Hi

I have recently moved to Switzerland and am aware that I should switch my UK licence to a swiss one within a year.

If I return to the UK, according to the DVLA I can drive on my Swiss licence for a year before having a UK one issued again.

My question is though: does anyone have experience of the UK car insurance companies dramatically increasing your premiums because the new re-issued licence has a new valid (current) date, i.e. it looks as though you have just passed your driving test?

This happened to my sister and although she learnt to drive and passed in Switzerland, (and didn't hold a UK licence origianlly) when she moved back to the UK the DVLA issued her with a licence that was valid from the current date implying she had only just passed her test.

Any experiences welcome!

It is my experience that UK insurers do not ask for a copy of the licence, only how long you have held a licence. DVLA will hold a record of when a licence was first issued and if that licence has ever been revoked or suspended due to court action. If you have had one for X amount of years, but switched between Swiss and UK (which both fall within EU recognised driving levels) then there should be no affect on your premium. If you lie to say you have held a licence longer than you have actually had it then this would, of course, be insurance fraud and would likely void your policy as well as be illegal.

One thing that is important to note is that the nasty UK insurers will only consider your no claims bonus as having a shelf life of 2 years if you do not hold insurance in the UK. Some, but not all, will accept/recognise overseas insurance to maintain no claims, but you really have to fight for it.

I think I would keep a photocopy/scan the old one(s) in case it came to a discussion.

I tend to make a scan of most of our documents, easy to keep and could come handy one day.

There is a question on the application asking for the date your test was passed, and that is the relevant date, not date of issue.

When we returned to the UK the driving licence was not an issue at all but the hassle we had insurance wise because you had lived out of the country for a while caused a real problem.

Don't know if it helps but the UK driving licence number is on the back of the Swiss licence, plus the date the test was passed in the UK.

When you swap your licence they insist on taking it away. We tried to argue, but they just said that was the law. So always take photocopies of your UK licence before. As said above, the details are printed on your new Swiss licence.

If you write to DVLA with a cheque for £5 they will give you a print out which says you are entitle to a UK license & the groups.
The print out shows every stage from provisional license, test passed car, test passed motorbike, change of address & exchange of license (for Swiss one).

Probably would not be bad to enclose such a document with your proposal form!

My Swiss license does not have my old UK no on it & the date of passing test is out by over 10 years!

You can ask for a reissue under the regs in place since they went all credit card sized.

You have to be a uk resident , living in the uk for at least 6 months according to the form. That would make you a uk taxpayer on your world wide earnings, so only do it if your really living in the UK.