Converting from an Aussi Provisional License to Irish License

scobysnacks

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone could help me. I'm Irish and have been living in Australia for the past four years Before I left Ireland I applied to sit my drivers test but was waiting over a year without a test date and decided to go traveling. While in Oz I did my driving test, well I had to do a theory test, then log 120 hours driving (although I had a provisional licence in Ireland for years), then sat the practical test and passed. I then got my first what's called provisional licence which I had to have for a year before I did another test to move on to a second provisional licence which I have to have for two years before I do my final test for a full license. So far it's taken me three years and I have one more to go.

However I'm coming back to Ireland. Does anyone know if I can switch this over to a full Irish licence or am I going to have to go through the whole thing again?

spurious

Australia is on the list of countries they will convert a full driving licence from. As to the details of first prov. etc. you'd be better off contacting them.
Road Safety Authority
Moy Business Park
Primrose Hill
Ballina
Mayo
IRELAND

Tel: (096) 25000
Locall: 1890 506 080
Fax: (096) 25252
Homepage: http://www.rsa.ie
Email: info@rsa.ie

Lurching

I really doubt they'll do anything for you.

I know to convert from irish full to aussie full, you have to have had your Irish license for a few years.

Thing is, its just a matter of renewing your provisional in Ireland and applying for your test straight away. You have the experience and the test shouldn't phase you too much if you've already done one in Aus.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Del2005

If you are coming home later in the year you may also need to do a set amount of lessons before you can sit your test.

If you are within 5 years of your last provisional it may be worth your while to apply for your permit before you get back. Get family/friends to post you over the form and then post it back. When you get your permit apply for the test.

tenchi-fan

I recommend you get your aussie licence before you return to Ireland.

You can simply swap the Aussie licence for an Irish one, no questions asked. that's how I got my full Irish licence.

g5fd6ow0hseima

Just thought i'd ask whether anyone has recently attempted to change an australian P-Plate licence for an Irish one back home. I passed my test recently in Victoria - on green Ps - but wont be eligible for a full Victorian licence for three years, so i'll be going home with a provisional licence. I still have my pass sheets on me, if they would make any difference when applying.

ADIDriving

@ Scoobysnacks: Do whatever you can to get the full Aussie licence. As Spurious has said Oz is on the list that Ireland will transferr licences with. I would doubt it any lower level will be transferred. To sit your test here you would still be required to do 12 more compulory EDT lessons.

@ Leif Ericson: I doubt you will have any luck. But do try talking to the RSA. Spurious shows the sontact details above.

@ EVERYONE ELSE: Anyone complaining about the Irish learning and testing system should take a read of what needs to be done to get a licence in Austrailia.

g5fd6ow0hseima

ADIDriving wrote: »

@ Leif Ericson: I doubt you will have any luck. But do try talking to the RSA. Spurious shows the sontact details above.

I just got a reply from the RSA to say that my provisional licence can be exchanged for an Irish driving licence when i return home as I have passed the driving test in Australia, so im delighted with that.

ProudDUB

Just a couple of pointers on a matter that is sometimes over looked in the mad rush to get an Irish drivers license, if you are coming here from another country. Insurance. Just because you have an Irish DL, that does not mean you'll get the same rates as someone who has been living here, and driving here for the past several years.

I just moved back here from the States. I never drove here before I moved away. I had a perfect driving record in the US, but Irish insurance companies had no way of knowing that or verifying that, just as they won't with Australian insurance companies. So in I went into the high risk pot along with all the learner drivers, boy racers and first time car owners. I was quoted crazy amounts of money for insurance, from 1,200 to 1,700 euros.

I was told if I could show proof of my US driving record, I could get a much better rate. I did, I got 60% off the initial quote. But it involved a lot of leg work and expensive phone calls to the US on my part. The insurance company wouldn't do it for me.

So if you have a good driving record in Oz (no accidents, tickets, claims against your policy by you or others, points on your record etc etc) bring proof of this with you before you leave. It is a royal pain in the ass to get sorted from a different continent, as I just found out.

- Get hard copy letters from your insurance company on official company stationary, stating your insurance accident and claims history.
- Get a letter from your states Dept of Transportation showing no tickets, violations, points on your record etc etc.
- Get copies of same emailed to you if at all possible, so that this info can be forwarded on to others if need be. (Still get the actual letters too.)

My insurance company were happy to activate the policy just by my forwarding on emails from my US insurance company. But they still needed the actual physical supporting documentation, or the policy will deactivate in 30 days.

Add on a couple of family members to your policy, as long as they have had full Irish DLs for at least 10 years, and have clean driving records. My original quote went down to 505 euros. I added on my brother and it went down by another 50 quid. Added on a cousin and it went down again by 30 quid. The insurance companies rationale was that the more people that could potentially be behind the wheel of my car, that weren't me ( ) the risk factor was lessened, and the rate went down again.

Was very, very happy how this turned out over all. But I would have made it much, much easier on myself if I got proof of my driving record and insurance history sorted out BEFORE I left the US.

Faith+1

^^^^^ Well said Dub

ADIDriving

Dillon Swift Telegram wrote: »

I just got a reply from the RSA to say that my provisional licence can be exchanged for an Irish driving licence when i return home as I have passed the driving test in Australia, so im delighted with that.

I am not well up on Aussie licence system. The P plates and the provisional you refer to, is it a case that you have passed all tests and would be serving a probationary period on this level. Perhaps similar to the R plates in the UK and restricted system there?
In Ireland a provisional licence is the older name for a learner permit that a someone would have only having passed a theory test and not their driving test.

g5fd6ow0hseima

ADIDriving wrote: »

I am not well up on Aussie licence system. The P plates and the provisional you refer to, is it a case that you have passed all tests and would be serving a probationary period on this level. Perhaps similar to the R plates in the UK and restricted system there?
In Ireland a provisional licence is the older name for a learner permit that a someone would have only having passed a theory test and not their driving test.

You're on the ball. In Victoria, the state where i got my licence, i have done everything required of me, including my driving test, and am now simply on three years probation, with nothing further required of me other than three years wait.

Saying that, some states so differ slightly. For example, NSW make you take a computer based test (hazard perception) to graduate from the probationary licence to a 'full' licence, but that's about the height of what will be required of p-platers, no further driving tests or anything like that take place. To highlight the variations between states in Australia, in Victoria this hazard perception test is done before you sit your driving test, which means that every learner in every state is subjected to the same tests, but just at differing stages in the process.

sillybilly

Leif_Erikson,
Just wondering what you said to the RSA and what was their reply.
i just emailed them a similar question and they replied I would need a FULL australian license to convert to Irish one. I similarly am planning to do my test in Australia, to get NSW P plates.

Any help would be great, as I really don't fancy doing the whole procedure again in Ireland

Thanks