The DVLA or the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is responsible for handling more than 40 million vehicle records and 50 million driving records in the United Kingdom. Obtaining a driving license in the UK is your ticket to be able to legally drive on the road and also a way to enjoy the beauty of what the country can offer, thereby opening a world of new beginnings and possibilities.
If you want to successfully earn your driving license in the UK, you have to first apply for a provisional license (online), then pass a theory test, followed by a practical driving test and then be eligible to apply for a full driving license. To start the application process online, head over to the official website.
Requirements For Applying a Driving License Online
To obtain your provisional driving license from the DVLA UK, for a motorbike, car, moped or any other vehicle, you have to first satisfy the following set of conditions: you must be aged at least 15 years and 9 months; you should be able to successfully read a number plate from twenty metres away; and you have a record of living in the United Kingdom for at least the past 185 days within a maximum period of the past 365 days (or 12 months).
Additionally, it must be known that the cost for applying for a provisional driving license online is 34 UK Pounds. You can pay the charges via a Visa, MasterCard, Delta or Electron credit or debit card.
Moreover, you also need to provide supporting documents when applying for your provisional driving license such as your identity proof like your passport along with the address of the place where you have lived for the past three years. Information about your National Insurance number can also be asked for.
Steps For Applying a Driving License Online
- Firstly, head over to the DVLA homepage. Alternatively, you can also visit the GOV.UK DVLA portal. Proceed to click on the ‘Register’ button, read the terms and conditions, and subsequently press ‘Next’.
- Start filling up your application form. Ensure that you properly type in all the required information in the given boxes, along with the drop-down menus (wherever applicable).For your address, be sure to type in your house number, name and your postcode. The DVLA will also ask you regarding your period of stay at your current address. Once you’ve completed filling up all the required fields on the current page, proceed to click ‘Next’.
- Additional security details will be required to confirm your identity, such as your National Insurance number. When you provide your National Insurance number, the time to process your application gets shortened considerably.The DVLA will cross-verify your identity with the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) and the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs). If in any case, the DVLA is unable to verify your identity, then you may have to send your identity documents by post. Moreover, you also need to provide your passport number.
- To complete the application process, you have to perform a photo identification test. To do that, you have to allow the DVLA to retrieve your passport photo as well as your signature from Her Majesty’s Passport Office. Otherwise, you have to send the aforementioned details via a postal application to the DVLA.
- Finally, you have to confirm your UK residential status as well as answer some additional questions related to your ability to drive. The questions will ask about your fitness to drive along your eyesight prowess. Consequently, you also need to provide a medical declaration.
- Proceed to pay for your application by transacting the fee online and you should receive a confirmation mail to your registered email shortly.
Once applied, your driving license should arrive within a week. However, the DVLA might take longer if additional checks need to be made.
