Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Driving Licences (Exchangeable Licences) Order 2025.

(2) This Order comes into force on 31st July 2025.

(3) This Order extends to England and Wales and Scotland.

Designation of the Republic of Moldova

2.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the Republic of Moldova is designated under section 108(2)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as respects licences of the description specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The licences specified for the purposes of paragraph (1) are licences which—

(a)authorise the driving of the class of vehicle included in licensing category B, and

(b)have been granted by the licensing authority in the Republic of Moldova—

(i)to a person who has passed a driving test in the Republic of Moldova in respect of the class of vehicle included in licensing category B, or

(ii)in exchange for a licence granted in—

(aa)the United Kingdom to a person who has passed a driving test in the United Kingdom in respect of the class of vehicle included in licensing category B, or

(bb)an EEA State or a country or territory named in the Schedule to a person who has passed a driving test in such a State, country or territory, as the case may be, in respect of the class of vehicle included in licensing category B.

(3) A licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) shall be exchangeable only in so far as it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who passed a driving test, whether in the Republic of Moldova or in a State, country or territory named in paragraph (2)(b)(ii), in a vehicle with automatic transmission, notwithstanding that the licence authorises the driving in the Republic of Moldova of vehicles with manual transmission.

(4) In this article—

“ driving test ” means a test corresponding to the practical test of driving skills and behaviour prescribed under section 89(3)( 2 ) and (4)( 3 ) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as part of the test of competence to drive;

“ licensing category B ” means the licensing category identified as category B, in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 ( 4 );

“ vehicle with automatic transmission ” means a vehicle in which the person driving the vehicle is either—

Article 2

Schedule Other Countries and Territories from which a licence may have been exchanged

• Andorra

• Australia

• Barbados

• British Virgin Islands

• The provinces and territories of Canada

• The Cayman Islands

• The Falkland Islands

• The Faroe Islands

• Gibraltar

• Guernsey

• Hong Kong

• Isle of Man

• Japan

• Jersey

• Republic of Korea

• Republic of North Macedonia

• The principality of Monaco

• New Zealand

• Singapore

• South Africa

• Switzerland

• Taiwan

• Ukraine

• United Arab Emirates

• Zimbabwe