Posted by Scott on September 17, 2008, 12:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Driver's License Crisis"
159.134.204.130
From the full site car section, Licence page:
If you are a non-national from outside the EU and one of the countries on the list above, then you may drive on your existing licence for 12 months if you are a visitor. If you reside here, then you have to get an Irish driver's licence within 6 months.
If you are not from any of the above countries, (for example, if you are from Canada, the United States or New Zealand), and you hold a national driving licence or an international driving permit from your own country, you may drive in Ireland for the duration of your temporary visit (up to 12 months).
An 'international driving permit' means a valid and property completed international driving permit issued to a visitor under the Convention of 1949 by a competent authority of the State in which you normally reside.
If your stay in Ireland will be more than 12 months and you are not from one of the listed recognised countries/States (and the US is not one of these, only the right hand drive nations are), you can apply for a driving licence in Ireland. You must first complete a driver theory test, apply for a provisional driving licence and complete your driving test in Ireland. If you pass your driving test, you will be issued with a full driving licence for use in Ireland.
For more information, check out the government site: http://www.citizensinformation.ie
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Your problem is what exactly constitutes being resident in Ireland. The official definition is living here for 183 out of 365. So, residency can't really be established until you're here a year, technically speaking. As I understand it, you're allowed to drive for a full year on your existing licence.
Considering the speed of the Irish driver's licence testing, you'll need every day of that year.
Scott
--Previous Message--
: I am an American working in Ireland with a
: green card but have not yet purchased a car.
:
: My understanding is that as a tourist I
: could stay in Ireland for 3 months and
: during that time drive using my US driver’s
: license but that once I was alien resident I
: was required to get an Irish driver’s
: license.
:
: To that end I have passed the driver’s
: theory test and started the process of
: getting my permanent driver’s license.
:
: My US license is still good. Before I left
: the US I joined the American Automobile
: Association [AAA] and got an International
: Driver’s License, which I can renew annually
: on-line.
:
: It has been my intention to use my
: International Driver’s License until I get
: my permanent Irish Driver’s License to avoid
: the restrictions of the Learner’s Permit.
: Does anyone know if that is allowed?
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: This is a lawyer's question, but I'd be
: astounded if your insurance company gave a
: wink and nod about driving with an expired
: licence.
:
: Sounds like it's time to visit family and
: friends in Ohio. Aerlingus flights to
: Chicago are on sale right now.
: http://www.aerlingus.com I've done that
: flight a number of times and good thing is
: that not only do you get to see family, you
: also can pack in about 4 movies on the
: inflight screens in the seat back in front
: of you.
:
: Anyone else with a better solution or
: experience?
:
: Scott
:
: --Previous Message--
: Hello All,
:
: I was wondering if anyone could possibly
: help with this. My husband has got himself
: into a bit of a bind... He is a U.S.
: citizen and has a Ohio driver's license
: which he has cleverly let expire. We've
: been living in Ireland full time since
: January and he has been driving on his U.S.
: license since then. Having realised that he
: had let his license expire, he began
: investigating and it turns out that he has 6
: months to renew, however he has to present
: himself in person at the Ohio BMV (and would
: have had to anyway if he wanted to renew it
: even if he hadn't let it expire!). He then
: got all the forms to apply for his
: provisional, which he was going to get
: anyway, and it turns out that he has to have
: it for 6 months before he can take his test
: (or at least that's what he was told in the
: Sligo Motor Tax Office). This leaves him in
: a bit of a cruch (and me too as I have to be
: his chauffeur).
:
: Essentially what I was wondering was this:
: 1. Would it be legal (or get-awayable-with)
: to drive on his US license if it is expired
: and what about his insurance? 2. Has anyone
: had to renew their US licence and come upon
: the problem of having to actually be in the
: States to do so? If so what did they do?
:
: If anyone has any ideas I would really
: appreciate it! Thank you in adavnce!
:
:
:
:
:
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