Driving Licence Translation
Driving licence translation into English for UK use. The holder's details, licence number, categories and restrictions, validity dates, issuing authority and any endorsements are translated in full, with a signed certification page. From £40, with same-day options on most driving licences.
Client Rating
Based on 314 verified Google Business Profile reviews.
Certified Translations
For UK Home Office, courts, UK ENIC and global enterprises.
Quote Response
Same-day certified PDF delivery available for most documents ordered before 4pm.
Request a Free Official Quote
Upload your document or provide details below for a prompt human-reviewed quotation.
Compliant With Standards Set By Leading UK Authorities & Professional Bodies
*Authority names are referenced as industry benchmarks of compliance. All official translation orders are processed directly through DHCTranslations.
Driving Licence Translation
A foreign driving licence is read for two things: who is entitled to drive, and what they are entitled to drive. The second of those lives in the category and restriction codes, which are often printed on the reverse of the card and use country-specific letters and numbers. The translation reproduces them exactly rather than converting them into UK categories, because the DVLA makes the conversion itself when it checks entitlement.
What the Translation Covers
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Holder and Number: Full name, date of birth, address and the licence number as printed.
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Categories and Codes: Licence categories, restriction codes and issue and expiry dates, rendered without inventing UK equivalents.
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Endorsements: Penalty points, endorsements and any restrictions, wherever they appear on the card.
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Certification Page: the translator's name, credentials, date and a signed statement of accuracy for driving licences.
Before You Order
A licence is a small document, but its categories and codes are what the DVLA actually checks.
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Front and Back: Categories and endorsements are often printed on the reverse, so photograph both sides.
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Exchange or Drive: Whether you are exchanging the licence or driving on it, the DVLA needs the categories legible.
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Bilingual Licences: A licence already partly in English still needs the non-English sections translated.
If the licence is accompanied by a counterfoil or covering letter, send that too.
Certified for
Prices are per document and start at £40 — see what a translation costs.
How It Works: 3 Steps to a Certified Translation
A simple route from a phone photo to a certified PDF prepared for the receiving authority.
Send Your Document
Upload a clear scan or photo of every page, including seals and reverse sides.
- The complete document
- Language pair and deadline
- Who will receive it
Approve the Quote & Pay Securely
Review a fixed, itemised quote and pay through the encrypted gateway.
- Major credit/debit cards accepted worldwide
- Secure global payment gateway integration
- Instant invoice and receipt generation
Receive Your Certified Translation
Certified PDF, often the same day when ordered before 4pm, with printed copies available on request.
- Certification page and translator credentials
- Layout, stamps and seals mirrored
- Statement of Truth when requested
Documents Often Translated With a Driving Licence
Birth Certificate
Birth certificates for DVLA and council checks, translated alongside your licence.
Passport & ID Documents
Identity pages submitted with a licence for hire or insurance.
Police Clearance
Police checks sometimes requested alongside a licence for jobs.
All Document Services
Everything we translate, not just driving licences.
Can't find your specific document type?
We translate document types that are not listed here. Send us the document and we will confirm the price before you order: [email protected].
Using this document outside the UK?
We arrange FCDO apostilles with our Express Service or Urgent Service , including notarisation where the receiving authority requires it.
Most frequently requested languages we translate
These are the languages our clients ask for most often, but they are only a fraction of what we cover. We translate 200+ language pairs, so if yours is not listed, just ask.
What our clients say
Rated 4.9/5 from 314 verified reviews for Home Office applications, court-ready Statements of Truth and UK ENIC submissions.
“My Italian licence was translated with the category codes on the reverse, and the DVLA accepted it.”
Marco R.
“The hire company accepted the certified translation the same day it arrived.”
Anna K.
“The translation matched my passport name exactly, so there was no hold-up at exchange.”
Tunde A.
Frequently asked questions
DHCTranslations translates foreign driving licences into certified English for the DVLA, vehicle hire, insurers and employers. Your order comes back as a certified PDF with a signed statement, normally the next working day.
A driving licence is priced from £40 per document. Licences longer than 400 words are charged from £0.09 per word, and notarisation is added only when the receiving body requests it.
A single card can be completed the same day when the order and cleared payment are confirmed before 4pm on a working day. Hire and insurance deadlines are usually same-day or next-day, so tell us the date when you order.
Yes. The DVLA accepts certified translations that are independent and carry a signed accuracy statement with the translator's details. We provide that format; whether the licence itself can be exchanged is a DVLA decision based on the issuing country. Check the current guidance for your situation.
Yes. Categories, restriction codes and any national codes are reproduced exactly rather than converted into UK equivalents, because the DVLA performs the conversion when it checks entitlement.
Usually, yes. The categories and endorsements are often on the reverse, and a translation that only covers the front omits the part the DVLA needs. Photograph both sides.
Not on our say-so: entitlement is the DVLA's decision, not ours. What the translation does is let the DVLA or a rental company read the licence. Whether you can drive on it depends on the country that issued it and how long you have been resident, and after a period of UK residence most drivers must exchange it or take a UK test. Check the DVLA guidance for your country.
Yes. Where a licence is issued bilingually, the non-English sections are translated and the whole document is certified, so the file reads as one complete record.
No. Clear scans or photographs of both sides are enough. Keep the card and we will return the certified English version as a PDF.
Yes, if the receiving body requires it. Notarisation of the English text comes first; the FCDO then legalises that notarised copy. The FCDO legalises UK documents or those certified by a UK notary, so an overseas licence is usually legalised in the issuing country.
Still have a question?
We aim to answer every enquiry within 30 minutes, or e-mail us at [email protected]
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