Driving in Ireland

There is no doubt about it, driving in Ireland is a truly breathtaking experience. The island is small enough that you can go from North to South or from East to West in one day, and the scenery on country roads is incredible. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to go driving in Ireland, then you are in for a treat. However, before you get behind the wheel, there are some basic rules that you need to remember;

• In Ireland, drivers use the left side of the road.
• It is compulsory for drivers and passengers in Ireland to wear a seatbelt at all times.
• It is illegal to hold or operate a mobile phone while driving in Ireland.
• It is illegal to operate a car under the influence of alcohol. The legal limit is 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood for fully licensed drivers, and 20 milligrammes of alcohol for learner or professional drivers.

Aside from these important reminders, it is crucial that motorists on Ireland are aware of all speed limits, which vary depending on the type of road being used:

• Motorway – 120km/h
• National road – 100km/h
• Regional road – 80km/h
• Urban area – 50km/h
• Special limits area (such as in the vicinity of a school) – 30km/h

Finally, when driving in Ireland, you must carry the following items with you at all times:

• A valid drivers licence
• Vehicle registration document
• Valid insurance documentation
• Valid certificate of roadworthiness

Driving in Ireland with the correct licence

Whether you plan on driving in Ireland for work or pleasure, you need to make sure that you have the correct driving licence. Failure to have the correct driving licence is a serious offence, and one that you could result in a fine, penalty points or both. There a number of factors that will affect your ability to drive legally in Ireland, the most important of which may be your nationality or the country that issued your license (if you do not yet have an Irish license). With that in mind, here are some important points for/EEA (EU member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and non-EEA drivers to keep in mind.

For EEA drivers

If you are from an EEA state, then you may drive in Ireland with your full, valid licence. You can also exchange your driving licence for an Irish licence, provided it is within a 10-year period of the expiration of your licence.

For non-EEA drivers

If you are coming to Ireland from a non-EEA country, then you can drive for up to one year in Ireland using your current, valid driving licence. Upon taking up ‘normal residence’ (that is, when you have lived in Ireland for at least 185 days in the calendar year), you must either exchange your driving licence or apply for a new one from the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS).

How to exchange a driving licence in Ireland

Whether you are a citizen of an EEA country or not, it may make sense to exchange your domestic driving licence for an Irish one. To do this, you must submit a D401 Driving Licence form with your most recent driving licence. You will be charged an application fee of €55 for this service.

Once this is done, you will need to make sure that you provide the following documents to complete the driving licence exchange process:

• Photographic identification (passport, national identity card)
• Personal Public Service (PPS) number and your most recent address
• Evidence of residency entitlement
• A completed a NDLS eyesight report form, dated within one month of your application
• A complete a NDLS medical report form, dated within one month of your application
• Finally, if you plan to drive buses or trucks, you will also need to provide a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

If you don’t have your most recent licence with you, you need to present an original letter of entitlement or a driver statement from your national driving licence authority, and you must declare it lost or stolen in the presence of a member of An Garda Siochana (Ireland’s national police service). All letters of entitlement must be submitted with an official translation if they are not in English.

If you are returning to Ireland as an Irish citizen and want to exchange a non-Irish licence for an Irish driving licence, you can do so provided you are returning from a recognised state. Be sure to do this within a year of returning, with a letter of entitlement, or you will be required to apply again from starting from scratch.

The aforementioned recognised states that Ireland has a reciprocal licensing arrangement with are:

• Australia
• Canada (only if you were resident of and hold a licence issued by Ontario, Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador, or British Columbia)
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey (GB)
• Isle Of Man (GB)
• Japan
• Jersey (GB)
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• New Zealand
• Taiwan

Finally, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that if you are arriving from a country with whom Ireland does not have a pre-established agreement, your process will be more complicated and will, in all likelihood, result in you having to obtain an Irish driving license through the full driver license procedure. However, changes made in November 2018 will make this process easier.

For more information on driving licenses, please visit this page.

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Penalty points

Ireland has a system in place to make sure the rules of the road are adhered to. In Ireland, this rule arrangement takes the form of a penalty points system that penalizes motorists who are not compliant with the laws that are in place to keep all drivers, cyclists and pedestrians safe.

Originally enacted in 2006, the Irish penalty points system was extended in 2014 to include even more driving offences. In total there are 62 driving offences covered by the penalty points system, four of the main categories are as follows:

• Speeding: A speeding offence carries with it a fixed fine of €80 and three penalty points. If you fail to pay the fine in time, you may have to go to court to plead your case, after which the fine can be increased to €1,000 and five penalty points.  
• Seatbelt offences: Seatbelts are important and a failure to use yours will incur a three point penalty and a €60 fine, which can increase to €90 if the fine isn’t paid within 28 days. If a minor (a person under 17) is found not to be wearing a seatbelt in your vehicle, then you are also liable to face these fines.
• Motor insurance issues: This is one of the most serious offences under the penalty points system.Failure to have car insurance will see you facing a €5,000 fine and five penalty points. A court appearance may also follow, at which time a judge may decide to disqualify you from driving in Ireland for five years.
• Careless driving: Again, driving misdemeanours of this nature are serious and can incur a fine of €5,000 and up to five penalty points on your licence.

Whether you are a newcomer to Ireland or returning after a period abroad, you need to be aware that drivers who hold a foreign licence are also subject to the penalty points system. So, if you break the rules of the road while driving in Ireland on a foreign license, these points can and will be carried over if and when you receive an Irish licence.

Five top tips for driving in Ireland

Driving in Ireland can be breathtaking and nerve-wracking in equal measure. This is especially true if your only other driving experience is in a country that drives on the right. However, don’t let this fear of the unknown take hold, but rather embrace driving in Ireland for all it has to offer. To help you do that we have compiled this brief list of five top tips that should make every journey on the Emerald Isle a lot easier.

1. Practice makes perfect: If you are uncertain about driving in Ireland then you should take the time to perform a practice run before embarking on a cross-country adventure. Familarising yourself with the gears, dials and other key features of your car should go a long way to improving your overall driving experience in Ireland.
2. Get used to roundabouts: In Ireland there are many crossroads. Roundabouts are often used to overcome this driving predicament. Unlike other European countries where roundabouts are often wide and spacious, they can be quite tight in Ireland. This means you need to pick your lane well in advance and signal appropriately.
3. Tolls are commonplace: Ireland’s road network has improved considerably in recent years. However, this improvement has brought with it an increase in toll booths across the country’s many miles of motorway. While you may be able to pay for some tolls in advance or with a credit/debit card, others may require cash. In addition, having the exact change can speed things up so make sure to keep some with you at all times.
4. Make sure to budget properly for petrol: There is no doubt about it, petrol (or gas if you’re from North America) is typically more expensive in Ireland than many other countries, especially non-European ones. As such, you need to make sure that you’re prepared to cover the cost of your journey. After all, you don’t want any nasty surprises when it comes time to fill up.
5. Know the difference between diesel and petrol vehicles: This may seem like a pretty simple point but it’s vital that you know the difference between the two primary fuel options available in Ireland’s many stations. Putting diesel into a petrol vehicle could have devastating consequences for your trip so make sure to prepare properly.