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Can my policy stay active if my international licence expires?

This article is for customers whose international driving licence is no longer valid for use in the UK.

Updated yesterday

Yes — your policy can stay active if your licence has expired

If your international driving licence has expired, your Marshmallow policy can still remain active—as long as you've applied for a new licence.

We do this because UK law requires vehicles to be insured unless they’re officially declared off-road (SORN). Even if you can’t drive the car, it still needs to be insured.


What if I haven’t applied for a new licence yet?

If you haven't yet applied for a new licence, you're not legally allowed to drive—and we can’t provide cover for any driving until you’ve applied.

Once you’ve submitted your application (for a UK provisional or full licence), the DVLA confirms you can legally drive while you wait for your new licence to arrive.

We’ll keep your policy active during this time, but you must not drive until your application is in progress.


Why keep the policy running?

Even when you're not driving, keeping your policy active protects you from:

  • Theft

  • Vandalism

  • Fire damage

  • Third-party damage (if someone else hits your parked car)


In short:

Scenario

Can I drive?

Is my policy active?

My licence expired and I haven't applied yet

❌ No – don’t drive

✅ Yes – still active

I’ve applied for a new licence

✅ Yes – driving is legal while you wait

✅ Yes – fully active

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