The thing about driving is that each country has their own specific tests that citizens must take. Some countries, such as Finland, are notorious for having tough driving tests. In fact, over there it takes at least two years of training and testing before you can get your driving licence!
Other countries aren’t quite so strict when it comes to driver tuition and testing. You might have passed driving tests in your home country, but what happens if you move abroad? In most countries, foreigners can drive with their existing licences for a short period.
Depending on where you move to, you might have to take lessons and pass tests just like other citizens. If you are learning how to drive in a foreign country, this handy blog post will walk you through the general steps you need to take.
Find out what you need to do
Your first port of call should be the government agency or department that deals with driver licensing. They will tell you what steps you need to take before you can get a full driving licence.
Let’s say that you are moving to the United Kingdom. If you are moving from another EEA country, you can continue to use your existing driving licence. And you only need to “swap” your driving licence if you come from certain countries.
But what if you move from the United States, for instance? In that case, you will need to go through the full process of getting a driving licence, just like everyone else.
In the UK, that means you have to learn the rules of the road, book your driving theory test and pass it. Once that’s done, you can take driving lessons and go for your practical test.
Get a permit or provisional driving licence
In most countries, you need to get a driving permit or provisional licence before you can learn to drive. Some places allow you to apply for it in writing and pay the fees to get it.
Other places like Brazil demand you pass a physical and psychological evaluation beforehand.
Choose a reputable driving school
In many parts of the world, you have the option of learning to drive with a friend or relative, or with a driving school.
If you have a choice, I recommend learning to drive with a reputable driving school. Learning with a driving school is more likely to get you that all-important “pass” in your driving tests. Expert tuition will help you to pass your driving tests quicker.
Learn in a manual car
You will often have a choice of learning to drive and passing your practical tests in a manual or automatic car.
I recommend learning and passing in a manual. You will be entitled to drive an automatic when you do so, but the same rules do not apply vice-versa. In other words, you can’t drive a manual if you pass in an automatic.
I hope that this guide has helped you out. Thanks for reading it!
Picture courtesy: Flickr
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