Learning to Drive in Northern Ireland

danm14

My family have moved from the south to Northern Ireland and I will be learning to drive as soon as I turn 17 in about eight months time, therefore I will have been resident in Northern Ireland more than the 185 days required to get a provisional licence. However, the NIdirect website says that I need to provide either a bank statement or a utility bill as proof of address if I was ever resident outside the North.

"If you are exchanging a licence other than a licence issued in Great Britain, or you have previously been resident outside Northern Ireland and wish to apply for a provisional licence, you must provide DVA with appropriate proof of residency.

Documents accepted by DVA as proof that you are resident in Northern Ireland are listed below. At least one of these documents is required:

utility bill - for example, gas, electricity, telephone (not mobile)
bank or building society statement (not credit card statement)"

This is a problem, because at 17 I obviously have no utility bills in my name, and every bank I have looked at needs a utility bill as proof of address too. Does anyone know what can happen in this situation, will I have to wait until I have bills of my own before learning to drive, or is this proof of address requirement perhaps waived for those under 18? I have tried emailing DVA over two weeks ago but I received no reply.

MascotDec85

Read it carefully. You aren't EXCHANGING anything. You'll be applying from scratch

danm14

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Read it carefully. You aren't EXCHANGING anything. You'll be applying from scratch

If you are exchanging a licence other than a licence issued in Great Britain

>>>or you have previously been resident outside Northern Ireland and wish to apply for a provisional licence<<<

MascotDec85

I should take my own advice ðŸ˜

Rasmus

danm14 wrote: »

My family have moved from the south to Northern Ireland and I will be learning to drive as soon as I turn 17 in about eight months time, therefore I will have been resident in Northern Ireland more than the 185 days required to get a provisional licence. However, the NIdirect website says that I need to provide either a bank statement or a utility bill as proof of address if I was ever resident outside the North.

"If you are exchanging a licence other than a licence issued in Great Britain, or you have previously been resident outside Northern Ireland and wish to apply for a provisional licence, you must provide DVA with appropriate proof of residency.

Documents accepted by DVA as proof that you are resident in Northern Ireland are listed below. At least one of these documents is required:

utility bill - for example, gas, electricity, telephone (not mobile)
bank or building society statement (not credit card statement)"

This is a problem, because at 17 I obviously have no utility bills in my name, and every bank I have looked at needs a utility bill as proof of address too. Does anyone know what can happen in this situation, will I have to wait until I have bills of my own before learning to drive, or is this proof of address requirement perhaps waived for those under 18? I have tried emailing DVA over two weeks ago but I received no reply.

Your parents' utility bills along with a birth cert etc should suffice.