Over 70S Driving Licence

[bainbrig]

For ‘foreigners’. Partner is Irish. Been here 50 years, married to me most of that. We don’t have passports.

Impossible to get licence renewed on-line, as they insist on UK birth certificate (none) or Passport (none).

Anyone else faced this problem, and if so how did you get round it?

Ta

BB

[paddywak]

I've just updated my driving licence (70 in nine days)and all I did was fill in the form with my licence number and apart from a few questions about my health that was that and I got my new licence within four weeks.My mates (no health problems) got his renewal in around two weeks.

[bainbrig]

Yes but are you English?

[paddywak]

Yes I am,but to be honest I'd have thought that if your partner has lived over here 50 years and already has a driving licence I'd have thought they'd already have the relevent paper from work when when he got his original licence.

[Flonska]

Have a look at this link. It gives information as to what ID is required. If you already have a Northern Ireland (NI) or UK photocard licence, identity documents are not normally required.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/providing-proof-identity-driving-licence

[bhg481]

Are we talking Irish or Northern Irish, and is this her first photo licence? They took the photo from my passport for my photo licence (difficult for your wife). If her licence is not a UK licence she may need proof of age, which they are not willing to take from a "foreign" licence. Does she currently drive on a Southern Irish licence; is it legal after so many years. Non-UK licences are only valid for a limited time before a UK test needs to be taken but I suspect Irish could be an exception.

[baza]

Earlier this year I had to get an over 70 plastic licence, my passport had expired, I had to get a friend to sign the form and photo and sent the letter about my heating allowance as ID , it took about 2 weeks. My old licence was the paper type. Strange how I have been driving for 50 odd years and only now do they want to know what I look like.

[KARL]

It seems to me that at least some of those answering here do not grasp what is at issue, I hope I do. Firstly, for a non-UK citizen to hold and renew a driver's licence he/she does not need to be English (can be Welsh, Scottish or even foreign) and this has absolutely nothing to do with his/her partner's/spouse's nationality (which equally may be English, Welsh, Scottish, foreign). The UK authorities restrict issue of licences to people whom they can identify from/by some documents from a limited/strict list of documents/proof of identity and the same applies to renewals.

In your case I suspect that the quickest, easiest and possibly the only way is for your partner to obtain and present a passport from her country, this presumably being one issued by Eire/The Republic of Ireland. I suggest she applies for one without delay and obtains it in the quickest possible way. She should then promptly submit it with her licence application by registered post and I would recommend enclosing a registered self-addressed envelope and requesting it be used to return the passport.

[Rockrose]

GB are you in GB or NI?

[bainbrig]

Thanks Karl...

Facts.
She’s Irish (not from the six counties).
I’m English.
We’ve been married for 48 years.
We live in London.
She passed her UK test in 1972.
We haven’t had passports for 30+ years.
There is no phone line where you can talk to a real person!

Repeat: is there anyone here in a similar position, who has managed to renew on-line?

BillB

[bhg481]

It only says you need a passport if you want to apply online; you can also apply by mail. (You have to for some licences).
Have a look at:
https://www.gov.uk/dvlaforms

Pack D1 is for applying for a licence (doesn't say renewal) but you could start there and see if you can get them to send you the appropriate pack. Perhaps a Post Office could help if you have one near you.

[Buenchico]

If your partner needs to provide a new photo she can't do so online without a UK passport. (Otherwise she should be able to renew her licence without a passport).

If she can't renew online she should use the D46P she received in the post.

If she's not got a D46P she should get a D1 form from a Post Office. (It's the form that's used to apply for a driving licence for the first time but it can also be used in your partner's situation).

If she can't easily get to a Post Office she can order a D1 form here:
https://forms.dft.gov.uk/order-dvla-forms/

[bainbrig]

Thanks, Buenchico. Is a ‘travel document’ a bus pass? Otherwise even the postal application seems to want a UK birth certificate.

[bainbrig]

According to the government website

https://www.gov.uk/id-for-driving-licence

she’s had it.

No chance, and no, a bus pass doesn’t hack it.

Kafka or what?

[Buenchico]

Is your partner in receipt of a UK State Pension?

[bainbrig]

Yes.

[Buenchico]

See 'If you’re a pensioner' in your own link.

[bainbrig]

I see what you’re taking from the form.

If that is true (and I hope & trust it is), then the document needs rewriting by someone skilled in communication. Some hope...

BillB

[Buenchico]

The websites of Government agencies used to be models of clarity.

e.g. if you needed information about passports (including related matter, such as the laws about separated parents taking their children out of the country), the Passport Agency's website was superb.

Similarly, for information about vehicle taxation and driver licensing, the DVLA's website was informative and easy to navigate.

Then some wally decided to get rid of all the separate websites (which had been created by people who worked in the relevant agencies and who therefore really 'knew their stuff') and bring them together in a single website (Gov.uk) created by people who probably knew quite a bit about web design but absolutely nothing at all about things like passports or driver licensing. Utter madness!

[bainbrig]

Come the revolution we will be Chief Copywriters for government websites.

In the meantime I’ll report back when Mrs B fights her way through to the finish.