Overseas licence exchange ~ getting Irish licence back?

SuperS54

I'm living and working abroad at the moment, up until now I've been surviving on using an Irish license with an IDP however both are expiring soon and with the Covid 19 situation a trip home to renew is not really advisable.

I cannot renew my license online as I do not have a PSC or MyGovID. I can post my license back and renew based on being abroad on a fixed contract however post between my location and Ireland has all stopped due to, you guessed it, Covid 19...

One option open to me is to exchange my Irish license for a local license here as there is a reciprocal agreement in place. My concern with this is how to eventually get my Irish license back? I've checked the various government and citizen advice websites and only see details on exchanging a foreign license for an Irish license.

Has anyone come back from abroad and gotten their Irish license back or would I have to apply to exchange my new foreign license for an Irish license, basically as if I never has the Irish license in the first place?

An added complication is that the country I am in will only exchange my Irish car license but not my full motorcycle license so it would effectively vanish into the ether and therefore may be difficult or impossible to get back in the future.

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS!

California Dreamer wrote: »

Got my Irish license back after I lived in the UK for a couple of years with no issues. Just handed in my UK license.

Not really what the OP asked though.

From the sounds of it, he doesn't live in the EU or UK.

Pekarirska

You're saying there's reciprocal agreement in place. So your Irish licence will be mirrored and a local issued.

You then have 10 years to renew expired licence in Ireland.

https://www.rsa.ie/en/Utility/News/2015/DRIVERS-URGED-TO-CHECK-THEIR-LICENCES-HAVE-NOT-EXPIRED/

SuperS54

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS! wrote: »

From the sounds of it, he doesn't live in the EU or UK.

Correct I'm in Asia, in a country with a reciprocal agreement.

SuperS54

Pekarirska wrote: »

You then have 10 years to renew expired licence in Ireland.

Problem is I won't have an Irish license as I need to exchange it for the local license here. I have not gotten a verified answer here as to what happens to my Irish license however my understanding is that the Irish NDLS will be notified of the exchange and the Irish license may be sent back to Ireland. This is why I'm trying to understand the process to reverse on return to Ireland.

dzsfah2xoynme9

I lived in New Zealand and had the same issue. Swapped my Irish license for a kiwi one. They took mine. When I got home I had to give up my kiwi one for my Irish one.

biko

You will get your Irish licence back, incl motorbike. This because when you return NDLS don't care about the Asian licence, they look at the licence you got from them.

Do get in contact with NDLS and get it in writing from them https://www.ndls.ie/contact.html

SuperS54

Levi Gifted Repayment wrote: »

I lived in New Zealand and had the same issue. Swapped my Irish license for a kiwi one. They took mine. When I got home I had to give up my kiwi one for my Irish one.

Thanks, do you remember if they had a record that you swapped for a kiwi license or did you just go through the process (wondering if they know you swapped or could you have applied for a replacement for a "lost" Irish license)?

When you swapped did they issue an Irish license based on the fact that you had an Irish license previously or based on the kiwi swap? Asking as I assume issue based on a previous Irish license would be immediate over the counter whereas issue based on the kiwi license would require a verification of the kiwi license before the swap and, looking at news reports, this could take a long time.

SuperS54

biko wrote: »

You will get your Irish licence back, incl motorbike. This because when you return NDLS don't care about the Asian licence, they look at the licence you got from them.

Do get in contact with NDLS and get it in writing from them https://www.ndls.ie/contact.html

I'm hoping that's the case, just need to confirm what happened with other peoples experience. If it relies on a swap it could take a long time and also I will not have my 'A' on the Asian license.

I'm waiting for feedback from ndls however one problem is that these reciprocal arrangements tend to change relatively frequently so might end up the agreement is cancelled when I do actually return.

This statement on the NDLS causes some concern;

"If you exchanged an Irish driving licence in a recognised state for a driving licence issued by that state, you must submit that licence to the NDLS when applying for an Irish driving licence.

A Recognised State driving licence may be exchanged up to a maximum of 1 year after it expires with an accompanying letter of entitlement. After this period, applicants will need to apply for a learner permit."

This seems to indicate that even with an exchange of an Irish license, the "right" to a license is still dependent on the swapped license rather than originally having an Irish license. An Irish license can be renewed up to 10 years after expiry whereas the swapped license can only be expired for a maximum of one year and also needs a "letter of entitlement".

redcup342

Depends on the country, check with local expat groups that have gone through the process.

Some countries keep your license on File and you get it back when you are leaving the country.
Some countries let you keep your old license.
Some countries send it back to the place it was issued (rare)

Bit of a minefield really, just be careful in the future if you exchange it again in another country/state. Check that state has a reciprocal agreement with Ireland otherwise you could come back and find they won't exchange your license back again.

If it's the rare case that happens you are better off applying to NDLS saying you lost it, I know someone that had to go through their test again because of the above mentioned situation and the person in the DL office said they would have been better off doing that.

SuperS54

redcup342 wrote: »

Depends on the country, check with local expat groups that have gone through the process.

Some countries keep your license on File and you get it back when you are leaving the country.
Some countries let you keep your old license.
Some countries send it back to the place it was issued (rare)

Bit of a minefield really, just be careful in the future if you exchange it again in another country/state. Check that state has a reciprocal agreement with Ireland otherwise you could come back and find they won't exchange your license back again.

If it's the rare case that happens you are better off applying to NDLS saying you lost it, I know someone that had to go through their test again because of the above mentioned situation and the person in the DL office said they would have been better off doing that.

Thanks. Have checked with local expats however they've only gone through part one, need to check with people who have returned to Ireland for part 2!

DMV here have given me various responses on what happens to my Irish license, from they keep it here and I can get it back anytime I return to Ireland to they send it back and I can only get it back in Ireland to everywhere in between those 2. If they really don't notify Ireland then reporting lost is obviously the most sensible option however I'm guessing that is not going to end well if caught out.

Yep, your example of someone having to do the test again is exactly what I'm hoping to avoid. In that case it does seem like the NDLS were notified their license was exchanged and therefore didn't work from their original Irish license to restore it or their Irish entitlement had expired over 10 years. It is a minefield with no reliable map it seems.

Cookie_Monster

Levi Gifted Repayment wrote: »

I lived in New Zealand and had the same issue. Swapped my Irish license for a kiwi one. They took mine. When I got home I had to give up my kiwi one for my Irish one.

I'm in NZ too and got to keep my Irish one, now have both NZ and Irl in my possession. They took my wife's one though so seems a bit random as to who actually deals with it on the day.

SuperS54

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I'm in NZ too and got to keep my Irish one, now have both NZ and Irl in my possession. They took my wife's one though so seems a bit random as to who actually deals with it on the day.

Same here, have friends who kept theirs and others who didn't.

I have solved my issue anyhow, did a driving test here and passed! No 10 year BS, this license is good until my 75th birthday!

Cheensbo

I'd say reporting it as lost would probably be your easiest bet,

I got laughed - hard - at in a driving licence office in regional QLD a few years ago when I presented the aul paper licence to get a QLD one, they didn't bother keeping it.


Edit - you got sorted