RSA announces: All UK/NI licence holders must get an Irish licence

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has asked all UK Driver License holders in Ireland to exchange their licences for its Irish counterpart before 31 October 2019. Following this date, UK licences will no longer be valid for Irish residents. 

Drivers are encouraged to hand in their licences as soon as possible. For those that wait till closer to the final date there is no guarantee in relation to when the new permit will arrive due to potential lengthy delays. 

This is due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and in preparation of the possibility of a no-deal exit. 

Ms. Moyagh Murdock, CEO, RSA said that “Brexit, in whatever form it takes, will have a significant impact on Ireland, and requires planning by Government, business and citizens. The fact is a UK licence holder resident here must exchange their UK licence for an Irish one.”

To exchange your licence you must complete a licence application form and present it, the correct fee and your UK licence at any NDLS centre. You can make an appointment online at www.ndls.ie to attend any of the 36 NDLS centres nationwide. There is also a walk in service, but queues may vary. More information on how to exchange your UK licence can be found at ndls.ie.

In most cases when exchanging a UK licence, the driver will have all valid licence categories on their driver licence included on the Irish licence. There are some limited exceptions where what are known as national licences categories cannot be transferred. Individuals may have to speak to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the UK to find out if they have any national categories on their UK/NI licence. 

The Irish Government, working with the EU, has a comprehensive Contingency Action Plan to implement measures to mitigate the impact of Brexit. The exchange of UK licences for Irish licences is currently taking 10-15 days. However, some endorsement checks on licences may result in some trades taking longer than 15 days.

There is a team working exclusively on the exchange and transfer of UK licences in the RSA.  All licence exchanges are subject to due diligence by the RSA, which may require checks for endorsements on a licence before an exchange can be made. This may lead to some interchanges taking longer than 15 days. 

In the case of non-EU or ‘third’ countries, legislation exists under the Road Traffic Acts to allow for the recognition of foreign driving licences for exchange purposes. If there is a no deal Brexit, the UK will become a third country, and arrangements can then be made for the swap of UK driving licences. However it may take a little time to complete as it involves the signing of a formal agreement with the UK and the introduction of secondary legislation in Ireland.

In a no deal scenario and without such an agreement, residents in Ireland who have not exchanged their UK driving licence before the Great Britain leaves the EU, will need to apply for an Irish licence. Currently this involves completing a theory test, a course of driver training and passing a driving test.