This was something we discussed earlier, but an additional question as I have finally plucked my rear end out of the chair to sort this.
You know how in the new system you have to have a photo. If you send in your passport as proof of identity you dont have to have the photo countersigned that it is you. But if you send in something else you do like passports.
Now as we've moved house a fair distance everyone we come into contact with, well in the case of the missus more than me, does not meet the criteria for signing the photo, eg known personally longer than two years etc etc, and of course they are tightening up on who signs.
Don't want to send off passports for obvious reasons. So we intend to use the post office photo checking service where for a fee they will check everything including your ID, give you the passport back and send it off.
Question 1 is do you have to have your photo signed for this type of PO application? Judging by the sign on the door the local post office does not handle it and are fed up of being asked (font = a big number) Also judging by the search on the post code on post office website it will be a pain in the rear to get to one that does in the near future.
Question 2 is once the application has gone off how many years does it take for Swansea to send you the new one.
Question 3 is could anyone have thought of a more complicated system?
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Don't know the answer to 1, Stuart, but having moved myself recently the answer to 2 is within two weeks. Answer to 3 is no. Why oh why does the licence have to be in two parts? Your passport manages to suffice without a seperate bit of paper to lose.
Incidently, even if you are changing from a paper licence to the new type, there is no fee if this is just for a change of address. The application form is a bit confusing on this.
Finally, the motorcycle press carried some storys a year or so back about people whose motorcycle entitlement had disappeared from their licences when they changed them. Apparantly the change to computerisation of records about ten years ago was not without error, and Swansea refused to accept that the people concerned had ever had the relevent group on their licence, so they had to go through the bother of taking the test all over again. If you have more than just the basic car entitlement make sure you keep a photocopy just in case.
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Tom Shaw wrote:
>
> If you have more than just
> the basic car entitlement make sure you keep a photocopy just
> in case.
Thanks to Tom and all the others for the advice. Would never have remembered to keep a photocopy.
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Go to a Post Office that for a fee handles passport applications. Show your passport to the clerk who will look at you in much the same way as an immigration officer, will vouch that you are who you say you are and will send the photocard licence forms off for you. I think it costs about £3, but is well worth it. I agree with Tom that the counterpart is ridiculous nonsense. The reason is that the DVLA has a stone age computer and clerks of courts still write out endorsements with quill pens so there is no technology to handle all the stuff on the counterpart in a chip. It's another example of useless, stupid, backward Britain.
HJ
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Now there's a first - something which is quicker and more simple in Brazil than it is in Europe.
Here there are two possiblities;
1) Present your passport, permission to be in Brazil & photograph and get a new licence at any Govt-office-post-office-type-place
2) Pay 50 bucks and get it anyway.
and 1) is even legal.
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Interesting.
We get a steady stream of folk here re the countersigning of photo licences. Thing is SWMBO, despite a wild and reckless youth, is one of those folk allowed to sign them.
David
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Honest John wrote:
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> clerk who will look
> at you in much the same way as an immigration officer,
well that's me beggared then!
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Honest John wrote:
>
> Go to a Post Office that for a fee handles passport
> applications.
Alternatively, if you have any reliable friends where you moved from, fill in everything you can, post it off with photo to said friend with a stamped enveloped for onward transmission to DVLA, and a request to countersign etc.
We were brave and sent our passports, 2 years ago, and got them back very promptly.
Be glad you don't live in France: there you would have to re-register your vehicle(s) as well - including new registration plates.
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Sending passports is ok, I sent mine for my provisional. Got licence in a weeks, and passport can day or 2 later
Kev
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I lost my old UK licence and applied for another (luckily I still had my old separate bike license, judging by comments here). I used a mate's address since i live abroad. It came back quick enough but I couldn't believe that ridiculous piece of paper! Worse, that I'm supposed to carry the damn thing everywhere! At least even the old paper license used to fold up into manageable proportions.I though the whole idea of a credit card size license was easy handling and storage! I hold valid Tennessee, Australian, Saudi, Bahrain and Philippines licenses by virtue of my travels and residence, and all of these manage to produce one neat little plastic card only. HJ is right, I wonder how many armies of pen-pushers the DVLA is keeping in work at guess who's expense.
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Growler
Unlike many countries I believe that in UK you don't have to carry your licence with you all the time - even the new photocard type.
If requested by the police, you have 3 or 4 days to produce it a a police station of your choice.
Regard
John
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John Slaughter wrote:
>
> Growler
>
> Unlike many countries I believe that in UK you don't have to
> carry your licence with you all the time - even the new
> photocard type.
>
> If requested by the police, you have 3 or 4 days to produce
> it a a police station of your choice.
I've carried mine in my wallet since 1996, when I was working in
Italy. The photocard license makes life a lot easier - for example
when signing credit card slips and I can't make my signature match
the one on the back of the card!
/john
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John
True, but I was refering to motoring legislation.
Regards
john
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