Consultation outcome

Extension to the period of time during which Ukrainian driving licence holders can drive in Great Britain

Updated 29 June 2026

Executive summary                 

This consultation was published on 26 March 2026 and closed on 23 April 2026. 128 consultation responses were received.

The consultation proposed to allow certain Ukrainian driving licence holders who currently hold valid permission under the Ukraine permission extension (UPE) scheme and who go on to apply for an extension to that permission (known as eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders), to continue to drive in Great Britain (GB) for a further 24 months.

The proposal would result in eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders being able to drive motor bicycles, mopeds and cars (known as relevant vehicles), as permitted by their Ukrainian driving licence, for up to 5 years (60 months), or in some cases 6 years and 6 months (78 months), after the day on which they became resident in GB.

The proposal also applied to an additional cohort of Ukrainian driving licence holders who were originally granted leave outside the rules (LOTR). If such individuals later moved onto the UPE scheme, without having held one of the original Ukraine visa scheme visas – that is, the homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme (HFUS), the Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS), or the Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES) – then applied for an extension to their UPE scheme leave, it was proposed that they would be treated in the same way as other UPE scheme holders for the purposes of the extended driving entitlement.

The consultation also considered the rationale and potential impacts of this, asking for comments on road safety considerations with the proposed extensions, and provided the opportunity for any other comments.

Following the consultation, the government believes that there is a case for the law to be changed and will bring forward as a matter of urgency, the required secondary legislation to make this change.

Introduction

The UK has been playing a leading role in supporting Ukraine and the Department for Transport (DfT) has been actively engaged in making the transition to life in the UK as seamless as possible for Ukrainians.

The government proposes to extend the driving eligibility period for a further 24 months because of the Home Office’s planned 24-month extension to permission to stay under the UPE scheme, announced on 1 September 2025. This will support mobility and integration by reducing the need for individuals to exchange their licence or take a GB driving test during the extended period so they can continue driving vehicles they may have brought with them to GB.

The driving eligibility extension is available to eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders. The specific cohort of individuals who fall within the scope of eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders (which includes the additional cohort) is described further in What the government plans to do.

The current issue with Ukrainian driving licences in GB       

In GB, we allow all those driving on non-UK, non-European Economic Area (EEA) driving licences who become resident, to drive relevant vehicles for 12 months before we require them either to exchange their licences if eligible, or to take a driving test in order to continue driving here.

Currently, holders of Ukrainian driving licences can drive relevant vehicles in GB for either 36 months or 54 months after becoming resident, depending on factors such as when they applied for their Ukraine visa.

The consultation proposed adding a further 24 months to those periods for eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders who apply for a further extension under the Ukraine permission extension scheme. This would extend the existing driving eligibility period from 36 months to 60 months for some eligible Ukrainian licence holders, and from 54 months to 78 months for others, measured from the date the individual became resident in GB.

This measure is intended to support Ukrainian licence holders who are temporarily resident in GB and who can continue to drive on their Ukrainian licence during the extended period.

It will help reduce the immediate administrative and financial burden of exchanging a licence or taking a GB driving test during their temporary stay, particularly for those who rely on driving for:

• work
• education
• healthcare
• caring responsibilities
• wider integration

The proposal does not amend the existing licence exchange period.

Holders of exchangeable foreign licences, including Ukrainian licences, continue to have 5 years from becoming resident in which to exchange their licence for a GB licence.

If a Ukrainian licence holder chooses to continue driving on their Ukrainian licence beyond 5 years under this extension and later decides to remain in GB, they will still need to comply with the applicable GB licensing requirements. The extension therefore concerns the temporary period during which eligible Ukrainian licence holders may drive in GB – it does not extend the period within which they may exchange their licence.

The exchange issue remains relevant because Ukrainian licences issued before 28 December 2021 do not record whether the driving test was taken in a manual or automatic vehicle. As a result, those licences can only be exchanged for a GB licence restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission.

Many Ukrainian licence holders use manual vehicles, including vehicles they brought with them to GB or vehicles made available by hosts. Without this temporary extension, some individuals may need to exchange for an automatic-only GB licence, take a GB manual driving test, or stop driving a manual vehicle they currently rely on.

Responses to the consultation on proposed extension to the period of time Ukrainian driving licence holders can drive in Great Britain

The proposals for extending the driving eligibility period for eligible driving licence holders (which includes an additional cohort) was launched on 26 March 2026 and closed on 23 April 2026. 128 responses were received via the online survey, and via emailed responses.

