An American Driving in Ireland

eiretamicha

Hi Everyone!

To make a long story short, I'm American, husband's Irish, currently both living in Florida...we're moving back to Ireland on April 26, 2007. We will be staying with his family in Co. Tyrone for about a month, and then moving to Donegal.

I have been driving here in Florida since I was 16 years old (22 now), and husband has never held a license, therefore I will be doing the driving immediately upon our return to Ireland. I'm planning on taking my theory test and getting my provisional license the first or second week I arrive (gonna book it online before I get there), and then immediately signing up for my full license. I'm going to book the test in Monaghan because the waiting time is only 13 weeks, and drive around on my American license as a tourist for about a month--until I get my permanent resident stamp in my passport (I hope the immigration garda let me have a full month!).

However, now I'm wondering if it's easier and quicker to just get my license in Northern Ireland. I don't really want a UK license, mainly because we'll be moving to the south so soon after our arrival, but transportation is absolutley critical to my mine and my husband's plans for opening a business, and I'm worried about driving on my American/provisional license for too long in case I get pulled over and the garda get suspicious (I mean really...I can't pretend to be a tourist forever...:p ).

So...Is it much quicker to get a full license in N.I. than it is to get one in the Republic? Is it cheaper? Do the tests differ much?

Also, are there two theory test books--one for the North and the rest of the UK, and one for the South? The only book I've found is the DSA Official Theory Test Book, and I'm not sure if that's the one I should buy if I'm gonna get my license in the south.

Oh, and one more question, not sure if you guys will know or not...but if I go to Ireland as a tourist and rent a car, how does car insurance work? Is it included in the cost of rental, or does my insurance here in America cover it? I've looked at the rental websites, but I can't find any info about insurance.

Thank you so much in advance for any advice you guys can offer!

CJhaughey

I would change my license for a NI license, apart from anything else it will be a faster process.
A NI license is also penalty points resistant at the moment.
Can you not exchange your US license for a NI one?
http://www.dvlni.gov.uk/drivers/exchange_licence.htm
The license situation in the ROI is abysmal to be quite honest about it, some people are waiting nearly a year to sit a test.
There is currently no rules of the road available in the ROI, it is out of date and has not been updated or reprinted.
I would strongly recommend that you obtain a NI license before you move south,it is an EU license and as such is perfectly good to use in the ROI.

eiretamicha

CJhaughey wrote:

I would change my license for a NI license, apart from anything else it will be a faster process.
A NI license is also penalty points resistant at the moment.
Can you not exchange your US license for a NI one?

I cannot exchange my US license for a ROI license, so I had assumed I would not be able to exchange it for a NI one, either (but I haven't really looked into licenses in NI...I don't even know where to start). Reasonings for not being able to exchange seem to consist of driving on the "wrong" side of the road and road sign differences, etc., which makes absolutley no sense seeing as most of Europe drives on the "wrong" side of the road, and they're allowed to exchange their licenses. Poo...:(

ETA: I just noticed the link you posted. I read over it and it seems that I would be allowed to drive on my American license (you guys spell license different than we do, lol! ) in NI as long as I have a provisional, and have applied to get my full license within 12 months of becoming a resident. This would be great if I were going to be permanently living in the north...but I'm going to be living in the south and I'm afraid the garda wouldn't look too kindly on me bending the rules like that.

cantdecide

i know nothing about the process being honest but would it be out of the question to swap your US license for a NI one then swap that for an EU?

eiretamicha

cantdecide wrote:

i know nothing about the process being honest but would it be out of the question to swap your US license for a NI one then swap that for an EU?

Unfortunately, it seems that US licenses cannot be swapped for neither NI licenses nor ROI licenses.

cantdecide

is it just that you're trying to avoid driving on a provisional license? the law is all fire and brimstone about it but my mother has had a provisional for the last 10 years and she recently hit an Amrican ttourist in a rental car. she wasn't even asked about her giant L-plates by the guards...

Wishbone Ash

eiretamicha wrote:

Unfortunately, it seems that US licenses cannot be swapped for neither NI licenses nor ROI licenses.

