Today I decided, since it was probably my last chance for awhile, I would go and exchange my Canadian drivers license for a UK one. Since Canada is considered a European union country (for some things), Canadians can pay £50 and hand over their Canadian license in exchange for a UK one. Americans have to go through the whole system, writing a drivers test then do a driving test.
I was trying to keep my additional driving certification and based on all the stuff on their website, their literature and the application that was possible. So I filled out the application for the “Lorry” license, checked off the box for “I’m exchanging my non-UK license for a British one”, attached my picture and was all set.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is on the other side of town so I got to have the pleasure of driving across town. When I walked in I was surprised to notice that it looked almost identical to the ones I have been inside in Canada. A bunch of chairs in rows facing 6 windows with only 2 open. Immediately inside the door was a button that you pressed to get a number. All the numbers of people currently waiting are displayed on a large flat screen TV which has a scrolling display on the bottom that tells you the current time and the estimated wait. When I got there the estimated wait was 8 minutes.
A lady employee (manager?) was trying to speed up the process by pulling the next person due up aside and getting them all set up with paperwork. So of course I was the first person she did this to. While everyone else was getting to sit down at the window and explain their situation to the person, I was standing holding my pile of papers trying to explain to this lady what I wanted all while feeling like she was just trying to rush me along. She also didn’t know if I needed to just fill out the application for a lorry license or both that one and the regular car one. Since she didn’t know and they aren’t the issuing authority she said she was going to call and ask.
She finally allowed me to go to a window, after I had shown her all my homework paperwork was completed. Once I got to the window the lady then explained to the guy about me wanting to exchange my license and asked him if I needed to complete both applications or just the lorry one. He also said he didn’t know and said she should call. Apparently she hadn’t done that yet. The guy explained that they aren’t the ones to issue the licenses, they are just a glorified post office for the applications.
The lady comes back after the phone call and tells me that even though everything else says I can, I can’t switch my Canadian “F" license for a lorry license here. What would instead happen is I would be able to get an automatic car license with a provisional lorry license and I would have to do a driving test to get a full lorry license. I would only be able to get an automatic car license unless I can show that I tested on a manual or I take a manual test.
I finally get through all this and the guy takes my applications. In addition to the paperwork I also need to hand over my Canadian drivers license (which I won’t get back) and my passport (which they will mail back to me). Plus I need to pay £50, oh and their debit/cash machine is down “so can you just drive to the nearby mall, walk all the way down it to find a bank machine and get cash?””
After doing that little unnecessary errand I drove back to the office and was glad that guy had told me to just wait for him to be free as the wait was now 28 minutes.. I handed over my applications, my £50, my passport and drivers license and was given this:
For the next 3 weeks (15 calendar days) other than my student card, this is my only ID.
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