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UK driving licence
Hi, Bit of confusion on the driving licence front. I am English, resident in Belgium with a UK driving licence. I have B,C1,C2,D1,D1 E.
So I can drive up to 7.5 tonne without problems. However I have been told at a controle by Mr Policeman in Belguim that my UK weight limit status is not valid in Belgium if I am resident here. Anything more than a car and trailer, I would need to change to a Belgium permis and re take tests to drive heavier stuff.
I get conflicting ideas on this subject so am hoping that someone here mayhave gone through the same problem. Any ideas ? cheers
It's possible Mr Policeman is right, well from his point of view. If you are resident here and have a UK photo driving licence, you can now keep that licence here I believe until its validity expires, the main problem doing this is if you are no longer considered resident at the address on the UK licence and have no connections with that address now (another point I know).....but whenever you exchange your UK licence, you lose the categories to drive anything bigger than a car + trailer, as you say (sorry I don't know which categories are which). I knew this when I exchanged my licence, I wasn't bothered as I would never want to drive a 7.5 tonne lorry! However, there is the dilemna, yes a British resident can legally drive a 7.5 tonne lorry in Belgium on a UK driving licence. There is the problem, Mr Belgian Policeman considers you are no longer just a visitor but a resident, sees you should therefore be subject to the same restrictions as those Belgian residents on Belgian licences who don't have the category to drive 7.5 tonne lorries without passing a separate test. I think the answers here will go 50 / 50 and I certainly would not want to be on the wrong side of the Police here.
