# UK driving licence - must I exchange for IRL?



## elefantfresh (11 Apr 2006)

I passed my test in 1988 in the UK - have used the same licence since. Pulled by garda and asked to show details which i did the following day in the station. Garda reckons i need to change my licence from UK to IRL as Irish points cannot be put on my UK licence. However, on reading the website transport.ie i can't see anything saying I MUST change over. They actually say that any EU licence is good until the day it expires which in my cast is anothor 30 years - when i'm 65 - i am a permanent resident here and Irish etc - just did my test in England.
anyone got any info on this? am i reading this correctly or can the garda actually force me to change over? why should i have to pay for a new one and renew every 10 years?


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## quinno (11 Apr 2006)

Myself and my wife have a UK licence and my wife was pulled last week - explained the same by the Gardai. I want to keep my licence purely cos it's good until 2041 . I tried to get the DVLA in the UK to re-issue it with an Irish address, but an EU directive recently has said all licences must now be renewed every 10 years, that's now the case in th UK. You can keep using the old paper licences until they expire. I think there are moves affot to harminonise penalty points EU side, certainly UK / Ireland (particularly with the amount of drivers going up north and vice versa).

Mind you, have had no issue with car rental or insurance (i.e getting it) here.


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## deem (11 Apr 2006)

I also have a uk full licence and was told that i didnt need to change my licence, however i am considering doing so.  Three reasons, 

When the European licence comes in i'd rather have an Irish one than an English one ( I know thats a while off yet)

I recently got married and cant use my drivers licence to travel unless I book flights in maiden name. 

I think there is something about not having notified DVLA on a change of address, and they can't, won't put an Irish address on licence.


But as far as I am aware, the Garda cannot force you to change your licence, as an EU citizen, the UK Licence is valid in Ireland.


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## DrMoriarty (11 Apr 2006)

I've a similar, 'until-age-65' French licence, which I still use — not least because I'm 22 forever in the photo!

The Dept. of Transport's FAQ says:
*



Q. I hold a full UK licence and I am now resident in Ireland. Do I have to exchange for an Irish licence?

A. No. You may drive here on your UK licence for the duration of its validity. However, you may apply for exchange, if you wish.
		
Click to expand...

 
However, those 'lifelong' licences are no longer being issued, as the EU moves towards a norm of max. 10 years' validity — so while such licences remain valid, you may be 'required by the relevant national authority' to exchange it for an Irish one, for example so that they can give you penalty points or an endorsement, which can't be applied to a non-Irish one. Sorry, I can't find a link right now to the relevant EU directive, but I do remember looking it up once.
[Edit: Sorry, can't seem to get rid of the bold typeface in the above paragraph...?]*


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## Alun (11 Apr 2006)

elefantfresh said:
			
		

> I passed my test in 1988 in the UK - have used the same licence since. Pulled by garda and asked to show details which i did the following day in the station. Garda reckons i need to change my licence from UK to IRL as Irish points cannot be put on my UK licence.


 
He's way behind the times regarding the law on such matters, and talking out of his_ < hat? >*_ quite frankly. Although you can exchange it if you really want to, you don't have to until it expires.

_[* Profanity edited by DrMoriarty: please respect the ...]_


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## Ned_ie (12 Apr 2006)

Both my wife and I had Jersey licences until recently. Like that we both wanted to hold on to them as a "just in case we got points" backup. However, recently changed insurance on the car and that prompted me to change the licence. Went with Hibernian who are offering 17.5% off if you have no points. I reckoned a saving of €100+ per year was better than having an overseas licence. 

Knowing my luck I'll get caught for a points issue now that it's changed!


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## erw fran (12 Apr 2006)

The DVLA say that you must inform them of an address change, as you cannot have a foreign address on the license and you have no UK home address surely the only option is to exchange your license?


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## bond-007 (12 Apr 2006)

No one in their right mind will with the points setup as it is at present. I know loads of people with UK/EU licences who say they will never change them. They even advised me to change my licence to a UK one. 

I might just do it!


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## steveyd (13 Apr 2006)

How would you go about exchanging a UK licence to an Irish one?  where would you contact in ireland and is there any additonal cost?


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## need2build (13 Apr 2006)

plenty of details here



my wife and i both had UK (NI - cause GB and NI are not the same) licences - we now living in dublin

my wife let hers expire and swapped it for irish one at our irish address - simply done

mine is valid for another few years (2nd ten year term) but I will just renew at NI address - dont want an irish one - cause of points etc - 

you will be unlikely to get UK one without valid address

re insurancne - either one is recognised

re points - my wife can now get irish points but not UK ones and I am vice versa (this will change soon enough) but only recently can GB and NI points be added together

not sure how the points thing is going to pan out here - i have had a few fines thro a company car i used to drive but that is not points - you only get points when notified by the Dept of Transport - and it is not endorsed on your licence just kept on a databse - which AFAIK is only accessed at present by garda and Hibernian Insurance. i have given my NI licence details and paid the fine and heard no more - even got receipt sent to my NI address - so no points then?

You are not obliged to swap licence for Irish one as long as EU one is valid - now if its at a foreign address that you are not living - is it valid? Dont know if it would stand up in court......

M


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## erw fran (13 Apr 2006)

Department of Transport told me that if  you are living in Ireland for more than a year you must change to an Irish license - I can't believe they would prosecute though?


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## Alun (16 Apr 2006)

erw fran said:
			
		

> Department of Transport told me that if  you are living in Ireland for more than a year you must change to an Irish license - I can't believe they would prosecute though?


 Who at the Department of Transport? Their own website says the opposite. See http://www.transport.ie/roads/licensing/licence/index.asp?lang=ENG&loc=1836#Exchange_Driving_Licence



> *Mutual Recognition
> *The holder of a driving licence issued by the competent authority of another member state of the European Union or of the European Economic Area *(i.e. EU + Norway, Liechenstein and Iceland)* may drive in Ireland on that licence for the duration of its validity. However, if you wish, you may apply for exchange to an equivalent Irish licence. Application for exchange must be made within ten years of expiry of the licence.



So it seems that not only can you use your existing licence until it expires, you've got another 10 years grace on top of that!


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## erw fran (17 Apr 2006)

great - they obviously should read their own web site


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## Manuel (19 Apr 2006)

I lived in the UK for many years and brought back my UK Licence. After a few years living back in Ireland I went to my local Motor Tax Office to exchange it for an Irish one. The person there said that I don't need to exchange it - he just put my address on it and stamped it. I left it like this for two years but I thought that if I lost it I could be in trouble. You need a UK address if you want to renew it - I didn't have one, so I just thought it best to get an Irish one.


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