Foreign driving licences in Ireland

You can exchange a driving licence for an Irish one if it was issued by:

• An EU member or EEA member (Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland)
• A recognised state for an Irish driving licence. (See below)

You can drive on your Ukrainian driving licence while in Ireland under temporary protection. You can no longer exchange your Ukrainian licence for an Irish licence. Read more in our page on coming to Ireland from Ukraine.

If your driving licence is from a country that Ireland does not recognise licence exchange, you can’t swap it for an Irish licence.

You must go through the full driver licensing process starting with the driver theory test. However, when you have your learner permit, you only need to take 6 essential driver training (EDT) lessons instead of 12 lessons.

If your licence was issued in one of these countries or territories, you can apply to exchange it for an Irish licence:

• Australia
• Canada (but not from all provinces – see note below)
• Georgia
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey
• Isle of Man
• Japan
• Jersey
• South Africa
• Republic of Korea (South Korea)
• Switzerland
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Taiwan
• UK

Note: You can exchange a Canadian licence that was issued by the following provinces:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Ontario
• Saskatchewan

Not all categories of licences can be exchanged in every case. You can read more about the specific exchange rules governing each country and territory listed above on the NDLS website.

You must exchange your licence within 1 year of its expiration date.

Licences that were previously exchanged

If your first driving licence came from a country Ireland does not recognise, and you later swapped it for a licence in a recognised country, you still cannot exchange it for an Irish licence.

Visiting Ireland

If you live in the UK and are visiting Ireland, you can drive here with your UK licence.

Living in Ireland

If you live in Ireland, you can no longer driver on your UK licence. You must exchange it for an Irish one.

EU or EEA licences

If you have a driving licence issued by an EU or EEA member state, you can drive in Ireland if your existing licence is valid.

If you want to swap your driving licence for an equivalent Irish one when it expires, you must do so within 10 years of its expiry date.

Recognised states

If your licence was issued by a recognised state, you can drive in Ireland for up to 1 year when visiting. Your licence must be valid.

If you become normally resident in Ireland, you should exchange your driving licence or begin the process of applying for an Irish driving licence.

You are normally a resident in Ireland if you live here for at least 185 days in each calendar year.

Ukrainian licence

You can drive on your Ukrainian driving licence while in Ireland under temporary protection. You can no longer exchange it for an Irish driving licence.

If you have already exchanged your Ukrainian driving licence for an Irish licence, you can request to have it returned to you or continue to drive on your Irish licence for 1 year from the date it was issued.

You can read more about this in our page on coming to Ireland from Ukraine.

Other licenses

You may drive in Ireland for up to 12 months as a visitor if:

• Your driving licence is from a country outside the EU, EEA, or the list of recognised states and
• You also have an international driving permit from your country

If you plan to stay in Ireland for more than 12 months, you must apply for an Irish driving licence. This means you will need to go through the full driver licensing process.

You can read what you need to do in our page on Steps learning to drive.

You can only exchange a full driving licence. Foreign learner permits cannot be used to drive in Ireland or be exchanged for an Irish learner permit.

• The standard fee is €65.
• It is free if you are 70 or over.
• Eyesight tests or medical examinations needed are not free of charge.

You can apply to exchange your licence in 2 ways:

• Online or
• In person at a National Driving Licencing Service (NDLS) centre.

You may need to include a medical report with your application. The NDLS has information on when a medical report is needed.

When applying online

You will need the following:

• A Public Services Card and verified MyGovID
• Your current licence or most recent driving licence
• Proof of your address dated within the last 6 months, if your address is different to the one you provided when you got your Public Services Card
• Proof that you are normally resident in Ireland if you are not an EU or EEA citizen
• A medical report form if required dated within 1 month
• A completed eyesight report if applying to exchange a licence issued by a recognised state
• Application fee of €65 (unless you are 70 or over)
• Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) for professional drivers, if needed

You must post your licence to the NDLS after you have completed the online form.

Sometimes, the NDLS may need to contact the country that issued your driving licence. If so, it might take a little longer before they can give you a driving licence in Ireland.

Apply in person

You can apply in person to one of the NDLS centres. You must make an appointment.

Bring the following with you to your appointment:

• Current or most recent driving licence. If you don’t submit your foreign driving licence, your application for exchange will be rejected.
• Proof of your PPS number
• Photo ID
• Proof of your address dated within the last 6 months, if your address is different to the one you provided when you got your Public Services Card
• Proof that you are normally resident in Ireland if you are not an EU or EEA citizen
• Medical report if required dated within one month
• A completed eyesight report if applying to exchange a licence issued by a recognised state
• Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) if needed
• Application fee of €65 (unless you are 70 or over)

Sometimes, the NDLS may need to contact the country that issued your driving licence. If so, it might take a little longer before they can give you a driving licence in Ireland.

Read the FAQs about exchanging a foreign driving licence on the NDLS website.

The National Driver Licence Service has information about foreign driving licences.

Professional (CPC) truck or bus driver

You can learn about becoming a professional (CPC) truck or bus driver.

Find out more, if you already have a bus or truck licence from another EU country or outside the EU.