Businesses have been warned they should develop contingency plans for the prospect of UK driving licences no longer being valid in the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Licence checking firm Licence Bureau has issued the advice following a report by the Department for Transport (DfT) on ‘Driving in the EU if there’s no Brexit deal’.
It says UK drivers may need to have one or both of two different international driving permits (IDP) to drive in EU countries after March 2019.
Licence Bureau managing director Malcolm Maycock said: “It’s something businesses and individuals need to be aware of, to start thinking of developing contingency plans should the issue arise.
“The DfT document will be particularly useful for companies to help them manage the passage of their people between countries.
“We hope its findings won’t become reality but welcome it being published six months before the Brexit deadline.”
According to the DfT, available IDPs are based on rules agreed in 1949 and 1968.
The 1949 IDP lasts for 12 months, and would be recognised in Ireland, Spain, Malta and Cyprus, while the 1968 version is valid for three years, and would be recognised in all other EU countries along with Norway and Switzerland.
IDPs are said to be available from Post Office counters for £5.50 and take around five minutes to complete.
