AQW 10598/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 22/04/2024
Answered On Date: 10/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the reasons for the delays being faced by people trying to exchange an international driving licence to a Northern Ireland driving licence.

Answer:

The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) is required to be satisfied that driving licences are issued only to those drivers who meet the relevant requirements in relation to residency and the right to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.

The time taken to determine an application where an International Driving licence has been submitted will depend on the country of issue of the licence and the requirements which allow the DVA to exchange or issue a licence to the customer and whether any further information is required as part of the assessment process.

There is currently no delay in processing applications where an International Driving Licence has been submitted for exchange purposes to DVA. The DVA is currently processing these licence applications within two weeks of receipt of a qualifying application where all the relevant paperwork, including proof of residency, has been received.