You must be in possession of a valid Great Britain (GB) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) provisional driving licence before taking driving lessons.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence
To apply for your first provisional driving licence you must:
Full GB Drivers Licence/newly qualified drivers
Your licence will be revoked if you get 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your test. Any penalty points on your provisional licence that haven’t expired will be carried over to your full licence when you pass your test. However, your licence will be revoked if you get any further penalty points that take you up to a total of 6 or more points within 2 years of passing your driving test. If your licence is revoked within 2 years, you will have to apply and pay for a new provisional licence and pass both theory and practical parts of the driving test again. These rules apply to all new drivers who passed their first driving test in:
The European Community (EC) and European Economic Area (EEA)
The EC/EEA countries are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
The rules also apply if you exchange a foreign driving licence for a British licence and then pass a further driving test in Great Britain.
EU Drivers Licence
If you are a visitor, student or working in the United Kingdom and you passed your driving test in:
Northern Ireland
European Union
European Economic Area
You can drive any type of vehicle listed on your full and valid licence.
Drivers Licence from designated countries
If your driving licence is from a ‘designated country’ you can apply to exchange it for a GB licence up to 5 years after becoming a resident.
The designated countries are:
Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Zimbabwe.
Non EU Drivers Licence
You can drive in Great Britain for 12 months of arrival if you have a non-European Union driving licence or international driving permit.
If you do not have a driving licence yet, or you have been in the UK for over 12 months then you will need to apply for a provisional licence. You can then take your driving test and apply for a full licence.
Driving Abroad
You need your Great Britain or Northern Ireland driving licence to drive abroad. You might also need an International Driving Permit in some non-EU countries.
Driving in Europe
You can use your Great Britain (GB) or Northern Ireland driving licence in all EU or European Economic Area (EEA) countries, and Switzerland. For rules in other European countries check with a motoring organisations like the AA or the RAC.
Driving outside the EU/EEA
You may need an International Driving Permit to drive outside the EU/EEA.
Check first with the AA. You can get an International Driving Permit directly from the AA, the RAC or the Post Office.
International Driving Permits cost £5.50 and you must:
be 18 or over
The AA and the RAC have advice on driving in specific countries, including information on compulsory equipment.
