any reason why the DVLA should not take this proposal forward?
Benefits of proposed change
No savings or costs for businesses or charities have been identified. Any benefits will apply
only to a small number of private individuals, so the change falls outside the better regulation
framework. In the circumstances there is no need for an impact assessment.
The main benefit will be to allow the DVLA to grant a full British driving licence with entitlement
to drive cars and light motorcycles to holders of the equivalent licences issued in the Cayman
Islands, without the added time and expense involved in sitting and conducting another
driving test.
Between April 2013 and March 2017 there were 217 drivers born in the Cayman Islands issued
with a provisional British driving licence. In the last financial year, 73 Cayman Islanders applied
for a provisional driving licence. The number of these drivers who take up residence in Great
Britain and exchange their licences is likely to be very small.
Any benefit will be to individual drivers who may wish to exchange their licences when they
become resident in Great Britain.
The only cost to the DVLA will be for processing applications, which will be met through the fee
for an exchange licence application. There will be no regulatory savings or costs for business.
Duration
The consultation will run between 1 August 2017 and 29 August 2017. Any responses received
after this date will be taken into consideration only in exceptional circumstances.
How to respond
You can respond in the following ways:
• By post to: Strategy, Policy & Communications Directorate, D16, Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency , Swansea, SA6 7JL
• Email to: [email protected]
When responding, it would be helpful if you could state whether you are responding as an
individual or representing the views of an organisation. If you are responding on behalf of an
organisation, please make clear who the organisation represents and where applicable, how
the views of members were collected.
Please get in touch by email or by post if you would like a copy of the consultation in an
alternative format, or if you have any questions.
Freedom of information
Respondents are asked to note that we may publish some or all of the comments received
in response to this consultation. Also, if a third party asks to see such comments, we may
be obliged by law (for example, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental
Information Regulations 2004) to disclose them. If there are particular reasons why you would
not wish your comments to be published or disclosed, please let us know. Although your
wishes in this respect may not override any statutory requirement to disclose, they will be taken
into account so far as possible. If you reply by email, the above overrides any confidentiality
disclaimer generated by your IT system.
After the consultation
All responses will be considered as part of the consultation process. We will explore the
possibility of incorporating valid suggestions and comments. The summary of responses
will be published within three months and before or alongside any further action, (e.g. laying
legislation before Parliament). It will be available online at: www.gov.uk/government/publ
ications?departments%5B%5D=driver-vehicle-licencing-agency&publication_filter_
option=consultations. We will notify those who responded to the consultation when this
happens.
The consultation principles
Because of the limited impact and scope of this proposal we are carrying out a shortened
consultation targeted towards key industry groups. We believe that this consultation complies
with the Consultation Principles, which are published by the Cabinet Office online at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/consultation-principles-guidance
Email to:
Write to:
Strategy, Policy & Communications Directorate, D16
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Swansea
SA6 7JL
