[Do i have to change UK for Irish] driving licence?

jackthelad1967

I have full uk photo licence which is valid for several more yrs ..which is good I hear most folk say........I now live in Donegal and was wondering do I have to change my uk licence for a Irish one ? so many different websites give to many different answers....My uk licence shows my parents address on it and the house and its address will stay in my family until the day I die as my parents will leave it to me and my brothers never to be sold....
So my point is this / once my uk licence is due for renewal can I just use the address and get an other one for another 10yrs ..with that address... considering I do live here in Donegal....or use the uk address as that will always be a valid address .........friend told about this site and says its the best one for advice .. so lets hope ....cheers ....

muffler

Your situation could relate to anywhere in Ireland and is certainly not specific to Donegal.

Moved from Donegal to Motors forum

aujopimur

Your UK/EU licence is valid in ROI until it expires, If you're still living here at that time you should exchange it for an Irish one.

jackthelad1967

aujopimur wrote: »

Your UK/EU licence is valid in ROI until it expires, If you're still living here at that time you should exchange it for an Irish one.

I have points on the ghost licence system here / how does that work when I change to a Irish licence /

endacl

Ah. So what you really want to know is how can you avoid having a licence with points on it?

Or, do you want to find a loophole whereby you'll have a licence that points can't be applied to?

jimmycrackcorm

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

I have points on the ghost licence system here / how does that work when I change to a Irish licence /

Like the ghost they are they will come back to haunt you when you do change over

jackthelad1967

endacl wrote: »

Ah. So what you really want to know is how can you avoid having a licence with points on it?

Or, do you want to find a loophole whereby you'll have a licence that points can't be applied to?

Not at all / just not sure how things work in Ireland with the new Law Mutual exchange with UK and Ireland so many different rules on this subject...I spoke to a local Garda even he did not know

jackthelad1967

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Like the ghost they are they will come back to haunt you when you do change over

Yes / does this mean I could be banned even when I do exchange? even in years to come ??

endacl

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

Not at all / just not sure how things work in Ireland with the new Law Mutual exchange with UK and Ireland so many different rules on this subject...I spoke to a local Garda even he did not know

Apparently whatever is in place won't be activated till 2015. Have you tried phoning the RSA? Or asking citizens info?

jackthelad1967

endacl wrote: »

Apparently whatever is in place won't be activated till 2015. Have you tried phoning the RSA? Or asking citizens info?

No but I will do this cheers for your help/ Thats what I was saying there to many folk tell you so many different things / I was told the mutual exchange started 28th january 2010 and was in force then ...you say it will not start until 2015........

CiniO

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

I have full uk photo licence which is valid for several more yrs ..which is good I hear most folk say........I now live in Donegal and was wondering do I have to change my uk licence for a Irish one ? so many different websites give to many different answers....My uk licence shows my parents address on it and the house and its address will stay in my family until the day I die as my parents will leave it to me and my brothers never to be sold....
So my point is this / once my uk licence is due for renewal can I just use the address and get an other one for another 10yrs ..with that address... considering I do live here in Donegal....or use the uk address as that will always be a valid address .........friend told about this site and says its the best one for advice .. so lets hope ....cheers ....

Your UK licence is valid in Ireland until it expires.
Then once you live here, you are meant to renew it in Ireland (so you would get Irish licence).

But in fact, assuming UK authorities won't be checking whether you really live at your parents address in UK, you might be able to get UK renewal.
Once you get it, I can't see any possibility that such licence wouldn't be valid in Ireland, or that anyone would discover that you did something wrong.

So IMHO it's pretty much up to how the system work in UK. If they check your residency while renewing licence.

DuckSlice

your licence wont expire till you are 70 tho? unless they have changed it. i think you just need to update the photos every ten years.

biko

Keep driving on the UK licence until it expires, it's fine.
At some point the overlords in the EU will probably match up the systems between various countries but burn that bridge when you get to it.

You don't have to exchange it and if I was you I would renew it to your parents address if its still beneficial i.e. still can't get Irish points on it. I certainly intend on renewing the uk licence I have when it expires as I still have access to the address on the licence.

