Exchanging other EU driving licence for Irish

tscul32

I have a Spanish friend who has been living here for 4 years and intends to stay long term. Wanting to buy a second car for the family so decided to do it all properly and exchange her Spanish licence for an Irish one. Over a month ago she applied and had to give them her Spanish licence. She got a receipt which acknowledges the application but states that 'this document does not a constitute a licence'. So for the past few weeks she has had no licence in her possession. NDLS are also saying that it could be another month or two. I've recommended that she contact the equivalent Spanish authority to verify that her Spanish licence is still active so that at least her insurance for her Spanish car is still valid. But she now has her new car unused in her driveway, uninsured because the insurance company won't cover her until she submits her licence.
I'm also concerned that if she were to meet a checkpoint, she has no licence to produce, nor could she be sure she could produce it within a certain time frame, could she be in trouble for driving without a licence?

The ridiculous thing is that on application, if she had said her licence was lost, then all she'd need to do would be to get a letter of entitlement from the Spanish agency and submit that instead. Then she'd still have her card on her.

Is this really the way it's done? I would have assumed they would photocopy the existing licence to get all the info they need and then when it's all ready just have you come in an swap them over. It seems crazy to leave someone for potentially 3mths without a licence in their possession. She has to drive kids to school every day.

GM228

tscul32 wrote: »

I have a Spanish friend who has been living here for 4 years and intends to stay long term. Wanting to buy a second car for the family so decided to do it all properly and exchange her Spanish licence for an Irish one. Over a month ago she applied and had to give them her Spanish licence. She got a receipt which acknowledges the application but states that 'this document does not a constitute a licence'. So for the past few weeks she has had no licence in her possession. NDLS are also saying that it could be another month or two. I've recommended that she contact the equivalent Spanish authority to verify that her Spanish licence is still active so that at least her insurance for her Spanish car is still valid. But she now has her new car unused in her driveway, uninsured because the insurance company won't cover her until she submits her licence.
I'm also concerned that if she were to meet a checkpoint, she has no licence to produce, nor could she be sure she could produce it within a certain time frame, could she be in trouble for driving without a licence?

Strictly speaking yes, however whilst technically not a valid licence most Guards use their discretion and will accept the form, however if asked to produce within 10 days and you don't there could be an issue as strictly speaking actually having a licence or not is irrelevant, the offence concerns production or not only.

tscul32 wrote: »

The ridiculous thing is that on application, if she had said her licence was lost, then all she'd need to do would be to get a letter of entitlement from the Spanish agency and submit that instead. Then she'd still have her card on her.

She would also need to complete a lost licence declaration witnessed by the Gardaí, NDLS also inform the original issuing authority and they note the licence as lost and also revoke it at their end, you then have no valid licence.

Such notifications are fairly swift as the NDLS use the EUs automated EUCARIS system to notify other EU issuing authorities, all EU licence issuing authorities are live linked to the system.

Stating you lost the licence when in fact you have not is an offence.

tscul32 wrote: »

Is this really the way it's done? I would have assumed they would photocopy the existing licence to get all the info they need and then when it's all ready just have you come in an swap them over. It seems crazy to leave someone for potentially 3mths without a licence in their possession. She has to drive kids to school every day.

Yes, by law you must surrender the original licence.

tscul32

Thanks for the answer. You would think that the they could sort it that there is a minimum time between surrendering one and receiving the new one.

CiniO

OP you are right that they should organise it the way you say.
But couple years ago it was much was as situation you described applied to everyone in Ireland who was renewing, adding category, changing address, etc.
People were left without licence documents for months.

Nowadays thats not the case anymore and when your renewing Irish licence, you get to keep the old one until new one is ready.

I remember myself in 2012 I was faced with 4 months without licence just because I passed a test for extra category.
That would affect me to be able to holiday and work abroad during that time. Insane