Having a car in Guildford
Students are not advised to bring a car to Guildford. If you live on campus you are not permitted to bring a car onto University grounds nor park on public roads surrounding the campus. Hazel Farm residents may park in designated spaces, but cannot park on campus during office hours. There are a limited number of parking spaces at Bellerby Court and students here may apply for a permit from the hospital authorities whose contractor is responsible for all parking matters in the vicinity of the residences.
If you do buy a car, or hire one, whilst in the UK, it is very important to make sure you are aware of all the UK laws about owning and driving a car, particularly ensuring that you are properly insured and that your car is taxed and road-worthy. For more details you can download the Driving in the UK pdf from UKCISA.
If you are coming into the UK for more than 12 months, you may drive on your valid foreign licence or international driving permit for a period of 12 months from the date you first arrive to start your degree. After this time, you must obtain a provisional licence (you can do this after you have been resident in the UK for six months), pass the theory test and take the practical driving test.
Whilst in possession of a provisional British licence, you must abide by the rules that apply until you have passed both parts of the driving test. These include displaying red and white ‘L’ plates on the front and back of the car, being accompanied at all times by a passenger who is over 21, who has passed their driving test and has had a valid licence for at least three years, and you are not allowed to drive on motorways. If you are an EU/EEA national and already hold a valid licence, you can drive in the UK until your licence expires.
If you are considering buying a car during your studies, you must ensure that the vehicle is registered and that you have the registration documents. The car must be taxed and insured and if it is more than 3 years old, it must be checked for road-worthiness and have an MOT certificate. This must be obtained every year and which is valid for 12 months. Road tax is available from the Post Office and the tax disc must be displayed at all times.
You must be fully insured and the certificate of insurance, MOT certificate and car registration document are all required in order to obtain the tax disc. Motor insurance is available from many companies and the costs depends on various things, such as the age of the car and age of the driver, so do shop around to find the most suitable deal. For more information visit the DVLA website.
