In need of some help regarding driving licence....!!!!

[Faisal Sheikh]

hey guys.....

I am from Kingdom of Bahrain (Middle east), and have been living here in London from the past 7-MOnths. I have a driving licence from Bahrain which is 7 years old (with NO Accident, NO Claim).

Can any one tel me, what is procedure to exchange my Bahraine driving licence into British driving licence without test or any hassle...??? or Is it possible to do that....???

[Joppa]

I am afraid not. Only licences from EU/EEA and some other countries like Australia, NZ, RSA, Japan, Korea etc can be exchanged for British licence without having to take a driving test. Bahrain isn't one of them. Apply for a provisional licence (you can continue to drive on your existing licence, so no L plates, full-licence holder etc needed), and pass your test before 12 months is up.
Driving on licences from all other countries, and students on a foreign licence : Directgov - Motoring

[Faisal Sheikh]

Thnx 4 da reply.....but if you have a look on the list of countries who can exchange their licence including Britians into Driving Licence issued by DUBAI Authorities.....Then, their must be a clause in which they wil also get the option to exchange their middle east licence into british licence. U knw i mean.....!!!! rst as u said earlier, dat wold b da last option to go through the same process like DVLA, theory & then practical n all to get da licence....Thnx anyways

[Joppa]

It doesn't work like that. British licence can be exchanged for a local one without a test in a lot more places than the list of countries whose licence can be swapped for a British one. It just means that the standards of British driving test are seen as matching or exceeding local test standards, while the British authorities regard only a handful of countries outside EU have driving test that is as rigorous as in UK.