Foreign Drivers license question

My insurance company tells me it is 6 months from entry into malta, but I remember reading 1 year somewhere ....   sorry no more info.

Hi Tim and Chad,

A driving licence issued by an EU country is valid for driving in Malta until it expires.I'm lucky as a German licence is valid until I die ......

A licence from a non-EU country (ie US) is valid for 12 months after entry in to Malta.

Ricky

Thanks Ricky, but that's why I want the clarification - from the website it says:

"Anyone over the age of 18 holding a valid non-EU driving licence can drive in Malta for a period of twelve months from his/her last arrival in Malta."

source: http://www.dca.gov.mt/Page.aspx?pageid=580&lid=1

Notice it deliberately says "last" arrival. So, to me that reads that every time you re-entry the clock starts ticking again. But I was hoping someone could confirm my reading.

Tim

Hi Tim,

I thought you have a GB licence !

Otherwise I would read it the same way as you ,if you have a US

driving licence.

Maybe you shouldn't ask too many questions -)))) It sounds ok to

me.

Drive safely

Ricky

Thanks Ricky - I do have a GB one, but Chris has a US one, and seeing as she does most of the driving...

Tim

hmmmmmmmm   looks like I will have to talk to my insurance people.... interesting

Unfortunately my Texas license expires in 2013 so I have to get one from malta. 

can anyone please tell me, I hold a british driving licence, does this allow me to ride a scooter upto 125cc in malta

Hi,

If your UK driving licence includes light motorcycles up to 125 ccm
then it does allow you to ride one in Malta too.

That is the class A1. I checked my German driving licence and the classes are the same as here in Malta. So you should be ok.

You can also check at http://www.dca.gov.mt/Home.aspx

for more details.

Regards
Ricky

thank you

guy

I have a US license which expires 2017. Can I buy a car having that license? What about insurance. Does anybody know? Thanks.

Hi Ursula,

Welcome to the forum.

As to your question: Your name sounds German so I'm not sure as you hold a US driving license. Do you hold a German passport ? My bet is that your US driving license is valid for 12 months after your last arrival to Malta.Everytime you leave and can prove it you should get the 12 months again  but I'm not quite sure. Maybe you shouldn't ask questions -))) But if you are an EU citizen it could be as long as your license is valid.

Buying a car is no problem. The insurance might be but that depends on your nationality and capability of proving your no-claims bonus. Get the documentation from your previous insurance to be on the safe side.

Regards
Ricky

Thanks Ricki, I am an EU citizen, but have lived in the US most of my life. Thats why the US license. So there should not be a problem with buying a car here, is that correct???

Ursula Krause wrote:

Thanks Ricki, I am an EU citizen, but have lived in the US most of my life. Thats why the US license. So there should not be a problem with buying a car here, is that correct???

Correct - we bought our car and drive it with a US License. But you have to show you have Insurance to complete the paperwork of buying the car before they will release it to you - you can get insurance easily enough, but if you want to get any No Claims Bonus credit you may have a challenge...we did. Basically, you will need to get a letter from your current US Insurance company on headed notepaper stating your full driving/claims history...but probably better is to talk to the Insurance Company you intend to use in Malta and see exactly what they need to prove your No claims history...we spoke to 2 different ones and got slightly different responses. If you don;t have any or are not bothered about No Claims, then it should be pretty simple.

Tim

Seems like we could be heading towards a bit of a problem here. We will be arriving in Malta in 2012 and our UK licences expire in 2013. I doubt that we will be able to renew them in the UK ahead of our departure so they will have a life of about a year in Malta. Is it difficult to obtain a Maltese driving licence? Anything we should know! Of course the renewal will link to whether we have obtained Maltese ID cards at the stage of application - but that is our intention in 2012 if all goes well. Thanks in advance for any advice.

A uk license can just be changed into a maltese license , you shuld not have a problem

me3512 wrote:

hmmmmmmmm   looks like I will have to talk to my insurance people.... interesting

Unfortunately my Texas license expires in 2013 so I have to get one from malta. 

Hi Me3512.  We are from Texas as well and my husbands license was due to expire in July and I simply got online at the local DMV and renewed the card.  (It cost me a couple dollars more than going in person)  I had it sent to my parents address, which we use as our US address, then they forwarded over to us.  Bottabingbottaboom!


Jennifer

Lucky you! Minnesota required a new photo and so my wife had to fly back...the most expensive Drivers License ever!

Tim

FYI: We are American and ordered a new car here on the island a few months ago.  We have just received it, paid for it, received our plates, secured insurance and are on the road tooling around without anyone ever even asking for a drivers license of any kind, Maltese or otherwise. 

I have read the same information regarding how long a non-EU license is good for and have found the same information quoting validity for 12months from last entry.  I am riding that wave as long as it lasts.  We go home for Xmas every year and for our own piece of mind we will stop by AAA and obtain an "international license" ($30 for a year) and have that stashed away here on the island just incase.  Otherwise I agree with Ricky - don't ask too many questions.  Now that we are out of the ME I have reverted back to my old adage:  Ask once, ask twice, if still no reply then it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. 