Also technically the uk licence doesn't even expire until you are 70 it's just the photo card so I don't see how the authorities could say a word to you anyway.

Marcusm

CiniO wrote: »

Your UK licence is valid in Ireland until it expires.
Then once you live here, you are meant to renew it in Ireland (so you would get Irish licence).

But in fact, assuming UK authorities won't be checking whether you really live at your parents address in UK, you might be able to get UK renewal.
Once you get it, I can't see any possibility that such licence wouldn't be valid in Ireland, or that anyone would discover that you did something wrong.

So IMHO it's pretty much up to how the system work in UK. If they check your residency while renewing licence.

We've been over this one before; enforcement is one thing but it's an offence to apply for a UK renewal using an address which is not your usual >185 days per year address and any licence obtained through deception is invalid on its face. Many will not care and I won't judge them but let's call a spade a spade. Additionally unattractive in this instance as if theOP applies fir a renewal using a UK address and us subsequently stopped while driving an ROI registered car - not that unlikely - he's in a catch 22 situation. Either a false declaration offence to admit to or else unlawfully in possession of a foreign registered car.

muffler

Slightly off topic but relevant. A relation of mine has both the UK and ROI licences (dont ask) and about 2 years ago he was stopped for speeding in N.I.?? (not 100% sure on the offense)

Trying to be smart and know better than everyone else he pulled out his ROI licence to the copper thinking that he would be told to "drive on" but instead he was arrested, charged and released on bail to appear in court. The copper explained to him that if he had a N.I. license they would have dealt with it by a fixed penalty/points

H3llR4iser

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

I have full uk photo licence which is valid for several more yrs ..which is good I hear most folk say........I now live in Donegal and was wondering do I have to change my uk licence for a Irish one ? so many different websites give to many different answers....My uk licence shows my parents address on it and the house and its address will stay in my family until the day I die as my parents will leave it to me and my brothers never to be sold....
So my point is this / once my uk licence is due for renewal can I just use the address and get an other one for another 10yrs ..with that address... considering I do live here in Donegal....or use the uk address as that will always be a valid address .........friend told about this site and says its the best one for advice .. so lets hope ....cheers ....

In a nutshell, you keep your UK/EU license until it expires (the date should be marked on it). Once it's up for renewal, you need to get a license from the EU country you are living in.

That said, check your insurance premium...chances are you are paying roughly double what you should pay as insurance companies found another golden duck in "foreign license holders", which are charged at the same rate as Learner Permit's holders...

dilallio

muffler wrote: »

Slightly off topic but relevant. A relation of mine has both the UK and ROI licences (dont ask) and about 2 years ago he was stopped for speeding in N.I.?? (not 100% sure on the offense)

Trying to be smart and know better than everyone else he pulled out his ROI licence to the copper thinking that he would be told to "drive on" but instead he was arrested, charged and released on bail to appear in court. The copper explained to him that if he had a N.I. license they would have dealt with it by a fixed penalty/points

I was speaking to someone about this in the RUC last year. He told me this happens an odd time - especially when the driver opens their wallet to retrieve their Irish License and the officer spots a UK license next to it in the wallet.

Marlow

As for the ghost points in Ireland. They're not in place .. at all. They send you the letter out, with the points, but if you have a foreign license, those points fall out of the system, once the letter is printed.

You can see this, if you ever get another fine, as the total never increases. It's always the same as the points you've just been given.

As others have stated, a EU license doesn't not have to be exchanged until it expires.

muffler wrote: »

Trying to be smart and know better than everyone else he pulled out his ROI licence to the copper thinking that he would be told to "drive on" but instead he was arrested, charged and released on bail to appear in court. The copper explained to him that if he had a N.I. license they would have dealt with it by a fixed penalty/points

Correct. NI has special rules (opposed to the remainder of the UK), where they arrest you on the spot, release you on bail and you will have to return for your court case.

The only way to avoid this is to prove, that you're a resident within the UK.

/M

jackthelad1967

Marlow wrote: »

As for the ghost points in Ireland. They're not in place .. at all. They send you the letter out, with the points, but if you have a foreign license, those points fall out of the system, once the letter is printed.

