How long can I use my Irish driving license in the UK (living and working there)

BigEejit

I just tried looking up how long I could continue to use it before getting it swapped for a UK one, but have found sites saying you have to do it within 12 months (or 3 years) and sites saying I can keep my Irish license while continuing to drive in the UK until it expires (or I hit age 70).

The empirical source for this information is here, the problem is that I think it is ambiguous. The ambiguous section is:

Provided your licence remains valid you may drive in GB:
Car, motorcycle driving licence holders (ordinary driving licence):
until aged 70 or for three years after becoming resident, whichever is the longer period

So I am in my late 30's and have a 10 year license with 7 years left on it. Does the statement above mean I can use my license until it expires or does it have to be exchanged 3 years after I became a resident (i.e. now)

Just to confuse me more, a post here on this forum had me scratching my head:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-2055369077.html

craichoe
An EU License is an EU license, bottom line, you don't have to Change it. The UK Government cannot force you to change it.

/edit
My insurance company does know that I have an Irish license.

Skyuser

FOREVER.....until it runs out. It's an EU license, they can't make you change it.

craichoe

BigEejit wrote: »

I just tried looking up how long I could continue to use it before getting it swapped for a UK one, but have found sites saying you have to do it within 12 months (or 3 years) and sites saying I can keep my Irish license while continuing to drive in the UK until it expires (or I hit age 70).

The empirical source for this information is here, the problem is that I think it is ambiguous. The ambiguous section is:

So I am in my late 30's and have a 10 year license with 7 years left on it. Does the statement above mean I can use my license until it expires or does it have to be exchanged 3 years after I became a resident (i.e. now)

Just to confuse me more, a post here on this forum had me scratching my head:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-2055369077.html


/edit
My insurance company does know that I have an Irish license.

http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/living/car/driving-license/index_en.html#286

If holders of driving licences changed residence or place of work from one Member State to another they used to have to exchange their licence within one year (Directive 80/1263/EEC). This obligation was abolished on 1 July 1996 and exchanging of driving licences has been voluntary since then.

In the event of voluntary exchange, loss or theft, the Member State in which holders have taken up their normal residence will issue the person concerned with a Community model driving licence for the corresponding category or categories without requiring that person to take a theoretical or practical test.

r3nu4l

I'm living in the UK too and have been driving on my Irish Licence here since I moved over in 2004

I checked with the DVLA who told me that I didn't need to change it but that I could if I wanted to...needless to say, I didn't

Hey BigEejit, join us on boards.org.uk, we'd be pleased to have you there

jhegarty

The 12 month limitation is now only for non-eu licenses.

BigEejit

Thanks for all the informative replies

That bloody DVLA website /shakefist, why the hell cant it just put in a link to the EU website with a little note saying you can keep your old EU license until it expires.... No doubt making a cut of the license fee and it suits them to be as confusing as possible. They'll not be getting a brown paper envelope from me!!*

Hey r3nu4l, I had a look at that forum some time ago and it was a bit quiet, I'll have a look again





* Containing the application form and the appropriate fee of course :pac:

Alun

BigEejit wrote: »

That bloody DVLA website /shakefist, why the hell cant it just put in a link to the EU website with a little note saying you can keep your old EU license until it expires....

The citizensinformation.ie website over here is just as bad. Talk about making something quite simple as obscure as possible ... You wouldn't believe the number of similar queries (usually the other way round, i.e. how long can I drive on my EU licence in Ireland) that we get here from people that are convinced you have to exchange within a year. The relevant sections of most of the County Council websites just draw on the text from the Dept. of Transport, and are a bit clearerer, but could still be improved.

craichoe

The citizensinformation.ie website over here is just as bad. Talk about making something quite simple as obscure as possible ... You wouldn't believe the number of similar queries (usually the other way round, i.e. how long can I drive on my EU licence in Ireland) that we get here from people that are convinced you have to exchange within a year. The relevant sections of most of the County Council websites just draw on the text from the Dept. of Transport, and are a bit clearerer, but could still be improved.

It is purposely that way, same in the Netherlands.
They 'encourage' you to exchange your license as it doesn't usually fit with their model, but the EU's take is that it is not required.

They do not advertise "YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXCHANGE"