goinggreek.info

The Agora => Brexit => Topic started by: Maik on Friday, 01 February, 2019 @ 03:46:08

Title: Brexit / expats driving in Greece
Post by: Maik on Friday, 01 February, 2019 @ 03:46:08
Quote
UK licence holders who live in the EU or EEA

If you are currently using a UK driving licence and live in an EU or EEA country, from 29 March 2019 you cannot use an IDP to guarantee that your UK licence will be recognised in that country.

If you wish to continue to drive, you should exchange your UK licence with a local licence (https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-renewal-exchange/index_en.htm#shortcut-0-exchanging-your-licence), where this option exists.

While the UK is a member of the EU, UK driving licences are directly exchangeable for EU and EEA country licences. From 29 March 2019, in the event that there is no EU Exit deal, this licence exchange arrangement will stop. Instead you will need to re-take your driving test in the EU country where you live to be able to carry on driving there.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/international-driving-permits-for-uk-drivers-from-28-march-2019


Hm, well, that's the official government advice. So, if there *is* an EU Exit deal all that might not apply, but time's tight and some folk might want to avoid any requirement to take and pass the driving test in Greece.

If you want/need to take your test in Greece these sites have mock theory tests that may be useful:

The Greek Driving Theory Test.
There are a whole series of tests so you can do it over & over again with different tests to practice / improve.
You need 29 out of 30 to pass.
On the below website, click the top left box to change it to English (if you want to), then the top right for automobiles.
It will give you the ones you got wrong at the end and the correct answers. The translation is quite iffy in places!

www.papalos.gr/testdrive.html

Think that one requires Adobe Flash Player, these two may work in HTML5:

testkok.gr (https://testkok.gr/uk/page/simata-kok-test-ypourgeioy) / testdriver.gr (http://testdriver.gr/en/index.php)
Title: Re: Brexit / expats driving in Greece
Post by: Maik on Tuesday, 19 February, 2019 @ 12:34:11
If you're living in Greece and driving on a UK licence then:

Quote
Once you reach the age of 70, your licence expires, but this doesn't automatically mean you have to stop driving. You just need to renew your driving licence if you want to continue. You'll need to renew it every 3 years after that. Renewal is free of charge.
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/travel-hobbies/driving/

However, as it looks as there won't be a Brexit deal then it seems UK nationals resident in Greece will need to exchange their UK licence for a Greek one. In which case:

Quote
Under the legislation, drivers need to take a road test at the age of 74 and at regular intervals after that.

As the article in eKathimerini (http://www.ekathimerini.com/237831/article/ekathimerini/news/elderly-drivers-left-in-the-dark) says, it's not clear what kind of driving test these motorists must take to renew their license.

Hm, think I can foresee some elderly Brits ending up driving around Kef without a valid licence.
Title: Re: Brexit / expats driving in Greece
Post by: HiFi on Tuesday, 19 February, 2019 @ 16:52:17
If you're living in Greece (or on any planet) then your UK photocard licence expires 10 years after issue. If you're living in Greece you can lie to DVLA and give them a relative's UK address to renew your licence, as you couldn't renew your UK licence if you gave DVLA a Greek address. Could backfire if databases are shared and you then claim post Brexit you've lived in Greece for 300 years..... (There are plenty of drivers driving in the UK without a valid licence because they haven't renewed the 10 year photocard part of their licence, still thinking it's all ok until the day before their 70th birthday).
Title: Re: Brexit / expats driving in Greece
Post by: Maik on Tuesday, 19 February, 2019 @ 22:53:46
Problem is, you'd either be living in Greece when you shouldn't be, as you've got a UK licence, or you're driving in Greece on an invalid licence. Whether anyone in Greece will give a t*ss... I suspect possibly not, except Greece is anti-immigration (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/10/many-worldwide-oppose-more-migration-both-into-and-out-of-their-countries/) and Brits, as non-EU citizens, will have pretty much the same legal status as Albanians or Bosnians.

The photocard is the only part of the licence now, the paper part was scrapped a few years back. No one should be unaware they need to renew it as a reminder is sent out in advance: Renew your driving licence (https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence). But yeah, quite possibly there are loads of drivers in the UK without a valid licence.

Couple of points to note for anyone driving a UK registered and insured vehicle in/to Greece:

Quote
From 29 March 2019, in the event that there is no EU Exit deal and the European Commission does not make a decision ensuring that UK registered vehicles will not be checked for proof of insurance, drivers of UK registered vehicles will need to carry a motor insurance Green Card when driving in the EU and EEA.

Quote
From 29 March 2019, in the event that there is no EU Exit deal, UK residents involved in a road traffic accident in an EU or EEA country should not expect to be able to make a claim in respect of that accident via a UK-based Claims Representative or the UK Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).

Instead, UK residents involved in a road accident may need to bring a claim against either the driver or the insurer of the vehicle in the EU or EEA country where the accident happened. This may involve bringing the claim in the local language.

In the event of an accident in an EU or EEA country caused by an uninsured or an untraced driver, UK residents may not receive compensation if there is no EU Exit deal. This will vary from country to country.

Prepare to drive in the EU after Brexit (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-to-drive-in-the-eu-after-brexit) : Last updated 05 February 2019
Title: Re: Brexit / expats driving in Greece
Post by: TonyD on Tuesday, 19 February, 2019 @ 23:41:10
so, with the exception of the "UK based Claims Representative" warning/threat/scare-mongering it's likely be just the way it was pre-1973, when the French were constantly bleating Non!!

Of course, Claims Representatives as an entity are a fairly recent phenomenon anyway. Used to be your friendly Broker sorted everything. Wherever you were.