You can see this, if you ever get another fine, as the total never increases. It's always the same as the points you've just been given.

As others have stated, a EU license doesn't not have to be exchanged until it expires.



Correct. NI has special rules (opposed to the remainder of the UK), where they arrest you on the spot, release you on bail and you will have to return for your court case.

The only way to avoid this is to prove, that you're a resident within the UK.

/M

So if I exchange my Mainland UK licence from the DVLA England will the points be added on to the new irish licence ? really confused how it works when you exchange to an Irish photo licence / which I beleave are now being issue for all exchange ones

jackthelad1967

H3llR4iser wrote: »

In a nutshell, you keep your UK/EU license until it expires (the date should be marked on it). Once it's up for renewal, you need to get a license from the EU country you are living in.

That said, check your insurance premium...chances are you are paying roughly double what you should pay as insurance companies found another golden duck in "foreign license holders", which are charged at the same rate as Learner Permit's holders...

I now live in the Republic with a UK / EU licence but my work takes me back to the mainland UK a lot and I am lucky to own a House in Scotland so I will always have a valid UK address / so do I really need to exchange once it Expires / which will be very soon with my age

Marlow

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

So if I exchange my Mainland UK licence from the DVLA England will the points be added on to the new irish licence ? really confused how it works when you exchange to an Irish photo licence / which I beleave are now being issue for all exchange ones

Depends if they can match the points and they actually have a record of them. If you still have the same address as when you were issued the points, then maybe.

Otherwise, unlikely.

The biggest issue they have, is that they still don't know, what sort of license you had in the first place, simply because you can only tick "Irish" or "Non-irish", when you pay your fine. Now, how intelligent do you think their system is gonna be, when they already can't count the total amount of points in the case of non-irish licenses ?

Anyhow. This is all guessing on my side, but you get the idea.

Originally, when they started issuing points, it said in the letter, that if you had a foreign license, they would be added to your license once you exchanged it. I think that term has been dropped off the letter since .. haven't had a fine in quite a while, so I'm not sure. But the reason for dropping it off the letter would have been simply, that they can't even count them.

Hell, most of the time, they can't even spell the name right or the address. With all those little mistakes, matching points and person at the license exchange will become near impossible, as they don't even record the origin of your license. Only whatever number is on there.

/M

jackthelad1967

Wilson Sour Unicorn wrote: »

You don't have to exchange it and if I was you I would renew it to your parents address if its still beneficial i.e. still can't get Irish points on it. I certainly intend on renewing the uk licence I have when it expires as I still have access to the address on the licence.

Also technically the uk licence doesn't even expire until you are 70 it's just the photo card so I don't see how the authorities could say a word to you anyway.

Cheers Bud I was kinda thinking along those lines / photo every ten years a wee snap and wee renewal / like you I do not see how that can be wrong if you still have access to a UK address / if you did not have access to an address then how would you collect your UK licence anyway the DVLA post it out to the address shown on your UK licence and if you dont have one you will not get it .Think maybe the Expire date is correct if you can not prove UK address is still legal....

jackthelad1967

Marlow wrote: »

Depends if they can match the points and they actually have a record of them. If you still have the same address as when you were issued the points, then maybe.

Otherwise, unlikely.

The biggest issue they have, is that they still don't know, what sort of license you had in the first place, simply because you can only tick "Irish" or "Non-irish", when you pay your fine. Now, how intelligent do you think their system is gonna be, when they already can't count the total amount of points in the case of non-irish licenses ?

Anyhow. This is all guessing on my side, but you get the idea.

Originally, when they started issuing points, it said in the letter, that if you had a foreign license, they would be added to your license once you exchanged it. I think that term has been dropped off the letter since .. haven't had a fine in quite a while, so I'm not sure. But the reason for dropping it off the letter would have been simply, that they can't even count them.

Hell, most of the time, they can't even spell the name right or the address. With all those little mistakes, matching points and person at the license exchange will become near impossible, as they don't even record the origin of your license. Only whatever number is on there.

