British expats, tourists and business visitors may find car hire firms will put the brakes on letting them drive their cars from next month.
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The DVLA is scrapping paper counterpart driving licences from June 8, so car hire companies will not be able to check if a driver has traffic convictions.
Although the DVLA has arranged for some organisations such as motor insurance companies to access the data online, car hire firms are excluded from the arrangement.
Some car hire firms have a process which allows a driver to share their DVLA data with the new Share Driving Licence which went live on the DVLA web site on May 19.
Share Driving Licence service
Through the service, car renters can apply for a short life code that will allow the hire company to check their driving history online.
To generate a code, travellers and expats need to input their National Insurance number and postcode into the system.
“This is a usual service that allows us to check driving histories with the customer’s permission,” said a spokesman for car hire company Europcar.
“But they must have their national insurance number handy or we cannot see whether they have endorsements or a ban. If we cannot see this information, we will not be in a position to hire a vehicle to the driver.”
The code lasts for 72 hours, so car renters should not apply earlier than this.
Pakistan – Polio is widespread in the country and the government requires all departing travellers who have spent more than 28 days in the country to show customs officers a valid vaccination certificate.
The certificate should prove the bearer has had a polio vaccination between four weeks and 12 months of leaving the country.
Expats and travellers are advised to have comprehensive medical insurance before travelling.
Turkey – Packs of stray dogs roam the streets of many towns and cities and the FCO has had reports of several British expats and visitors being bitten. The FCO suggests not to approach dogs and if anyone is bitten, to immediately go to hospital as many of the animals are infected with rabies and other diseases.
USA – Some hospitals are requesting non-residents to pay a deposit prior to treatment, even if the patients have medical insurance. The FCO is advising anyone asked for money by a hospital not to pay but to refer the request to their insurer
Find latest travel warnings
- To check out the latest British government worldwide travel warnings, go to the FCO web site and select a country
- The US government also issues regular travel warnings online
- For ABTA travel information, visit their web site
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