Driving licences and entitlement to drive in the UK: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

1. Please advise the rules for all immigrants entering Scotland in relation to drive a car in Scotland?

2. Why are immigrants allowed to drive on our roads for 12 months and then sit a driving test?

3. What checks and measures are in place to monitor the number of accidents that have taken place due to the lack of skill driving in Scotland?

4. Who or what part of the UK or Scottish government took the decision to allow this?

Response

1. The rules governing the ability to drive in Scotland are set by the UK-wide driver licensing regime, which applies equally in Scotland as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Individuals who move to Scotland from outside the UK may be permitted to drive on their existing (foreign) driving licence for up to 12 months from the date they become resident. The specific rules vary depending on the country the licence was issued in. Full details of the rules are available from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which is responsible for driver licensing in Great Britain.

2. Further information on non-GB licence holders is available at: Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence - GOV.UK

3. Transport Scotland monitors road safety performance in Scotland using data collected through the STATS19 system. This national dataset, recorded by Police Scotland, captures details of all injury collisions on public roads, including contributory factors identified by attending police officers. Factors relevant to driver skill — such as "inexperienced driver," "loss of control," or "failed to look properly" — are recorded and analysed. Transport Scotland publishes this information annually in the Reported Road Casualties Scotland report. You can view the most recent version at: Reported road casualties Scotland 2023 | Transport Scotland

Additionally, through the Road Safety Framework to 2030, Transport Scotland works with partners to monitor driver behaviour and competence trends, and evaluates interventions aimed at improving driver skills and reducing collision risks.

4. The rules relating to driving licences and entitlement to drive in the UK — including the arrangements for individuals moving to the UK — are reserved matters and are the responsibility of the UK Government. Specifically, these rules are set out in legislation governed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport. While Transport Scotland is responsible for road safety policy in Scotland, driver licensing arrangements remain under the jurisdiction of the UK Government.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.