Exchange EU driver license for Irish driver license

shamrock2004

Hi

The girlfriend just bought a car. She holds an Italian driver license and wants to exchange it for an Irish one.

The driver license application includes an option to exchange it for an Irish one. However is she allowed to keep her Italian driver license? I cannot find the answer to this.

thanks

Del2005

No. It's illegal to hold 2 drivers licenses, but difficult to enforce.

The only way she can have the 2 is to start fresh here, but that would mean EBT, 12 lessons and an N plate for 2 years after she passes.

CiniO

shamrock2004 wrote: »

Hi

The girlfriend just bought a car. She holds an Italian driver license and wants to exchange it for an Irish one.

The driver license application includes an option to exchange it for an Irish one. However is she allowed to keep her Italian driver license? I cannot find the answer to this.

thanks

No, she can not keep her Italian one.

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

No. It's illegal to hold 2 drivers licenses, but difficult to enforce.

Within EU.
I don't think there's anything wrong or illegal with having Irish and Sri Lankan licence.

The only way she can have the 2 is to start fresh here, but that would mean EBT, 12 lessons and an N plate for 2 years after she passes.

Well, assuming OP's girlfriend is Italian, there's big chance that even if she applies here from scratch, it will be checked if she has Italian licence, and if she does, she won't get one here, until she exchanges it.

shamrock2004

Del2005 wrote: »

No. It's illegal to hold 2 drivers licenses, but difficult to enforce.

The only way she can have the 2 is to start fresh here, but that would mean EBT, 12 lessons and an N plate for 2 years after she passes.

Thanks all for the responses. So, in short, once she exchanges her Italian license for an Irish one, she rescinds the Italian one. Anyone know the cost of exchanging an EU license for an Irish one? Again I can't find it on the driver licensing website nor citizens information. Thanks again.

Soldie

It'll probably be the full cost of a new license.

Out of interest, why does she want to exchange it? There's no obligation to do so and her Italian license is valid in Ireland until it expires. I'm driving around in Germany on my Irish license and I'd no trouble getting insurance.

biko

Cost 55 http://www.ndls.ie/en/Driving-Licence/holders-of-foreign-licences.html

bear1

Soldie wrote: »

It'll probably be the full cost of a new license.

Out of interest, why does she want to exchange it? There's no obligation to do so and her Italian license is valid in Ireland until it expires. I'm driving around in Germany on my Irish license and I'd no trouble getting insurance.

I may be wrong, but AFAIK once you've been a certain amount of time in Ireland then the licence must be exchanged.

afatbollix

bear1 wrote: »

I may be wrong, but AFAIK once you've been a certain amount of time in Ireland then the licence must be exchanged.

Your incorrect a EU licence is valid to use EU wide until it expires and then can be exchanged for a licence in the country you are now living in.

bear1

afatbollix wrote: »

Your incorrect a EU licence is valid to use EU wide until it expires and then can be exchanged for a licence in the country you are now living in.

Yep, you're correct

http://www.ndls.ie/en/Driving-Licence/holders-of-foreign-licences.html

H3llR4iser

Soldie wrote: »

It'll probably be the full cost of a new license.

Out of interest, why does she want to exchange it? There's no obligation to do so and her Italian license is valid in Ireland until it expires. I'm driving around in Germany on my Irish license and I'd no trouble getting insurance.

Because Irish insurers take advantage of the relatively high number of foreign license holders in the country and quite literally ride them all the way to the bank; Most companies will apply a double premium and put them (us) on the very same level as Learner's permit holders. Just try it for yourself - run some online quotes with your profile, then amend the data and switch to an EU license. Curious thing, none of them will actually refuse you flat out - they'll just try to shaft as much money as they can.

I am not aware of the same happening in any other EU country, and I am also quite amazed the EU Commission never took a dim view of it.

Some brokers specialize in EU license holders policies, and might be able to give you a fair price; I find that AA are also very good at this (I am with AXA through AA and only pay about 30 euro more than what I would if I had an Irish license).


