Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2024 No. 22

Road Traffic And Vehicles

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024

Made

27th February 2024

Coming into operation

25th March 2024

The Department for Infrastructure(1) makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 4(7), 19C(1), (1A)(a) and (f) and (2) and 218 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981(2) and now vested in it(3).

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 and shall come into operation on 25th March 2024.

Amendment of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland)

2. After regulation 55 (persons who become resident in Northern Ireland) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(4), insert—

“Modification of regulation 55: Appendix Ukraine Scheme

55ZA.—(1) This regulation applies in respect of a person who—

(a)has entry clearance or permission to stay under the Appendix Ukraine Scheme to the Immigration Rules(5), and

(b)is the holder of a relevant permit within the meaning given by regulation 55(3) which was issued under the law of Ukraine.

(2) Where this regulation applies, regulation 55(1) has effect as if the reference to the period of one year after a person becomes resident in Northern Ireland were to the period of three years after that person becomes resident.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Infrastructure on 27th February 2024

Chris Hughes

A senior officer of the

Department for Infrastructure

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 542) (“The 1996 Regulations”).

Regulation 2 amends the 1996 Regulations to insert a new regulation 55ZA. The new regulation provides that individuals who have entry clearance or permission to stay under the Appendix Ukraine Scheme to the Immigration Rules (Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, and Ukraine Extension Scheme), and are holders of licences issued in Ukraine authorising the driving of a vehicle of a class included in category A (motorcycle) and category B (car), are authorised to drive such vehicles on their Ukrainian driving licence in Northern Ireland for up to three years after becoming resident.

An Explanatory Memorandum has been produced and is available from Safe and Accessible Travel Division, Department for Infrastructure, Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Town Parks, Belfast BT2 8GB or online alongside this Statutory Rule at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr.

(1)

Formerly the Department for Regional Development; see section 1(6) and (11) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016 c. 5 (N.I.)). Pursuant to section 1(9) of that Act, the Department of the Environment is dissolved

(2)

S.I. 1981/154 (N.I. 1); Article 19C was substituted by Schedule 1 to S.I. 1991/197 (N.I. 3) and amended by paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to S.I. 1996/1320 (N.I. 10), paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 to S.R. 1996 No. 426, paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to S.R. 1997 No. 241, paragraph 8 of the Schedule to S.R. 2002 No. 374, paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 to S.I. 2003/2903 (N.I. 16) and Article 34 of S.I. 2007/916 (N.I. 10)

(3)

See Article 8(1)(b) of, and Part 2 of Schedule 5 to, the Departments (Transfer of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016 No. 76)

(4)

S.R. 1996 No. 542; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1997 No. 383 and S.R. 2015 No. 357

(5)

The Immigration Rules are made under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 (c. 77). The Appendix Ukraine Scheme was inserted to the Immigration Rules by the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules laid before Parliament on 29 March 2022 (HC 1220, 29 March 2022). The Appendix Ukraine Scheme is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-ukraine-scheme