Half a million permits bought for post-Brexit driving overseas

An International Driving Permit issued by the Post Office

More than half a million permits which may be required to drive abroad after Brexit have been bought since February, according to Government figures.

During the past five months, 584,000 International Driving Permits (IDPs) have been issued at a cost of £5.50 each, transport minister Michael Ellis revealed in an answer to a written parliamentary question.

That means the total amount spent exceeds £3.2 million.

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Driving licences issued by European Union states are valid for trips within the European Economic Area (EEA), which is the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

UK motorists may require IDPs to drive in the EEA in the event of a no-deal Brexit, leading many holidaymakers and business travellers to purchase the documents.

IDPs were previously available from the AA and the RAC through the post, at the AA shop at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone and at 89 Post Office branches. Collectively around 100,000 were issued each year.

But since February, they have only been sold at about 2,500 Post Office branches.

In March and April there were reports of long queues due to the high demand, with 282,000 and 163,000 applications respectively.

A recent report by the House of Lords EU Internal Market Sub-Committee called for the permits to be made available online, saying it is "unsatisfactory" to require motorists to visit a post office.