Non eu driving licence eligibilty

bmwguy

Hi, I have a friend with a driving licence from Moldova and is wondering if she can drive here. I think she can drive for a year legally, if anyone can shed any light on this I would be grateful. Anyone with a EU driving licence and a few other countries can just exchange it for an Irish one. Also, does anyone know any insurance companies that will insure someone with a foreign licence? (on an Irish car). Thanks

Pkiernan

She can drive here for a year - as a tourist, not as a resident.

Full rules are here:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/driver_licensing/exchanging_foreign_driving_permit.html


but since Moldova is neither part of the EU or the EEA or on the list of other accepted countries, she cannot simply exchange her license for an Irish one - she will have to take the full test.

ProudDUB

You are correct. Your friend can drive here on her Moldovan license for up to a year. When the year is up, she must get an Irish license to drive legally on Irish roads. That means that within that year, she should do her theory test, apply for a learner permit, do her 12 mandatory EDT lessons, do her driving test and get her her Irish license. I just moved back to Ireland from the US. I only have a US DL. As the US is one of the countries that is not part of the license exchange agreement, those rules apply to me.

Some Irish insurance companies will insure her on a foreign license, but it will be very, very expensive. She will be put into the same category as an Irish learner driver who has zero driving experience here. As Irish insurance companies have no way to assess how safe a driver she is, or her claims/accident history in Moldova, she will be put into the highest risk category. Her insurance premiums will reflect that.

I was lucky. I got details of my US driving record & lack of a claims history from my US insurance companies, and the US Dept of Transport, showing what a good driving record I had over there for the past 10 years. When I forwarded them onto Allianz, my insurance quote went down from over 1,700 euros to 475 euros.

I am not sure if that is possible to do when the other country in question is a non English speaking one. But it can't hurt to call them up and ask. Given the high numbers of people who have moved over here from Eastern Europe over the past 10 years, Irish insurance companies may have a system in place to facilitate this.

fasttalkerchat

See if she can get a Moldovan insurance company that will cover for an extensive holiday to Ireland. Most only cover 30 days at a time (if at all) but its worth a shot.

bmwguy

Thanks for the replies, it might be an idea to get an Irish provisional and start from there. She is 26 and will be driving something in polo class of car, cant see it being that expensive. Can always do the named driver route too. I'll get a few quotes on provisionals today anyway

unkel

bmwguy wrote: »

it might be an idea to get an Irish provisional and start from there.

+1

And let her do the test asap. If she is a competent driver, she should pass and have a full Irish license