Nottingham is a genuine student city — the University of Nottingham alone has around 15,900 international students, and Nottingham Trent University welcomes over 6,200 international students from more than 150 countries. If you’ve moved here to study and want to learn to drive (or start using a licence you already hold), here’s what actually applies.
Driving on your home country licence — for a limited time only
If you already hold a full driving licence from your home country, you can usually drive in Great Britain on that licence (with an International Driving Permit alongside it if your licence isn’t in English) for up to 12 months from when you arrive. An IDP costs around £5.50 and, since April 2024, is issued in person at participating PayPoint stores rather than the Post Office.
After 12 months: you’ll need a UK provisional licence
Once that first year is up, you need to apply for a UK provisional licence and pass the UK theory and practical tests like any other learner — you can’t simply keep renewing on a foreign licence indefinitely. To apply, you generally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 185 days in the past 12 months, so it’s worth planning ahead rather than leaving it to the last few weeks of your first year.
Starting from zero as a learner
If you’ve never driven before, the process is the same as for any UK learner: provisional licence first, then theory test, then lessons and your practical test — see our other guides on what to expect at Nottingham’s test centres and typical costs. Term-time can get busy for lesson slots around exam and holiday periods, so booking a course early in the term tends to give more flexibility than trying to fit lessons in during the final weeks before you need a licence.