I'm also, to my knowledge, covered on a UK car in the UK on a UK policy. Again a copy of my driving licence was requested - but a second (and female) driver actually reduced the premium. That is also with LV so def worth checking with them - www.lv.com
Try Swinton.co.uk
BTW the issue is more likely non-residence, which the CH license idicates, whereas an EU/EEA license doens't necessarily indicate non-residence as you can keep your EEA Liechtenstien license until 70, living in the UK without a requirement to exchange it.
So as a local, do you regard yourself as "resident" for the time you are on holiday? Even as an Irish citizen, I'm regarded as settled the day I arrive in the UK,until I leave. I'm therefore entiteld to be insured provided my license is valid. (even if I'm driving on my Swiss license in the 1st year of residence).
Of course from an underwriting perspective UK licenses are expected, but EU/EEA licenses have to be recognized too....unfortunately a Swiss license isn't an EU/EEA license but a "recognized designated country" license.
For the record I had no problem in 2005 getting a German insurance Policy on a German car on my Swiss license. I was resident on arrival though and the Swiss license was valid at the time of the Policy coming into force.
I also phoned LV up and they said yes that is no we will insure you with a swiss licence. I asked them to check again. They assumed Switzerland is in Europe. ( EU) . They came back to me and said that I was not insured and they are sorry for the mistake !!
I know I am resurrecting an old thread, but I'm off to the UK this Summer and thought this info would be useful for anyone going on home leave and wants to borrow a friend's or relative's car. This UK insurer offers temporary car insurance for expats:
I wonder.... The Swiss would never do this, but the DVLA might;
If you rang the DVLA,, told them that you live in both countries throughout the year, that you need a UK & Swiss licence or you can't get insured, I wonder if as an unusual case they'd give your UK licence back whilst keeping the Swiss one. Maybe not, but it might be worth calling them, explaining the situation and seeing what they suggest!
My brother is a dual resident, has a Swiss license & cars insured in both countries. You don't need a UK license to insure a car in the UK. You might however need an insurance broker as it's a non standard risk.
Dredging a little this morning...
Did your fully comp Swiss insurance not cover you to drive your fathers van when back in the UK?
I've still got my UK driving licence. It was never collected during my trails through Europe and various conversions. It's the old paper thing, has obviously an incorrect address on it. Anyone reckon it's still valid?
It's still valid in the UK until your 70th birthday.
It was supposed to be returned to the DVLA when you switched to another country's licence. We tried to keep both when we switched but the guy clearly explained they had to take it, by law, and return to DVLA in the UK. I thought anyhow a licence is not valie unless the address is updated to current address, where you have to be ordinarily resident.
He did not submit his license....
Your not entirely correct on the address, you only have to update the address if you move to an address in the UK, you clearly have not looked at the DVLA's website which states this clearly. No mentioning of having to be ordinarily resident you made that bit up as well.
An old UK license expires at age 70, a Swiss license never expires & remains valid in Switzerland if you move away. It's quite possible to be a perpetual tourist or live on a boat & not be resident anywhere.
In most countries in Europe the driving licence doesn't even have your address on it so not sure how that would work.
It's not obligatory to exchange an EU licence if you live in another EU country ( since about 1996) but it is recommended to register your foreign licence with the licensing authorities in the country you're living in as it makes it much easier to replace if it gets lost ir stolen.
I spent the whole time we lived in Belgium ( almost 14 years) driving on my German licence. I only registered it at the a Belgian office when OH had to get a new one as his German one was stolen by a pickpocket ( in Switzerland) as I didn't realise you could do that. If OH had registered his German licence beforehand he would have been issued a Belgian licence without having to get an attestation from the German authorities.
7 days to go ... then you will need a plastic card- and you can only get one with a valid UK address which is were you actually reside:
From 8 June 2015, the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will not be valid and will no longer be issued by DVLA. The counterpart was introduced to display driving licence details that could not be included on the photocard. These details include some vehicle categories you are entitled to drive and any endorsement/penalty points.
Well yes, in theory, but actually not in practice. For two reasons, linked.
1. Yes, there was no requirement to change the old ones to the new card licence when they came in in 1998, and they would still be valid for anyone living at the same address. But if you've changed address you are required to notify the DVLA and exchange the old licence for a new one, which will be definition be a photocard one.
2. You need to be resident and registered (i.e. the address on your licence) at a UK address for it to be valid.
Incidentally I discovered recently that even once you've exchanged a UK licence your entitlement remains in the DVLA system, so you could actually apply for a replacement to be issued. It wouldn't be legally valid, of course, as you're not actually UK resident, in just the same way as catandmouse's would not be
See https://www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk to view your own licence details (mine has expired as the photocard need renewing every ten years).
Driving in UK with a Swiss license, https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence
Confirmed by DVLA https://www.gov.uk/exchange-paper-driving-licence
I discovered this when the DVLA sent renewal forms to my UK address despite me having changed to a Swiss license!
However entering the driving license number from the back of my Swiss license into that yields a 'Enter a valid driving licence number'
Err, yes, no surprise there.
I just happen to know my UK "Driver number", which stays with you forever, along with my National Insurance number, also needed for this service.
I don't know why, but I memorised both of these things when I first got them. I suppose there were more things back then that you needed to know, and we hadn't got into the habit of assuming that anything you need is stored somewhere on some sort of electronic device.
My Swiss license has my GB license number printed on the back