To the OP, exchanging licenses really is just swapping a document - so her Italian license has to go to the tax office. The Irish document she'll get will, conceptually be the same license - for which she took her exams in Italy and so on; As it was pointed out, if her license expired she would need to renew her Italian license here with an Irish one.

dingus12

My advice would be to keep to Italian licence l, and if she racks up a few penalty point, change it over then, hey presto no points.

joujoujou

dingus12 wrote: »

[...] if she racks up a few penalty point, change it over then, hey presto no points.

No way.

[...]If someone is driving in Ireland on a foreign licence, the driver's details are held on a separate database for the purpose of recording penalty points. If that driver applies for and obtains an Irish driving licence, the penalty points are then activated on that licence. [...]

CiniO

joujoujou wrote: »

No way.

Yes, but if driver never exchanges his licence for Irish, then those points are never activated.

joujoujou

CiniO wrote: »

Yes, but if driver never exchanges his licence for Irish, then those points are never activated.

True.

But if you collect more points than allowed you can be banned from driving in Ireland anyway.

Soldie

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Because Irish insurers take advantage of the relatively high number of foreign license holders in the country and quite literally ride them all the way to the bank; Most companies will apply a double premium and put them (us) on the very same level as Learner's permit holders. Just try it for yourself - run some online quotes with your profile, then amend the data and switch to an EU license. Curious thing, none of them will actually refuse you flat out - they'll just try to shaft as much money as they can.

I am not aware of the same happening in any other EU country, and I am also quite amazed the EU Commission never took a dim view of it.

I wish I was surprised.

CiniO

joujoujou wrote: »

True.

But if you collect more points than allowed you can be banned from driving in Ireland anyway.

You can't.
How can you be banned, if point you collect are not active?

joujoujou

CiniO wrote: »

You can't.
How can you be banned, if point you collect are not active?

Very easily.

You'll be invited to visit a court, where judge will tell you you're banned.

CiniO

joujoujou wrote: »

Very easily.

You'll be invited to visit a court, where judge will tell you you're banned.

Any links to law allowing judge to do it, or some court cases which had such verdict?

joujoujou

[...] (2) Section 3 of the Act of 2002 is amended by substituting for subsection (1) the following:


“(1) When penalty points are endorsed on the entry of a person and, in consequence, the total number of penalty points standing so endorsed equals or exceeds 12, the person stands disqualified for a period of 6 months beginning on the appropriate date for holding a licence, and—


(a) an Irish licence held by him or her at the beginning of the period stands suspended correspondingly, or


(b) a foreign driving licence held by him or her at the beginning of the period has no effect in the State.”. [...]

.

Del2005

dingus12 wrote: »

My advice would be to keep to Italian licence l, and if she racks up a few penalty point, change it over then, hey presto no points.

Penalty points are put on a virtual licence. Once you swap to an Irish licence your penalty points kick in for 3 years from date of issue, theoretically you could be banned as soon as you get an Irish licence if you where naughty.

Mikko Mallikas

Do the insurance companies have access to the info on the shadow licenses? Ie: you´re insured using a foreign licence and IT has no points, but do you need to declare your shadow licence has some?

Del2005

Mikko Mallikas wrote: »

Do the insurance companies have access to the info on the shadow licenses? Ie: you´re insured using a foreign licence and IT has no points, but do you need to declare your shadow licence has some?

They can't have access as it doesn't exist, penalty points only become active when you swap an EU licence for an Irish one. You can only get Irish penalty points on an Irish licence so if you are driving on an EU licence in Ireland you can't get penalty points, but once you swap to an Irish licence any accumulated points are instantly applied.

joujoujou

To make it clear: once you have an Irish licence and get more than 12 points in 3 years you get automatic ban.

Once you have foreign licence you won't get automatic ban alright, but it's likely you'll be banned anyway.

blastman

joujoujou wrote: »

To make it clear: once you have an Irish licence and get more than 12 points in 3 years you get automatic ban.

Once you have foreign licence you won't get automatic ban alright, but it's likely you'll be banned anyway.

That didn't make it clear

joujoujou

blastman wrote: »

That didn't make it clear

I'm so sorry.