On provisional licence but living abroad

Xaracatz

Hi all

I am in a bit of a license limbo at the moment. I have an expired second provisional license in Ireland, and I can only get my next provisional if I apply for a driving test. I also have to present at the driving centre place to get the next provisional.

I'm living in Austria at the moment and coming home to do all of this isn't really an option. I would like to get my full license here, but I don't want to lose the provisional and have to start at the beginning again. Getting your license from scratch here costs a couple of grand, and I got my first provisional in Ireland before the new rules on x hours of lessons, which I would also not like to lose!

Has anybody been in a similar situation?

Thank you!

mickdw

Xaracatz wrote: »

Hi all

I am in a bit of a license limbo at the moment. I have an expired second provisional license in Ireland, and I can only get my next provisional if I apply for a driving test. I also have to present at the driving centre place to get the next provisional.

I'm living in Austria at the moment and coming home to do all of this isn't really an option. I would like to get my full license here, but I don't want to lose the provisional and have to start at the beginning again. Getting your license from scratch here costs a couple of grand, and I got my first provisional in Ireland before the new rules on x hours of lessons, which I would also not like to lose!

Has anybody been in a similar situation?

Thank you!

You provisional will stay alive for 5 years after it runs out so you can renew within that time frame.
Either way, an Irish provisional has no benefit to you driving in Australia so surely if you want to drive there you do a driving test either here or there.

anothernight

Your learner's permit from Ireland is only legal in Ireland. You'd have to pass the driving test in Ireland to get the full licence if you don't want to start from scratch in Austria.

Xaracatz

mickdw wrote: »

You provisional will stay alive for 5 years after it runs out so you can renew within that time frame.
Either way, an Irish provisional has no benefit to you driving in Australia so surely if you want to drive there you do a driving test either here or there.

Cheers. It's a second provisional license though. And I'm in Austria rather than Australia, so I'm not sure if there's some European benefit to already having an Irish provisional.

Xaracatz

anothernight wrote: »

Your learner's permit from Ireland is only legal in Ireland. You'd have to pass the driving test in Ireland to get the full licence if you don't want to start from scratch in Austria.

Thanks anothernight. That answers my questions!

cantdecide

The above is all correct. Your hands really are tied. Your choice really is to start from scratch over there or to make a point of coming home to either renew your permit and/ or pass a driving test.

How long has it been since your last permit expired? Do you need/ wish to resume learning to drive? Are you experienced enough to have a chance of passing a test here (even with some more tuition)?

As long as you have a legitimate address over here (parents or whatever) then you should be able to apply for a test, present at an NDLS office and receive your third permit. That will give you six years from your renewal date to come home and resume learning and hopefully pass the test.

JackHeuston

Xaracatz wrote: »

Cheers. It's a second provisional license though. And I'm in Austria rather than Australia, so I'm not sure if there's some European benefit to already having an Irish provisional.

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-recognition-validity/index_en.htm

You can check with Austria's department of motor vehicles, but it's unlikely you can drive with an Irish provisional. I would get a Full Irish licence and then exchange it. Is it really an issue going quickly back to Ireland and back to Austria again?

Doing everything from scratch in Austria might be harder, and if you're planning to move back to Ireland one day, insurance companies might screw you over the fact you didn't take the exam in Ireland even though you'll have a Full Irish. While the opposite doesn't really apply, no such discriminations in the continent, usually.

mdebets

How long are you living in Austria already? If you live there long enough to be normal resident there, you can only apply for an Austrian license, not an Irish one.