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Charlotte Haye 13th October 2020

Can I Drive a HGV Professionally on a Work Permit in the UK?

With the national shortage of HGV drivers hitting an all time high, there has never been a better time to become a HGV driver. But what if you aren’t a British citizen? If you are a qualified HGV driver in your own country, but want to move across to the UK to secure a better job in a thriving market? It might sound simple to do – after all, you already know what you’re doing. But the reality is a little different.

The Work Permit Rules

Of course, a lot of the rules around what you can and can’t do on a work permit depend on the specific permit you have, and the rules around them. there are 5 types of long-term work visas available for the UK, as well as 7 short-term work visa options. For most, the General Work Visa (Tier 2) would be the one they apply for, and this means you are a general worker looking to work in the UK. You can be sponsored into a job by a licenced employer, or you can opt to apply individually.

If you are applying for an industry that has a shortage of workers in the UK (like HGV driving), you can apply for a work permit for up to 3 years, your fees will be reduced. At time of writing, a work visa just for yourself will cost just £464.

What You Need To Drive a HGV in The UK

The thing that’s going to cause a stumbling block is less likely to be the actual work permit, but the qualifications you need. Because to drive a HGV professionally in the UK you need:

A UK drivers licence
A Driver CPC
A HGV licence

You see, the rules around driving HGVs for a living are quite clear, and the rules around driving in the UK with a foreign licence are also quite clear.

For everyday driving in the UK, you can drive any kind of small vehicle (like a car or motorbike) that’s listed on your licence for 12 months (dated from when you last entered Great Britain). That doesn’t include larger vehicles like HGVs.

And to drive an HGV professionally, you need to hold a UK driving licence, and a UK HGV licence. These are things you will need to study and be tested on in the UK, so the likelihood that you will be able to come across and find a job right away is pretty low. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to.

Training to Become a HGV Driver

If you want to become a HGV driver in the UK, all you need to do is retrain. Firstly, this may mean studying and passing your standard UK drivers license tests (which if you can already drive can be fast-tracked fairly easily). Once you’ve done that, you will need to do your Driver CPC through a qualified training school (like us). The Driver CPC is the Certificate of Professional Competency, and is the bare minimum you will need to be a professional driver. Once you’ve achieved that, you can choose a qualification level to suit you, and what type of HGV you want to drive. If you’re not sure what to choose, get in touch and we’ll happily have a chat.

At Easy as HGV, we believe anyone should have the right to become an HGV driver. And with driver shortages at an all-time high, we are keen to train as many new divers as possible with these new skills, and get them on the roads earning a living in the UK. If you would like to find out more about working in the UK as a HGV driver on a work permit, just get in touch to speak to one of our experts today.

Charlotte Haye

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