Can you exchange a full EU license after been in Ireland for several years?

J-blk

Without getting into the whole argument of if you should be using an EU member state (the pink one) license here forever (I think you can - that's the whole freaking point of a "common" license model), can you exchange it for a full Irish one even after living here for several years?

I've been here for 7-8 years now and at this stage, have decided that it might just be easier to swap my current license for an Irish one. Would it be a straight swap?

L1011

Once its still valid, the council will swap it without really caring when you moved here. Straight swap, relatively cheap too.

J-blk

Nice one. The expiry date is 2048 so I'm ok in that regard (yep, some EU countries issue licenses that last your entire life pretty much...). The main problem is that my details are not written in a Latin alphabet on it, but I have a valid international too which I can bring along - hopefully that works out ok.

unkel

If you hang on to your current license, you can't get penalty points here :pac:

What country is your license from, out of interest?

J-blk

unkel wrote: »

If you hang on to your current license, you can't get penalty points here :pac:

I know, I know But in some ways it's more hassle than it's worth...

unkel wrote: »

What country is your license from, out of interest?

Greece. That's why it's a pain - if all my details were in Latin script, I think it would be easier.

I also ride a motorcycle here and there are a grand total of 4 (yes, 4!) insurance companies to get cover from - from which one won't even quote you without an Irish license ...

Do-more

The wife had her handbag stolen last year which contained her German driving licence (also issued for life) obviously the Germans wouldn't give her a new one as she hasn't been resident there since 2000.

Was major grief to get a new full Irish licence, had to get a letter from Germany and of course this was in German so the Irish Department in Ballina wouldn't accept this (we are Europeans arn't we?) They wanted it translated, but the German embassy wouldn't provide one (they are Europeans arn't they?) so I ended up translating it myself, the first "jobs worth" I met in my local car tax office wouldn't accept the translation as it didn't "look official" so it was going to cost €75 to get a certified translation of the letter, so I ended up whacking a rubber stamp on it with some German writing on it that said "received on date" and bringing it back to the tax office the following week, this time it was accepted no problem and it was about a 6 week wait until a new licence appeared in the post.

J-blk

Wow, that does sound like some hassle... you'd think that with a German license, they could at least make out all the details like her name, etc for crying out loud. That's the fun bit with mine, it'll look like gibberish to them . I did however get an international license issued for a trip to South Africa a couple of months ago, so I'm hoping that may count as an "official" translation (well, that's what it actually is at the end of the day...). Still wondering if it's worth the hassle though, there are pros and cons to exchanging it...

J-blk

Oh yeah, one thing did just occur to me... I've had my current license for about 12 years - if I trade to an Irish one and then I try to get insurance, I would have to put down time license held as what? Less than one year? That would make the premiums skyrocket...

unkel

J-blk wrote: »

Oh yeah, one thing did just occur to me... I've had my current license for about 12 years - if I trade to an Irish one and then I try to get insurance, I would have to put down time license held as what? Less than one year?

Nah. After changing over, if they ask you "do you have a full Irish license?", you can say yes. To the next question "how long have you had your full license?", you can truthfully say 12 years.

Dartz

Really?

That sounds suspiciously like common sense from our Government.


The German license thing though, sounds a lot more typical.

craichoe

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