Along with the new style of British driving licences came a passcode system with a 72-hour window for renting cars outside the UK.
Motorists who intend to hire a vehicle while traveling abroad have to log on to the DVLA website before leaving the UK to get a one-off passcode when they provide to the hire company.
The company uses the code to check the applicant’s driving history following the end of the old paper licence with its printed record of points.
Originally, the code was valid for just 72 hours.
But as of last Friday, the validity was extended to 21 days.
The significant change comes just in time for the millions of people who will be on the road when schools break up next week and will give holidaymakers more flexibility in booking car rentals.
Pete Williams of the RAC said: “This is a dramatic U-turn from the DVLA which feels very much like a victory for common sense.”
Critics were fond of pointing out that the 72 hour code made it difficult for those who wanted to hire a car later in their holiday or business trip.