/M

Sounds ok to me ..cheers how does it work when you try to insure a car with UK licence and points not shown on UK licence but on the ghost licence system they keep gping on about ? am not trying to be smart about the lawor break it just do not know what to tell a irish insurance company / UK licence is clean no points no bans but I do have points on the irish system.. only just moved over from scotland to live here

Sam Russell

You are only allowed one EU licence. Holding two is not allowed, and when you exchange your UK licence for an Irish one, the old one is returned to DVLA in Swansea.

I do not think insurance companies load a UK licence, but they do load other EU licences.

jackthelad1967

Marcusm wrote: »

We've been over this one before; enforcement is one thing but it's an offence to apply for a UK renewal using an address which is not your usual >185 days per year address and any licence obtained through deception is invalid on its face. Many will not care and I won't judge them but let's call a spade a spade. Additionally unattractive in this instance as if theOP applies fir a renewal using a UK address and us subsequently stopped while driving an ROI registered car - not that unlikely - he's in a catch 22 situation. Either a false declaration offence to admit to or else unlawfully in possession of a foreign registered car.

The 185 rule is for non EU/UK licence holders ... A UK/EU licence is valid for as long as the licence is valid and in date you must exchange one year before the expire date (10yr) photo licence so on the 9th yr ...old style paper UK licence not sure about / I know they do not have EU stamp but loads of UK people living and driving in Ireland have them and they last until your 70yrs / Lets face that one / am sure those folk do not have a UK address and have lived here more than the 185 days.......So its all a bit feeked up and the irish and the brits have not got a clue and are trying to put the ****s up all non irish licence holders here in ireland and with you guys when you go to the uk or the north......they are trying to stop the irish cross border scam with many licence holders

Fred Swanson

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stealthyspeeder

If you have property in the UK, and regularly return to the UK, why would you ever get an ROI license or even an ROI registered car?

You can do everything 100% legally with a UK driving license and UK registered car (which will certainly be cheaper). The only thing you need to do, is ensure your insurance covers you for an unlimited duration in EU.

Fred Swanson

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CiniO

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

If you have property in the UK, and regularly return to the UK, why would you ever get an ROI license or even an ROI registered car?

You can do everything 100% legally with a UK driving license and UK registered car (which will certainly be cheaper). The only thing you need to do, is ensure your insurance covers you for an unlimited duration in EU.

Owning property in UK and regularly returning there doesn't make anyone resident there.
Unless someone is returning every weekend.

jackthelad1967

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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That is why I would like to have a ROI car and ROI insurance ...Am not on here to scam or break any Irish law ...just need to know will my UK/EU licence still in in date and valid get me Irish insurance and a Irish car with the Garda and Customs on my back cost to much to change plates on my UK car

Marcusm

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

The 185 rule is for non EU/UK licence holders ... A UK/EU licence is valid for as long as the licence is valid and in date you must exchange one year before the expire date (10yr) photo licence so on the 9th yr ...old style paper UK licence not sure about / I know they do not have EU stamp but loads of UK people living and driving in Ireland have them and they last until your 70yrs / Lets face that one / am sure those folk do not have a UK address and have lived here more than the 185 days.......So its all a bit feeked up and the irish and the brits have not got a clue and are trying to put the ****s up all non irish licence holders here in ireland and with you guys when you go to the uk or the north......they are trying to stop the irish cross border scam with many licence holders

You've misconstrued my post; when your photo card expires, you need to meet UK residency rules (which mean spending more than 185 days of prior year in the UK) to lawfully renew it. If you don't believe me, check some of the UK expat forums - it's been quite an issue for people living in Spain through bureaucracy. 6 months or so ago, I traced through the UK legislation (RTA plus relevant SIs) and set out the penalties here. Like I said, what you choose to do is your business but given your travelling through NI regularly, I would hesitate to assert UK residence for one driving purpose while simultaneously driving a foreign registered car (quite legally) on a UK road. But YMMV.

The old paper style licences expire only on reaching 70 or 71 so this issue does not arise. However, the licence must be swapped before the final expiry date. I've recently had a family member experience bureaucracy trying to exchange a month after expiry - fine apparently if under 70 but falls between two stools if over. All worked out in the end.

stealthyspeeder

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

They may do, but if the OP does not own any property in the ROI, or have any direct family ties in the ROI, his personal ties are the uk. By law he is enittled to exemption.

