can I drive abroad while banned in the UK?

aidantraffor | 12:15 Thu 31st Aug 2006 | Law

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Does a UK driving ban affect me from driving abroad?

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Ethel

You must have a current and valid driving licence to drive in any country.

So you will not be able to drive abroad whilst banned in the UK.

JudgeJ

Ethel is quite right in that you need a valid driving licence in almost any country where there are roads good enough to drive on. Whilst disqualified you do not hold such a licence.

However, as I have said many times, there is a big difference between being accused of driving without a licence and driving whilst disqualified. To give you an idea of the difference, in Britain the maximum sentence for the former is a fine of �1,000, whilst for the latter you can be sent to prison for six months.

A driving disqualification is a court order and can only be effective in the country in which it was imposed. (I know there are moves to �harmonise� many aspects of motoring law across Europe, but this has not yet been done). Therefore any ban does not extend abroad. Accordingly you may only be prosecuted for driving without a valid licence.

However, if you do not hold a licence, you would be unable to hire a car (or be an authorised driver of a car anybody else might hire), and would find difficulty in obtaining valid insurance for any car that you might come to own. But you could not be accused of driving whilst disqualified unless the law in the country you are in provides for disqualifications from foreign countries to be recognised in their own.

For guidance, British law does not provide such recognition.

NORMANTHEDOG

depends where you go,pakistan will let you

aidantraffor

Question Author

Thanks JudgeJ, you have confirmed my thoughts. I do still hold a Spanish license, so I should be OK abroad.

JudgeJ

Be very careful, though. Especially with the issue of insurance. Some companies are including lots of phrases in their policies now which encompass "pan-European" phraseology. It would advise caution and recommend thorough checks.