Driving Lessons in the UK

This article is aimed at those coming from another country, to live permanently in the United Kingdom, and focuses on obtaining a British Driving Licence.

While here, in the UK, you may wish to learn to drive on British Roads, so that you can obtain a British Driver's Licence.

Being able to drive (legally) has many benefits. Some examples:


Benefit 1: It could improve your prospects for landing a specific job (or, maybe you plan to build your own business and need a car or van to deliver products to your customers? Just an example!).

Benefit 2: A Driver's Licence is often one of the items for identification, should you wish to obtain finance/credit (for investing into building a business, Torker unicycle for instance).

Benefit 3: It's just useful to be able to get in your own car and drive to wherever you want to go, in Britain (did you know, wherever you are in the UK, you're never more than 72 miles from a beach? With access to a car, you could be relaxing in clean, fresh air, by the sea, in little over 60 minutes, at most!)

So, what do you need, to be able to drive legally in the UK?


First, you need to be 17 years old, to learn to drive (although you can apply for your "Provisional Driver's Licence" up to 3 months before your 17th birthday).

You need to apply for your Provisional Licence, from the "Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency" (referred to as the "DVLA", for short). Having a Provisional Driver's Licence doesn't allow you to drive by yourself on British roads, but it lets you practice driving with someone qualified to teach you - for the sake of other road users, it is recommended you take lessons with a qualified, "Approved Driving Instructor" (ADI), as their extensive training will not only help you to become a safer, more competent driver, but will help you prepare for your Driving Test... Driving Lessons from a good, patient, Approved Driving Instructor is money well invested! When your Provisional Driving Licence arrives, there will be TWO parts to it: a Photocard ID and a Paper Licence counterpart - you MUST KEEP BOTH PARTS, as you will have to present them to your Driving Instructor and to the Driving Examiner (when it comes to taking your Practical Driving Test). You won't be allowed to take your test, unless you present BOTH PARTS (Photocard ID and Paper counterpart).

You actually need to take and pass TWO TESTS: a Theory Test and the Practical Driving Test, respectively. With the Theory Test, you go to a designated Test Centre and answer multiple choice questions (usually on a computer), from the Highway Code (a book published by the Driving Standards Agency, also referred to as the DSA). It might seem daunting at first, but this is where a qualified, Approved Driving Instructor can help (during your practical lessons, you're learning to recognise the signs and understand the various hazards and speed limits, which will help to reinforce your study, as you prepare for your Theory Test). The second test is the Practical Test, where you'll demonstrate your skills and awareness on the road, to a Driving Examiner, who will sit in the car with you, on your test (if you wish, you can also have your Driving Instructor sit in the car with you, as well).

Once you've passed BOTH tests, you may then apply to the DVLA to obtain your Full, British Driver's Licence. This will be in TWO parts: The first bit is the Photocard Licence (a plastic card, with your photo and other details printed onto it. You send Passport Photos in with your application and they scan them in and print your photo onto the front of the Photocard Licence). The second part is the Paper Licence counterpart. You MUST KEEP BOTH PARTS - don't throw away the Paper Licence, thinking it's an 'optional extra'! It's not and, should you ever be asked by a police officer to produce your licence at your local police station, for instance, you'll need to present BOTH the Photocard AND Paper Licence counterpart (not that I'm saying this will happen to you, of course!)

Okay, with those points in mind, what about the Driving Lessons? What will you get with a Qualified, Approved Driving Instructor, that you can't from "a mate who's over 21 years old and held a Full Driving Licence for 3 years"?


a qualified ADI has been taught how to teach Safe, Defensive Driving, to help keep you out of trouble on the roads and to be able to react to mistakes made by other road users.

a qualified ADI will have Dual Controls in the car, enabling to give you, gradually, more and more control over driving the vehicle, while always having the ability to quickly assist you - perhaps in stopping or using the clutch to change gear - so that you can more easily learn from your mistakes and develop into a safe, confident driver, much more quickly.

a qualified ADI will have been taught how to provide effective driver coaching; they'll understand that it can take time and practice to learn to drive efficiently; you can learn with confidence, without the fear of being shouted at for making tiny mistakes, such as stalling the car at a set of traffic lights, with a line of cars waiting to get going, behind you (it happens to all of us, at some point!)

a qualified ADI will have a properly maintained car, which is safe and ideal for somebody trying to learn to drive (your well-intentioned 'mate'... might not).

a qualified ADI will be up to date with all aspects of the Highway Code and will be able to help answer questions and coach you, as you approach your Theory Test.

a qualified ADI will know when you're ready to take your Practical Driving Test, so you won't waste money by having to take your test again and again, through not having learnt how to drive properly (e.g. when driving with your 'mate', you may not have practiced how to negotiate Crossroads, when you can/cannot drive in the Bus Lanes, or even how to Fill up the Car with Fuel! These are skills that all reputable ADI's will incorporate into your Driving Lessons).

Remember, nobody has a right just to get behind the wheel of a car and drive on the roads; it's a privilege that has to be earned. Learn to drive properly - get Driving Lessons from a qualified, Approved Driving Instructor.

This article was written by Graham Wadden, who interviewed Liz Holmes about Driving Lessons in the UK. Liz is a Qualified ADI and her website is .