127 consultation responses were received via the online survey, 118 from individuals and 9 from organisations. 1 consultation response was received via email. This email response was from an individual. 0 email responses were received from organisations.

The responses overwhelmingly supported the proposal to extend the Ukraine driving licence recognition period in GB by an additional 24 months.

Views on the proposed change in the law

The consultation asked those responding to the consultation if they agree with the government’s proposal of further extending the period during which eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders (which includes an additional cohort) can drive relevant vehicles in Great Britain. Overall, of the 128 respondents who answered this question, 95.31% responded yes and 3.91% responded no, with 0.78% responding don’t know.

Of the small minority of respondents who were not content with the proposal, those who provided further reasoning cited the road safety risk of not passing a GB driving test a consideration.

We acknowledge that extending the existing driving eligibility will entail some degree of road safety risk. Without a GB test or licence, there is a continued risk from unfamiliarity with GB roads (driving on the left, using a right-hand drive car) and road signage, particularly from road signs which are written in English (rather than pictograms). However, we can advise that Ukraine’s driving test and licensing standards have been assessed as equivalent to those in GB.

Views on road safety

The consultation asked whether there were any comments on road safety considerations with the proposed extension.

Of the 22 responses to our open text comment request, a common theme was that Ukrainian drivers have already been driving safely on our roads and are now more familiar with them. Of the responders who had concerns, a common theme was Ukrainian drivers have had long enough to arrange a GB driving test.

What the government plans to do

The government will introduce secondary legislation to allow eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders to drive relevant vehicles for a further 24 months. This will extend their driving entitlement to 5 years (60 months) or 6 years and 6 months (78 months) after becoming resident, depending on the original Ukrainian visa scheme applicable to them (that is, the HFUS, UFS or UES schemes) and in certain circumstances, the date/time of their original visa application.

The secondary legislation will also bring within scope an additional cohort of Ukraine driving licence holders that:

• previously had LOTR  – more specifically leave of the type covered by UKR 29.3(b) and (c) of the Appendix Ukraine Scheme to Immigration Rules
• successfully applied for UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their previous LOTR as described in the preceding sentence
• proceed to apply for an extension of their UPES leave before the expiry of their current UPES leave period

The specific cohorts of Ukrainian driving licence holders who fall within the scope of eligible driving licence holders (including the additional cohort as described immediately above), and their corresponding eligibility periods, are as follows.

Ukrainian licence holders who will be able to drive relevant vehicles for 5 years (60 months) after becoming resident

Ukrainian driving licence holders who held a HFUS visa, who applied for that visa at or after 3pm on 19 February 2024, who successfully applied for UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their HFUS leave, and who now apply for an extension of their UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their current UPE scheme leave period will be able to drive relevant vehicles for 5 years (60 months) after becoming resident.

Ukrainian licence holders who will be able to drive relevant vehicles for 6 years and 6 months (78 months) after becoming resident

The following Ukrainian driving licence holders will be able to drive relevant vehicles for 6 years and 6 months (78 months) after becoming resident:

• people who held a HFUS visa and applied for that visa before 3pm on 19 February 2024, who successfully applied for UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their HFUS leave, and who now apply for an extension of their UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their current UPE scheme leave period
• people who held UES leave, which they applied for on or before 16 May 2024, who became resident in GB on or after 3 March 2022, who successfully applied for UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their UES leave, and who now apply for an extension of their UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their current UPE scheme leave period
• people who held UFS leave, who successfully applied for UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their UFS leave, and who now apply for an extension of their UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their current UPE scheme leave period

Ukrainian driving licence holders (known as the additional cohort)

The following Ukrainian driving licence holders will be able to drive relevant vehicles for 6 years and 6 months (78 months) after becoming resident.

• people who have never held leave under the original Ukraine visa schemes
• people who held LOTR – more specifically leave of a type described in UKR 29.3(b) or (c) of the Appendix Ukraine Scheme to Immigration Rules
• people who successfully applied for UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their LOTR, and now apply for an extension of their UPE scheme leave before the expiry of their current UPE leave period

For the additional cohort, the 78 months would include all the time they have already spent in GB after becoming resident, as the 78-month entitlement would begin after a person becomes resident.

The specific cohorts of Ukrainian driving licence holders described will be able to continue to drive relevant vehicles in GB during the period in which their application for a UPE scheme extension is pending. This means that eligible applicants for UPE extension can rely on the entitlement whilst it is pending.

However, if their application for the UPE Scheme extension is rejected, refused or withdrawn, the eligibility to drive in GB will cease.