Wednesday 15 July 2015

Hiring a car abroad this summer?

family in a car on the way to summer holiday, Good Garage Scheme green tick
Brits who are travelling abroad this summer are being warned to plan ahead if they are hoping to hire a car during their trip.

The DVLA’s plans to scrap the paper part of the UK driving licence means that from the 8th June 2015 UK holidaymakers will have to present a code, they have obtained online, to their car hire company in place of the paper counterpart.

Additional information, such as endorsements and penalty points, had previously been presented on the paper counterpart driving licence, however with this section due to be scrapped, the only way this information can be checked is via the DVLA’s online database.

What does this mean for holidaymakers?

If you want to hire a car abroad you will need to first log on to the DVLA website and enter your driving licence number. You will then be given a code which you can pass on to your hire company when you arrive.

Ideally you should do this at home before you leave, however as the code is only valid for 72 hours, you may need to generate the code during your holiday if you are not picking up a hire car from the airport.

Even if you are not collecting your hire car until a few days into your holiday, it is advisable to visit the DVLA site before you leave home so that you know exactly what information is required of you to get your code – this includes your driving licence number and National Insurance number.

Many people are unaware of the changes and even some hire car companies have admitted it is news to them, which is why we at the Good Garage Scheme we are doing our best to raise awareness so that these changes do not impact on your holiday. Contact your hire car company to ensure you have everything you need when you arrive.

You can view your licence information and generate your licence check code here.

Don't forget to download the Good Garage Scheme's free app for peace of mind before you head off to the airport.