Documents > European Union > Current topics > BREXIT: Exchange of UK driving licence - FAQ BREXIT: Exchange of UK driving licence - FAQ18/12/2020 14:47:21|Current topics On 1 February, the United Kingdom left the European Union. Due to the unprecedented situation that on 1 January 2021 the UK citizens will no longer be considered citizens of the EU but rather citizens of a so-called third country, we publish below practical information for British citizens living in the Czech Republic regarding the option to exchange their UK driving licences for Czech ones. Driving motor vehicles and exchange of UK driving licence after 1 January 2021 Which UK driving licence can I use to drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic after 1 January 2021? After 1 January 2021, it is possible to drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic only with a UK driving licence that complies with driving licence template set in the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). You can find more information here. Such driving licences were issued in the UK from July 1998 (in a form of a plastic card). If you have a UK driving licence issued before July 1998, you can drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic only with an international driving licence issued in the UK. If I have a UK driving licence and came to the Czech Republic after 1 January 2021 to stay here, do I have to exchange my driving licence? Yes, at that moment you are considered a citizen of a third country, therefore, you have a driving licence issued by a third country, not by an EU Member State. If you are granted a permanent residence in the Czech Republic or a temporary residence for longer period than 1 year according to the act on residence of foreigners, you are obliged to exchange your UK driving licence. You have to apply for the exchange within 3 months of granting a permanent residence or temporary residence for longer period than 1 year. Only the UK driving licences that comply with driving licence template set in the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949) can be exchanged for a Czech driving licence (more information here). Such driving licences were issued in the UK from July 1998 (in a form of a plastic card). You have to submit the following documents with your request: Residence permit in the Czech Republic; Valid ID card; Valid UK driving licence. You can find general information about the exchange of driving licences issued by a foreign state, i.e. EU non-member state, for Czech ones at the website of the Ministry of Transport. Where can I exchange my UK driving licence? Where can I collect the Czech driving licence? You can exchange your driving licence at any municipal authority with extended powers in the Czech Republic. List of all municipalities is available at our interactive map. To exchange a driving licence, you have to report to the municipal authority with extended powers in person. The Czech driving licence will be available only at the municipal authority with extended powers where you filed your request to exchange the UK driving licence. You can collect the driving licence in person or authorise somebody to collect it (with certified power of attorney). A driving licence is usually issued within 20 days of filing the request if all conditions are met. When collecting the Czech driving licence, you have to submit your UK driving licence, which is then sent to the UK, i.e. the state of issuance. You can request to store the UK driving licence at the municipal authority with extended powers until repeated exchange of a Czech driving licence. Can I use my UK driving licence to drive motor vehicles if I were granted a residence in the Czech Republic for less than 1 year? Yes, it is possible. However, your UK driving licence must comply with driving licence template set in the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). You can find more information here. Such driving licences were issued in the UK from July 1998 (in a form of a plastic card). Is there an option to exchange my UK driving licence for a Czech one if I were granted a residence for less than 1 year? Yes, it is possible but only if you can prove a normal residence in the Czech Republic, i.e. a residence for at least 185 days in a calendar year due to personal or occupational ties, and you have a UK driving licence that complies with the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). If I came to the Czech Republic before the end of 2020 to stay here after 1 January 2021, can I exchange my UK driving licence for a Czech one? Yes, you will be allowed to exchange your UK driving licence but only if it complies with the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). To exchange the driving licence, you will need to prove that you have a normal residence in the Czech Republic. The conditions are similar to the previous case – a UK citizen travelling to the Czech Republic after 1 January 2021 with a residence permit for less than 1 year wanting to exchange UK driving licence for a Czech one. Back to article list Previous articleNext article
On 1 February, the United Kingdom left the European Union. Due to the unprecedented situation that on 1 January 2021 the UK citizens will no longer be considered citizens of the EU but rather citizens of a so-called third country, we publish below practical information for British citizens living in the Czech Republic regarding the option to exchange their UK driving licences for Czech ones. Driving motor vehicles and exchange of UK driving licence after 1 January 2021 Which UK driving licence can I use to drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic after 1 January 2021? After 1 January 2021, it is possible to drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic only with a UK driving licence that complies with driving licence template set in the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). You can find more information here. Such driving licences were issued in the UK from July 1998 (in a form of a plastic card). If you have a UK driving licence issued before July 1998, you can drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic only with an international driving licence issued in the UK. If I have a UK driving licence and came to the Czech Republic after 1 January 2021 to stay here, do I have to exchange my driving licence? Yes, at that moment you are considered a citizen of a third country, therefore, you have a driving licence issued by a third country, not by an EU Member State. If you are granted a permanent residence in the Czech Republic or a temporary residence for longer period than 1 year according to the act on residence of foreigners, you are obliged to exchange your UK driving licence. You have to apply for the exchange within 3 months of granting a permanent residence or temporary residence for longer period than 1 year. Only the UK driving licences that comply with driving licence template set in the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949) can be exchanged for a Czech driving licence (more information here). Such driving licences were issued in the UK from July 1998 (in a form of a plastic card). You have to submit the following documents with your request: Residence permit in the Czech Republic; Valid ID card; Valid UK driving licence. You can find general information about the exchange of driving licences issued by a foreign state, i.e. EU non-member state, for Czech ones at the website of the Ministry of Transport. Where can I exchange my UK driving licence? Where can I collect the Czech driving licence? You can exchange your driving licence at any municipal authority with extended powers in the Czech Republic. List of all municipalities is available at our interactive map. To exchange a driving licence, you have to report to the municipal authority with extended powers in person. The Czech driving licence will be available only at the municipal authority with extended powers where you filed your request to exchange the UK driving licence. You can collect the driving licence in person or authorise somebody to collect it (with certified power of attorney). A driving licence is usually issued within 20 days of filing the request if all conditions are met. When collecting the Czech driving licence, you have to submit your UK driving licence, which is then sent to the UK, i.e. the state of issuance. You can request to store the UK driving licence at the municipal authority with extended powers until repeated exchange of a Czech driving licence. Can I use my UK driving licence to drive motor vehicles if I were granted a residence in the Czech Republic for less than 1 year? Yes, it is possible. However, your UK driving licence must comply with driving licence template set in the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). You can find more information here. Such driving licences were issued in the UK from July 1998 (in a form of a plastic card). Is there an option to exchange my UK driving licence for a Czech one if I were granted a residence for less than 1 year? Yes, it is possible but only if you can prove a normal residence in the Czech Republic, i.e. a residence for at least 185 days in a calendar year due to personal or occupational ties, and you have a UK driving licence that complies with the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). If I came to the Czech Republic before the end of 2020 to stay here after 1 January 2021, can I exchange my UK driving licence for a Czech one? Yes, you will be allowed to exchange your UK driving licence but only if it complies with the Conventions on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968, Geneva 1949). To exchange the driving licence, you will need to prove that you have a normal residence in the Czech Republic. The conditions are similar to the previous case – a UK citizen travelling to the Czech Republic after 1 January 2021 with a residence permit for less than 1 year wanting to exchange UK driving licence for a Czech one.