CiniO wrote: »

Owning property in UK and regularly returning there doesn't make anyone resident there.
Unless someone is returning every weekend.

Nowhere says "every weekend" the requirement is stated as "regularly"

Marcusm

stealthyspeeder wrote: »

They may do, but if the OP does not own any property in the ROI, or have any direct family ties in the ROI, his personal ties are the uk. By law he is enittled to exemption.



Nowhere says "every weekend" the requirement is stated as "regularly"

This only applies in very limited circumstances where the person "lives in turn" in two locations - the OP states that he has an address available to him which is different from living there. I live in London for 3 weeks per month and Dublin for 1 week. I maintain property for my sole use (ie not rented out or otherwise occupied by others to my exclusion) in both cities. Even still, I think I would have a difficult time asserting my personal ties were in Ireland (despite all family living here etc). Based on what the OP has described, I doubtthat he falls within in it. These definitions derive from a 1983 EU directive and have been incorporated into VRT and licence rules as they are principally designed to deal with people travelling regularly for work and ensuring that ndividual member states do not put up reasonable barriers to cross border migration fr work purposes.



"person established outside the State" means an individual having his normal residence outside the State or a person (other than an individual) having his only or principal place of business outside the State;


(2) ( a ) In these Regulations "normal residence" means the place where a person usually lives, that is to say, where he lives for at least 185 days in each year, because of personal and occupational ties, or, in the case of a person with no occupational ties, because of personal ties.
However, the normal residence of a person whose occupational ties are in a different place from his personal ties and who consequently lives in turn in different places situated in 2 or more countries shall be regarded as being the place of this personal ties:

Provided that such person returns to the place of his personal ties regularly. This proviso shall not apply if the person is living in a country in order to carry out a task of a definite duration.

A person who lives in a country primarily for the purposes of attending a school or university or other educational or vocational establishment shall not be regarded as having his normal residence in that country.

jackthelad1967

Marcusm wrote: »

You've misconstrued my post; when your photo card expires, you need to meet UK residency rules (which mean spending more than 185 days of prior year in the UK) to lawfully renew it. If you don't believe me, check some of the UK expat forums - it's been quite an issue for people living in Spain through bureaucracy. 6 months or so ago, I traced through the UK legislation (RTA plus relevant SIs) and set out the penalties here. Like I said, what you choose to do is your business but given your travelling through NI regularly, I would hesitate to assert UK residence for one driving purpose while simultaneously driving a foreign registered car (quite legally) on a UK road. But YMMV.

The old paper style licences expire only on reaching 70 or 71 so this issue does not arise. However, the licence must be swapped before the final expiry date. I've recently had a family member experience bureaucracy trying to exchange a month after expiry - fine apparently if under 70 but falls between two stools if over. All worked out in the end.

Its all a bit crazy if you ask me / so all a person has to do is just go back live in the EU country which the licence comes from for about 7 month.....then get a new one for an other ten years ...lets face it is the photo that expires every 10 yrs and not the UK licence..they ask you to upgrade your photo as a person changes appearance and if you still have access to a legal and valid UK address (such as family or friends) the DVLA Just post it to that address .......you have the right to drive up until your 70th year then you need a medical to get new one for the next 5 years.....Am not trying to be a smart ass I just see it as it stands / a bit messed up and very misunderstood by the public and the Garda and the Courts...

Marcusm

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

Its all a bit crazy if you ask me / so all a person has to do is just go back live in the EU country which the licence comes from for about 7 month.....then get a new one for an other ten years ...lets face it is the photo that expires every 10 yrs and not the UK licence..they ask you to upgrade your photo as a person changes appearance and if you still have access to a legal and valid UK address (such as family or friends) the DVLA Just post it to that address .......you have the right to drive up until your 70th year then you need a medical to get new one for the next 5 years.....Am not trying to be a smart ass I just see it as it stands / a bit messed up and very misunderstood by the public and the Garda and the Courts...

