So I'm married now and returning to the uk in a while. I'm wondering whether to pay for driving lessons in the PH for my beautiful wife before we go. Any idea how much it'd cost here? More importantly, how would we convert her PH driving license to a UK one?
Am not sure about mainland UK. But my wifes friend was allowed to drive here for a year on her Philippine licence. Then she had to take her test here in the IOM. She failed first time and couldnt drive legally here. But she has just recently passed it.
I have a PH license and have been driving in the UK whenever we are there. We have used it with car rentals and they seem to have no problem with it. I studied driving here when I was a teen but only started driving properly 2 years ago. I'm probably one of those safer drivers in Manila but road rage gets to me as well. Doesn't happen in the UK as much since people actually follow rules there are are super polite. Anyway, when I first drove in the UK, my husband was guiding me since we drive on the opposite side of the road. It took a few tries to fully be comfortable with it but there are still a few times when I don't concentrate that I end up on the wrong side of the road (happens in Manila too!). The roundabouts are tricky since it is intersections here in the PH but other than that, driving in the UK is a breeze. Been able to drive from Cornwall to London
A1 Driving School is one of the better driving schools and there's a branch office on the 4th level of Ayala Mall, near Cinema 1; there's another in SM City Mall, near Watsons Pharmacy in the Food Court area. It'll cost around P25k to P30k for 30 hours' instruction and practical which is normally completed in a week.
Not sure how current this is.... "If you have a driving licence issued within the European Economic Area (all EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), you can drive within the UK for as long as your licence remains valid. If you have a driving licence issued in one of the so-called ‘designated’ countries (listed below), you need to exchange your licence for a British license to be able to drive in the UK for more than 12 months." "The designated countries are: Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and Zimbabwe. If you hold a driving licence issued by any country not listed above, then you will need to pass a British driving test in order to continue driving in the UK beyond the initial 12-month period." http://www.justlanded.com/english/UK/UK-Guide/Travel-Leisure/Driving-licences
Must be an absolute heaven for drivers from the Philippines to drive on UK roads, bet they have to stop every now and then and have a good old toot on the horn to make themselves feel at home
My youngest daughter has been learning to drive for the past couple of weeks. On the driving academy's pamphlet it says "Be an expert driver in 10 days " The price varies depending on the course. A 7 day course driving 2hrs per day would set you back 5,000. A 10 day course 7,000 and a 15 day course 10,500.
Strange country the UK They allow someone from a foreign country who has never sat a driving test 12 months to drive around. Seems like immigrants get more privileges than the natives.
Should surely be the case that anyone driving in this country should have passed a test which is the equivalent of a UK driving test, I doubt very much that the Philippines would fall into that category going off the shocking driving from the majority of drivers there. My girlfriend started to learn to drive in the Philippines and I still to this day do not what goes on there regarding getting a driving licence there, all seemed a bit confusing to me. Maybe Blue Acid a dear member here at BF could throw some light on the matter if she can stay on the left hand side of the road long enough to tell us all
As far as I know, foreign nationals with licenses can indeed drive in the UK for 12 months using their licenses. Beyond that, they would have to take the test like everyone else. I have used my Philippine license in a rent a car company both in London and Cornwall and had no problems.
Filipinos can usually drive. My Mainland Chinese colleagues, who most certainly cannot, get the same 12 months privilege
It seems like it is indeed the same as the IOM . I think I said that my friends wife failed the test after her initial 12 months had elapsed. It took her two goes, with lessons, to gain her Manx license.