By the way eiretamicha - is your US licence restricted to an automatic? If you do a driving test in ROI or NI in an automatic car then you will be restricted to automatics. If you do it in a manual ("stick shift" I think Americans call it) you can drive either. Most cars in ROI and NI would be manual.

eiretamicha

Wishbone Ash wrote:

By the way eiretamicha - is your US licence restricted to an automatic? If you do a driving test in ROI or NI in an automatic car then you will be restricted to automatics. If you do it in a manual ("stick shift" I think Americans call it) you can drive either. Most cars in ROI and NI would be manual.

Actually, that's the strange thing. Our licenses are not restricted to automatic or manual. You can pass on an automatic and drive a manual, or vice versa. I drive a manual now, but got my license with an automatic car. Yet another probable reason America has so many traffic accidents. :rolleyes:

CJhaughey

I am not certain but I would be surprised if you couldn't swap your US license for a NI/UK one , the authorities in the UK/NI have a much more enlightened view on motoring in general.

csm

hey,

i wouldn't worry about a garda asking questions about your license for the length of time you'll be renting a car. my mate has an english reg car and an english license and has been living here for 3 or 4 years now without a problem. he's been in a crash too and the issue has never even been broached. having said that, when you buy a car and go to tax and insure it you'll need a license from this side of the atlantic. although i'm not sure if you need an ROI one specifically, or just an EU one.

in answer to one of your other questions, if you rent a car here then insurance will be included.

and yes, if you can avoid having to embroil yourself in the testing over here then do. you'll be immune to penalty points (for now), the system is much quicker, and you'll only have to pay for your license once. over here you have to renew every 10 years

CJhaughey

You are correct Eiretamicha, you cannot exchange your US license for a UK or NI license.
But I would still take the opportunity to sit a provisional license in NI and actually try and get a full license because the waiting lists are so long in the ROI.

eiretamicha

CJhaughey wrote:

You are correct Eiretamicha, you cannot exchange your US license for a UK or NI license.
But I would still take the opportunity to sit a provisional license in NI and actually try and get a full license because the waiting lists are so long in the ROI.

Yeah, after reading that link that you posted, I think that's exactly what I'll do. It looks like as long as I have a provisional issued from NI, then I can drive around on my American license without even needing the big red L (which I would probably get anyway just so some drivers will give me some slack since I'll be new to driving on the "wrong" side of the road, lol). Thanks so much for your help!

And thanks csm for the advice on car insurance!!

ninty9er

You have said you are setting up a business.

If you have paperwork to back this up (loan approval and such) then I would see no reason why you wouldn't get an early test date in any county!!

Worth looking into. You'll need a PPS no. to apply so I'd get yourself on to the Revenue Commissioners (IRS in the US) and they'll sort that. Can you exchange passports etc....???

I know someone who can give a fairly detailed low-down on this so I'll ask and come back to ya

blorg

eiretamicha, you should know, as has been hinted by other posters, that the restrictions on provisional licences are simply not enforced, and in fact never have been in the history of the country (although they have been making some noise about it recently it is hard to see how they would start before they get the test situation sorted out.)

Our man in Havana

The US licence is exchangable in some EU countrys Germany for example. Any chance you could get sorted out there?

eiretamicha

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's replied! Your help is much appreciated!

zilog_jones

CJhaughey wrote:

There is currently no rules of the road available in the ROI, it is out of date and has not been updated or reprinted.

Plus it was a joke of a book anyway - pictures of toy cars superimposed over photos of roads with markings drawn over them and whatnot.

I'd say the Driver Theory Test book has most (if not all) the current rules of the road. You might want to get it anyway if you plan on getting a UK license as we do have different road signs and speed limits here (we're all metric for starters) - dunno if anything else is different (?).

SouperComputer

its a bit of a grey area really. You can seemingly get away with an American full, but if you want\need a full irish you have to start from scratch including the theory test which must be done to get your provisional.

With the waiting times here, the UK may be worth a shot. That said, you will generally get a test quickly enough if you need a licence for work\business.

Mrs. SouperComputer had to go through this whole process a few years ago. Insurance is an issue with an Americal licence, unless you plan renting, even then as I say its a grey area.