Well if you move back for 7 months, there'd be no issue. I agree that the entitlement t o drive lasts until 70 and, like you, I assumed a non resident could get an updated photo card but I ddn't just check on forums (many designed for UK expats will confirm what I am saying is true) but followed the law through. It's also an offence to use a photo card which does not have your normal residential address on it but given DVLA will not update when you go overseas, I think the notification by letter of a change in address should be sufficient; did you do this? It's a bit of a minefield area and I can understand why many don't follow the detail of the law but given the OP will be driving an Irish reg'd car in NI on a regular basis, I'd probably not riskit as if they want to charge him, he has to be guilty of one bit or the other!

jackthelad1967

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

Its all a bit crazy if you ask me / so all a person has to do is just go back live in the EU country which the licence comes from for about 7 month.....then get a new one for an other ten years ...lets face it is the photo that expires every 10 yrs and not the UK licence..they ask you to upgrade your photo as a person changes appearance and if you still have access to a legal and valid UK address (such as family or friends) the DVLA Just post it to that address .......you have the right to drive up until your 70th year then you need a medical to get new one for the next 5 years.....Am not trying to be a smart ass I just see it as it stands / a bit messed up and very misunderstood by the public and the Garda and the Courts...

I have UK/EU licence valid for an other 8 yrs ..only just moved over from scotland and wish to buy a ROI car and purchase ROI insurance and pay for ROI road tax ..

Marcusm

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

I have UK/EU licence valid for an other 8 yrs ..only just moved over from scotland and wish to buy a ROI car and purchase ROI insurance and pay for ROI road tax ..

So there's no issue for you for at least 8 years then - but do send a letter to DVLA notifying change of address to avoid that offence (s99(4) RTA 1988 requires surrender of licence where name and address no longer correct but practice is to notify move overseas).

Sure, who knows where you 'll be living in 8 years time.

Marlow

Marcusm wrote: »

It's also an offence to use a photo card which does not have your normal residential address on it but given DVLA will not update when you go overseas, I think the notification by letter of a change in address should be sufficient;

The thing there is, that most other EU countries don't stick the address on the driving license in the first place. It's nonsense anyhow.

In Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Austria there is for example no address on the driving license. I do know, that it's the case in Ireland (dunno on the new licenses), UK and maybe France, but it means exchanging the license every time you move and especially when you move abroad and until it expires.

/M

Marcusm

Marlow wrote: »

The thing there is, that most other EU countries don't stick the address on the driving license in the first place. It's nonsense anyhow.

In Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Austria there is for example no address on the driving license. I do know, that it's the case in Ireland (dunno on the new licenses), UK and maybe France, but it means exchanging the license every time you move and especially when you move abroad and until it expires.

/M

The UK had to use it and require it to be up to date because of fixed penalty notice system, penalty points and basically judgement in default of response to the notice. By mandating drivers to keep their details up to date, the driver couldn't try to avoid the penalty by claiming not to have received the PCN or summons. Ireland seems to be following the same route. Also, it's a first line identity document (identity and address) for anti money laundering rules so very helpful for opening bank accounts etc. anyone now trying to avoid a fine by saying the address was out of date simply gets a much higher fine for failing to update the system. Gov't wins either way.

Marlow

Marcusm wrote: »

The UK had to use it and require it to be up to date because of fixed penalty notice system, penalty points and basically judgement in default of response to the notice. By mandating drivers to keep their details up to date, the driver couldn't try to avoid the penalty by claiming not to have received the PCN or summons. Ireland seems to be following the same route. Also, it's a first line identity document (identity and address) for anti money laundering rules so very helpful for opening bank accounts etc. anyone now trying to avoid a fine by saying the address was out of date simply gets a much higher fine for failing to update the system. Gov't wins either way.

That should not be a problem, because the address is already known based on the car that was used. And especially, when cameras are used, they have no way of checking the driving license. The fine is send to the address that the car is registered to, and if the owner is not the driver, the owner supplies the correct details.

So the above reasoning is an utter pile of horsesh!te.

