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 take up residency in the Isle of Man you will be required to exchange your driving licence for a Manx driving licence within the first 12 months of moving to the Island (Regulation 17 of the Driving Licence and Test Regulations 2007).  

For a full driving licence issued by one of the countries in list one you can exchange your existing driving licence for a Manx licence with the same driving entitlements.

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

 

List one

• United Kingdom: Great Britain, Northern Ireland
  
  
• EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
  
  
• EEA States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
  
  
• Channel Islands: Guernsey, Jersey

From 15 December 2021 the UK no longer require a test to be taken to obtain 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.

List two

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

* A Canadian or South African driving licence will only be exchanged to allow 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.

**Further information regarding a driving licence and entitlements will be requested from the Hong Kong Transport Department, please contact the vehicle licensing office for further information.

Proof of passing a driving test in any of 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 either of the lists above, they must have taken and passed their driving test in a country from one of those lists and if required they must produce evidence of passing the test.

If they have passed their initial test in a country that is not recognised for exchange they must take a driving test in order to be issued with a Manx driving licence and should contact Vehicle Licensing for further information.

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 driving licence. If your driving licence does not contain an English translation it is recommended that you also carry an International Drivers Permit.

Learner drivers

Are you a provisional driving licence or driving permit holder?

Unless that provisional driving licence was issued by the Isle of Man Government, you cannot legally drive or ride on L Plates on the Isle of Man. Your provisional driving licence or driving permit is not valid outside its country of issue. You will need to apply for a Manx issued provisional driving licence in order to learn to drive here.