If you plan to be a Brit abroad and get behind the wheel of a car in another country then there's something you might need to get before you go.
It's called an International Driving Permit (IDP) and there's three different types you can get depending on which country you're visiting, which seems quite complicated.
To add a further bit of complication where you get them from is changing in the near future, but fret not as the DVLA has confirmed which date the switchover happens on.
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If you're getting behind the wheel abroad the first thing you're going to need is a valid driving licence, because guess what you need to be able to drive before you can drive.
Anyhow, after that you might have to get yourself an IDP depending on the country you're going to or how long you'll be staying there.
If you have a UK driving licence with a photo then you ought to be fine driving in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Lichtenstein, but if you're going to be there a long time that might change.
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On the other hand if you have a paper driving licence or one from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man then you might need to make with the paperwork.
Fortunately one thing we actually do really well over here in the UK is government websites and it has got a fairly comprehensive list of the permit you'll need depending on the country.
For plenty of countries you'd want to drive to you don't actually need one as long as you're not planning on spending a long time on the roads there, but it helps not to be caught out.
As for where you can get an IDP, that's going to change once the month of March is done and dusted.
Until the end of this month the place to get an IDP is the Post Office, but from 1 April onwards they won't be sold there.
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Instead you'll be able to buy them from certain shops that have PayPoint and it'll cost you £5.50 to get one.
To buy one you need to be living in the UK, aged 18 or over and have a full UK driving licence.
Getting a 1926 or 1949 permit will give you paperwork that lasts for a year, if you have to get a 1968 permit it'll last you whichever is sooner of three years or your driving licence expiring.
On the other hand if you really like going into the Post Office for driving related stuff then you'll be pleased to know that from 1 April onwards they can still get a vehicle taxed or renew their driving licence there.
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Quite why you'd have such an attachment to the Post Office for such things we're sure we don't know, but it's not our place to judge.
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