/M

Fred Swanson

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Marlow

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Nope .. Generally, they're just archived in the Bermuda Triangle

/M

SCOOP 64

Marlow wrote: »

As for the ghost points in Ireland. They're not in place .. at all. They send you the letter out, with the points, but if you have a foreign license, those points fall out of the system, once the letter is printed.



marlow, you just answered some thing i wanted to know ,over a 10 year period i have 6 points, last 2 were 4yrs ago, i would get a letter each time, but the total each time only added up to 2 points?
my licences expires 2035. the old type with no photo, the guards have never questioned why i have not changed it , so i will hang on to it.

Marcusm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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TheU?k is/was the same; an Aussie mate swapped his Victoria licence at a walk in centre, watched the guy cut it up and throw it in a bin. Simply applied for a replacement when he next went to Melbourne.

Different laws apply in different countries but in the UK you can't apply for a new UK licence unless you surrender an existing EU licence. I.e. you can't (as an already EU licensed driver) elect to go through normal testing processes. A solicitor friend (beef to the heels country) tried to do his and his error was pointed out.

jackthelad1967

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Marlow wrote: »

As for the ghost points in Ireland. They're not in place .. at all. They send you the letter out, with the points, but if you have a foreign license, those points fall out of the system, once the letter is printed.



marlow, you just answered some thing i wanted to know ,over a 10 year period i have 6 points, last 2 were 4yrs ago, i would get a letter each time, but the total each time only added up to 2 points?
my licences expires 2035. the old type with no photo, the guards have never questioned why i have not changed it , so i will hang on to it.

I have photo uk licence expire in 2020 / I have 8 points on the system in ROI
so when I exchange in 2020 for a ROI licence will those 8 points go on the licence ?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

jackthelad1967

jackthelad1967 wrote: »

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

I have photo uk licence expire in 2020 / I have 8 points on the system in ROI
so when I exchange in 2020 for a ROI licence will those 8 points go on the licence ?

By 2023 all UK old style paper licence (the none photo one) will no longer be valid in any EU country so you will have to exchange it for one in which EU country you now live in / it means you will no longer be able to use it and you must get the new EU photo type / Same with all ROI old paper types must be renewed with photo type within the next 10yrs..so the EU are ruling the people

Sam Russell

I think that the 'one licence' is a new requirement. It is in all the new forms for the new CC licence. It clearly states that one is only allowed one EU licence, and second licences must be surrendered.

The licence surrendered is returned to the issuer, and may be destroyed or stored. It is upto the issuer.

stealthyspeeder

Marcusm wrote: »

This only applies in very limited circumstances where the person "lives in turn" in two locations

I agree that this applies in those circumstances but to describe that as limited, is incorrect. Any time you go to the country of your personal ties, you are alive, (you are living when you do this). By returning, and coming back and returning.. etc, this can only be described as "living in turn". It gives the impression that there is some sort of validation criteria here, but there is not. It just means that in addition to "having" personal ties in a country, you must actually go that country to avail of the exemption

Marcusm wrote: »

- the OP states that he has an address available to him which is different from living there.

If the OP has personal ties in the UK, and returns regularly to the UK, he meets the criteria

Marcusm wrote: »

I live in London for 3 weeks per month and Dublin for 1 week. I maintain property for my sole use (ie not rented out or otherwise occupied by others to my exclusion) in both cities. Even still, I think I would have a difficult time asserting my personal ties were in Ireland (despite all family living here etc).

as you have family and property in Ireland you have two separate categories of Irish personal ties. The property in England would throw some doubt into things alright, but I would think the revenue would see your personal ties as in Ireland if you were stopped and challenged.

Marcusm wrote: »

Based on what the OP has described, I doubtthat he falls within in it. These definitions derive from a 1983 EU directive and have been incorporated into VRT and licence rules as they are principally designed to deal with people travelling regularly for work and ensuring that ndividual member states do not put up reasonable barriers to cross border migration fr work purposes.

this is the link the irish law is derived from

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31983L0182:en:HTML

that scenario you described is a special case (article 5 part 1 in that link which just extends the time limit on indefinitely instead of granting the normal 12 month exemption)
The general principal of the directive is to ensure that domestic taxation on cars does not hamper peoples movement within the EU.

Fred Swanson

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