If you wish to drive in GB, you must find out whether or not you can use your existing licence and for how long. This will depend on where your licence was issued.
If you have a valid full driving licence issued in a European Economic Area country you do not need to exchange it for a GB licence.
If you have a full valid ordinary licence issued by any one of the following countries: Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malta, New Zealand, Republic of Cyprus, Singapore, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe.
You can drive small vehicles for 12 months from the date of entry into the UK. If you want to continue driving after the initial 12 month period, then you must obtain a British licence by the end of the 12 month period. To do this you should obtain form D1 from a Post Office, and send it to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea, with a fee of £21.00. Your foreign licence must also be sent, and this will be returned to the original issuing authority. If you do not exchange your licence before the end of the 12 month period then you must stop driving. You can apply to exchange your licence at any time between 6 months and 5 years of your arrival in GB.
Students from all other countries may drive on your full valid foreign licence or an international driving permit for a period of 12 months from the date you first arrived in GB to take up your studies, as long as your licence or permit remains valid during that time. If you want to continue to drive after the 12 month period you must obtain a provisional GB licence and pass a driving test before the 12 month period elapses. You can apply for a provisional licence (on the D1 and D750 forms that are available from the Post Office) once you have been resident in GB for 6 months. If you do not apply for a provisional licence within the first twelve months of your stay you must stop driving until you have obtained a provisional licence. Until you have passed the driving test you must comply with the conditions that apply to provisional licence holders. DVLA, Customer Enquiries Unit, Swansea SA6 7JL. Tel: 01792 772151;www.direct.gov.uk
Adjusting to Culture
Our culture is the way we handle the basic problems of living, such as food, shelter, clothing, family organisation, government, law & order, celebrations and religion. Our culture helps us to make sense of the world around us and gives us security. Our cultural beliefs and practices seem so natural and familiar to us that arriving in a new and unfamiliar culture can cause feelings of confusion and isolation. The more you understand about how cultural values and behaviors can have an impact on interactions, the easier it will be to adjust.
Working in the UK
You may be thinking of working part time in the UK to help support yourself financially. If you are on a full time course of study and have a student visa stamped in your passport, you are entitled to work up to 20 hours a week during term time and longer hours during holidays and vacations. Your eligibility to work will depend on the stamp or sticker that you have in your passport.