Jennifer

hammersfan wrote:

Lucky you! Minnesota required a new photo and so my wife had to fly back...the most expensive Drivers License ever!

Tim

Oh no - that sucks!!   

Jennifer

Sorry to rain on everyones parade but I think you will find the an EU licence is valid in any EU country BUT once you are resident in that country the rules regarding driving licences are those of the country you are resident in, ie if its a French licence that is for life in France, once you are resident in Malta it needs renewing/ changing once you are 70.

Terry

Hi Terry,

Do you think or know on this issue ?

I hold a German driving licence that does not expire. So you think or know that I have to renew it in Malta when I turn 70?

I would be glad to know the source of you information. Germany does not require any health test when you turn 60,70 or any other age.

It is possible that under new regulations all EU licences issued before a certain date can become invalid in 2033.  But until then ....

Regards
Ricky

Hi Ricky
           I am pretty sure its part of the EU legislation regarding driving licence acceptance within the EU. I  came across it while checking on my wife,s licence which is French and in France is issued for life. I will try to find the relevant bit and post it on here.

Terry

Hi Ricky
This is a link to the info I found.   

ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/behavior/driving_licence_en

Terry

link is incomplete

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safe … nce_en.htm

what it  says is "when the holder of a driving licence resides in the territory of a Member State which is not the state that issued the licence, that host country can require his compliance with certain rules, for example:National provisions on the period of validity of driving licences."

Assuming I've understood this correctly, the important bit is "can require" ie not "will" or "must" - so it appears its up to Malta to decide

Jakulin wrote:

Hi Me3512.  We are from Texas as well and my husbands license was due to expire in July and I simply got online at the local DMV and renewed the card.  (It cost me a couple dollars more than going in person)  I had it sent to my parents address, which we use as our US address, then they forwarded over to us.  Bottabingbottaboom!


Jennifer

Unfortunately I have already done that twice and they want a new photo as well.  Since aI have no interest in returning to the states again it's best I just bite teh bullet and get the license.  But thank you for the info

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the link.

Many can's in the regulations. Do you have any idea or links for the related Maltese regulations regarding foreign driving licences as the EU law states that it is up to every member state to regulate those kind of issues.

In the case of unlimited foreign driving licences (France, Germany)that would imply that Malta would have to declare the licence of foreign residents invalid and issue a new Maltese licence.

So there would have to be some specific Maltese regulation but I couldn't find any reference.

Regards
Ricky

Hi everyone!
I've been in Malta for just a week now and I'm still unclear about many things. Today I was going to buy a car and checked with one insurance company, they told me that my US license is invalid here, so they would not insure me. My Latvian licence is expired, so I would need to go to Latvia to extend it, which is not an option for now. I have read in the thread above, that you mention that US license is valid for a year. I couldn't find any info on that on the www.dca.gov.mt or any other Maltese site, so if anyone knows, please tell me where to find it. Do you think I just didn't get lucky with this particular insurance company, or is it really impossible to buy and insure a car with a US licence? Thanks in advance.

Hi Irina,

you are not allowed to hold two valid driving licences in the EU. As your last country of residence was Latvia that would have been your valid driving licence until it expired.

If you arrive from the US then your US driving licence is valid for up to one year. Then it would have to be exchanged for an EU/local driving licence.

You should apply for a Maltese driving licence but try not to go for their driving habits!

Regards
Ricky

Hi Ricky,

Thanks for a quick response!

I'm coming from US, so it looks like my US license should be valid then. Do you know if I can just exchange it for a Maltese one, as I would have done with my Latvian license or I would have to take a test here?

I agree with you, driving habits are insane here!

Regards,

Irina

Hi IrinaC,

you won't be able to exchange it like holding a Latvian (EU) licence. You should contact ADT here in Malta before the one year period expires to ask if you have to pass the Maltese driving test to get a Maltese licence or if there might be a short-cut.

Your problem might be that you held a Latvian driving licence and a US driving licence at the same time ? EU has a lot against people with multiple driving licences! It is not supposed to be !

But if you came from the US with a valid US licence you have one year of driving .

Try a different insurance company!

But make sure that you have a valid driving licence at all times in the future.

Regards
Ricky

Thanks for the info!

I own a French Driver's license with no expiry date. I visited Gasan Mamo and Mediterranean Insurance Brokers. They say, we can't cover you because after one year in Malta, you must have a Maltese License. But it's false.
Non EU residents can drive with their national driver's license up to one year. But for the others, if the driving license is a EU national one, it is valid until expiry date.
If you are European, Gasan Mamo and Mediterranean Insurance Brokers are not welcome and don't want EU nationals as their clients. Other insurance known companies accepted my license without any problem.
Also the insurance companies which say, you are not covered outside Malta, it is illegal like Gasan Mamo. Third party liability must work everywhere in Europe.

What do you do though, if your EU driver's licence is expired but you are here in Malta, and not in the EU state, which issued the licence. Supposedly, to renew a licence in an issue state, you are to reside there for more than 6 month a year. I guess my question is, can you exchange an expired EU driver's licence for a Maltese driver's licence here in Malta or you have to go back to your country of issue, pretend that you live there and renew your originally issued licence? Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me.