Brexit: Norwegian driving licences will continue to be valid in the UK. Norwegian authorities are seeking to ensure full driver’s rights for holders of UK driving licences in Norway

Historical archive

Published under: Solberg's Government

Publisher: Ministry of Transport and Communications

News story | Date: 05/04/2019

The situation concerning the UK’s withdrawal from the EU is still unclear. Whatever the outcome, Norwegian driving licences will continue to be valid in the UK. In most cases, people who hold a UK driving licence and want to drive in Norway will be able to do so under existing rules, but the Norwegian authorities are seeking to simplify parts of the current legislation.

The UK authorities have announced that the UK will continue to fully recognise Norwegian driving licences after Brexit, when holders of Norwegian driving licences are visiting the UK. It will also still be possible to exchange a Norwegian driving licence for a UK driving licence. Legislation in the UK was amended to allow for this in October 2018.

UK driving licences will be valid when visiting Norway
If the UK leaves the EU with a withdrawal agreement, the agreement will include transitional provisions on driving licences. However, if the UK leaves the EU without an agreement, it will, as of exit day, be considered a ‘third country’ under Norwegian driving licence rules.

UK driving licences will continue to be valid in Norway after Brexit for visitors (tourists etc.), but not for people who are resident in Norway. (See below for more details). The Norwegian authorities have decided that they will not require holders of a UK driving licence to also have an international driving licence.

Full driver’s rights if UK driving licence is exchanged for a Norwegian driving licence before Brexit
Holders of a UK driving licence who are resident in Norway before Brexit, and who have exchanged their UK driving licence for a Norwegian driving licence, or do so at the latest on the day before exit day, will continue to have full driver’s rights as specified on the licence.

Norway to simplify rules for exchanging UK driving licences after Brexit
Holders of a UK driving licence who are resident in Norway before Brexit, but who have not exchanged their UK driving licence for a Norwegian driving licence, or holders of a UK driving licence who move to Norway after Brexit, will under current rules have to take Norway’s full driver training and driving test if they want to drive in Norway for more than a three-month period.

However, Norway sees that this would not a good arrangement in practice. A proposal regarding amendments to Norwegian legislation has therefore been circulated for comment by the Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads. Under the proposal, UK driving licences will continue to be valid in Norway after Brexit, and it will be possible to exchange them for Norwegian driving licences in the same way as before Brexit.

Although the rules cannot be expected to have been formally amended before Brexit, the current three-month period, which will also apply from the date of Brexit, means that holders of UK driving licences will continue to be able to drive in Norway for a transitional period of three months before the new rules enter into force.

More information is available here (in Norwegian only):