Temporarily moving to Dublin - insurance info help needed

smclarke4

Hi there, I am US based but my mother is elderly and my sister has been taking care of her. Now unfortunately my sister is ill and it's my turn to step up. I will be moving there mid-january and am planning to buy a car straight away. I have been trying to get insurance information since basically I will be arriving with no proof of address (bank has said my mother can write me a letter saying I live with her which will be true). I have a US licence - Irish license long gone, think i may have a pink UK one somewhere. I also picked up an international driving permit today. I am planning on a small car. I would love to get any information about who to use as I won't be getting a learning permit straight away as I have to go full on driving to chemo etc. My son who lives there also has an American drivers license and has never driven there but is going to now. If I get insurance can I put him on as a named driver. He is under 25 but has been driving in the US since he was 16! Thanks for any help or direction you can give me. It's all come up really quickly.

El Gato De Negocios

It will be difficult and costly to get a policy in your own right based on the details outlined above. Insurers generally will not recognise driving experience from the US and wouldn't be overly keen on international licences either.

Does your sister or mother have an existing motor policy they could add you too?

coylemj

The bodies who issue the International Driving Permit (here, it's AA Ireland) are usually tactically vague about where and when you will need it. In most cases, it's nothing more than a money making racket. It counts for nothing without a national driving licence to accompany it i.e. by itself, it's not worth the paper it's written on.

It's principal purpose is to provide an authenticated copy of your national licence for countries which do not use the Latin alphabet. Moving from an English speaking country to an English (or French, Spanish or Italian) speaking country, it is 100% useless, it will add nothing to any transaction. You can rent a car with a US licence, they will usually ask to photocopy your passport but nobody will ask to see an IDP. Insurance, as has been pointed out, is a different matter.

smclarke4

Thanks everyone. I will have to look for another avenue to drive. I suppose buy the car, put it in my sons name, get the wildly expensive insurance and add me as a named driver. He still hasn't got his learners permit yet and Covid lockdowns are not helping either. There is conflicting advice everywhere. An article in the Irish times a couple of years ago said that some insurance companies will insure you on your american licence until you get your Irish one which would be great but I would have to declare that I am moving permanently there and then I would have the problem of coming and going back and forth to the US. If anyone has a solution please let me know what it is lol. thanks again and stay safe everyone.

A supemini rental car will cost you 6 or 7 euro a day in low season. rent it by the fortnight.