New residents

New residents to the Isle of Man

New residents must obtain an Isle of Man driving licence within 12 months of becoming resident in the Isle of Man by making application to the licensing office:

Counter opening times:
Monday to Friday - 9am to 4.30pm

Please visit our Driving Licences page for additional information. 

If you hold a driving licence issued outside the Isle of Man and you come to reside in the Isle of Man you may be able to take out an Isle of Man driving licence for some or all of the categories of vehicles shown on your existing licence without having to pass a driving test in the Island.

For a full driving licence issued by one of the following countries in list one you can take out a Manx licence for the same driving entitlements as are shown on that licence issued outside the Isle of Man if your driving entitlement originated in one of these countries or originated as an exchangeable category from a country in table 2.

List one

• EU Member States: United Kingdom (Great Britain, Northern Ireland or Gibraltar), Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
  
  
• EEA State: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
  
  
• Channel Islands: Guernsey, Jersey - though restrictions may apply in the case of any entitlements that do not meet EU/EEA Community Licence requirements

From 15 December 2021 the UK do not require a test to be taken for category B+E entitlement and this category entitlement will be given to all UK licence holders with a category B (car) licence. The IOM will not exchange a B+E entitlement on a UK licence unless it was issued prior to this date or proof that a test has been taken is provided.

For a full driving licence issued by one of the following countries in list two you can take out a Manx licence for the driving entitlements shown on that licence, though restrictions may be applied to the driving entitlements in the case of any that do not meet EU/EEA Community Licence requirements.

List two

• Monaco, S.Korea and Taiwan with certain limitations
  
  
• Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Canada*, Hong Kong**, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa*, Switzerland, Zimbabwe

* A Canadian or South African licence will be exchanged only for driving a vehicle with automatic transmission unless the applicant provides proof that a test has been passed in a vehicle with manual transmission. Vocational licences such as for a goods vehicle or a bus cannot be exchanged for a Canadian or South African licence.

** Proof of passing test in any on the exchangeable countries above is required.

Any other Country

Where a person holds a driving licence issued for a country other than one mentioned in one of the tables above, or where the overseas driving entitlement cannot be recognised for issuing a Manx driving licence, he or she will have to take a driving test, and should contact the vehicle licensing office for further information. You cannot exchange licences from countries other than those mentioned in one of the two tables set out above unless an Order adding another country to the list has been approved by Tynwald since this information was compiled.

Visitors to the Island

If you are not resident in the Island you are permitted to drive in the Isle of Man for up to 12 months as a visitor using your current full foreign licence or international driving permit.

Learner drivers

You cannot drive in the Isle of Man if your driving licence or driving entitlement issued outside the Island is only a 'provisional' licence or entitlement held by a learner driver.