ROI license in NI

Katie_Kiss

hi all,

im moving to northern ireland for a yr and a half, but im wondering how my drivers license will work.

i have a full irish license for 3 yrs with 3 yrs insurance ncb. if i move to the north and buy a northern car can i drive the car with a irish license or will i have to surrender my license for a uk one??

i know of a few insurance companies that will insure me on a northern reg car with a southern license but what will happen if the police of the gardai stop me?

help appreciated

junior_apollo

Heya,

I have an Irish license and it is valid in other countries. (NI counts as another country). So you can legally drive with this license no problem.

It actually works out better that you have a ROI license as I found out while driving in England was stopped by the Police for an "offense"... brought to court and fined/banned... but no endorsements or problems with my license as its Irish so nothing they could do as they English... to my extreme joy... !

junior_apollo

http://www.dvlni.gov.uk/drivers/ec_licences.htm

Heres a handy link for you...

Katie_Kiss

haha - thats good to know - thanx

although i dont intend on making an offenses . my real worry is if i get stopped by the gardai and they ask me for my license andi hand them my irish lisence and my reg is northern? or vica versa i get stopped by the police handing them a southern license.

do i have to by law - surrender my irish license for a uk one?

i wanna do everything by the book.

Ferris

Hi just moved back from the north and I had the same issue. The northern insurance companies will only let you keep the licence for a year then they will start to load your premium. Also the PSNI are not too keen on it if you are pulled over driving a northern reg car. Its not a lot of work to transfer your licence over and looking back thats what I would have done.

Be warned that if you say that you are living in the north your premium will go up compared to here, especially if you are a girl. They have major girl racers up there. On the plus side tho the car tax is less.

To be honest you have two options:

1. Keep your existing car and licence and drive in the north on Irish plates, mates of mine did it for 2yrs plus.

2. Sell your car, buy a cheaper, newer car up there. Change over your licence. And providing that you're going to be employed by a UK company for over 6mths, import it into the south VRT free.

Katie_Kiss

thats a great link - thank you.

this line kinda threw me - "The appropriate full entitlement for the vehicle you wish to drive must be shown on your licence."

readin that, i understand that i can drive and live in the north for 3 yrs or untill im 70 - so does that mean i can own and drive a northern car aswell?

sorry im a little slow i just really want to get the correct understanding.

Katie_Kiss

hi fer

im planning on living in the north for a yr and a day so i dont have to pay vrt. i have already checked with e customs and i need to b a resident for a yr and own the car for 6 months but i dont need to b employed by a northern company.

im buying a 04 e46 m3 in the north and my vrt is between 12-15k so im really trying to avoid that.

i dont want to change my license to a uk one.

rite what i want and wat im wondering can i do is:

move to the north, by the bmw, use my southern license while im there and get insured with my southern license while im there. then a yr later move back to the south, avoiding vrt and live happily ever after.

junior_apollo

No the only way you would have to surrender your license and have a GB one would be the scenario whereby you permanently move there (take up residence) and your existing license expires... requiring you to obtain a new license.

In this case it is your place of residence where you must apply for a new license... ie get a GB one...

Assuming your license is a 10 yr license - and you have only 3 yrs used... then yours wont expire for 7 years... You can legally and correctly drive on this in any european country... (NI included!)...

Also... If you travel outside of europe you can still use your Irish driving license... may require the additional "International License" which you get for €5 (thats what it cost me when I went to OZ) that lasts one year only... this is NOT a full license but merely accompanies your full license as some countries require this (eg 'some' Australian states, Korea etc etc)
This is NOT a requirement for any european country!!! YOU DO NOT NEED THIS

Your license is perfectly valid... if the police (not gardai remember! ) stop you they will look at it ask what your doing up there probably - but there is nothing to stop you using it the same as any other...

Be aware though that you can be banned from NI driving on that license... (as I currently am)... this does not affect your ROI driving in any way...

Loophole... You cant get penalty points while your up there on your Irish license... as although an offense may carry points up there they would apply to a GB license only... hence my ban instead... avoided this by only driving on site for my company - so in effect was given no penalty for my offense... (I WOULD NOT ADVISE OFFENDING HAHA )

Ferris

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

hi fer

im planning on living in the north for a yr and a day so i dont have to pay vrt. i have already checked with e customs and i need to b a resident for a yr and own the car for 6 months but i dont need to b employed by a northern company.

I think you have to be employed. I had to show the customs my p60 and most recent payslips to prove that I was working there before I got off paying VRT. Put it this way, it didn't work for a friend of mine who was studying (not working) in Cardiff for 5yrs.

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

im buying a 04 e46 m3 in the north and my vrt is between 12-15k so im really trying to avoid that.

:):D:)

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

move to the north, by the bmw, use my southern license while im there and get insured with my southern license while im there. then a yr later move back to the south, avoiding vrt and live happily ever after.

Thats what I did for 2.5 yrs with no serious trouble, looking back I think I would have applied for a UK licence but thats just to keep everything right. Just an idea but you could just apply for an international driving licence just to be sure to be sure.

Other than that enjoy the North, I really enjoyed my time there.

junior_apollo

Ferris wrote: »

... Just an idea but you could just apply for an international driving licence just to be sure to be sure.
...

Not necessary... As it cant be used within the EU - See my above comment...

pete4130

You could apply to sit your test up there and have 2 licences. Waiting times for tests up north are only a few weeks.

moe_sizlak

i presume your all talking about provisional licences as a full licence means you have a european drivers licence which entitles you to drive in australia if you want

Katie_Kiss

its only for a yr so i dont wanna go to the hassle of doing another driving test cos even if i did i would b on R plates and no insurance company would insure me on a 3.2 bmw.

ill look into the 6mnths employment thing fer.

worst case is that i buy the car and just own it for 6 months, not insure it or drive it. then bring it back to the south, get insured and drive it and all back to normal

craichoe

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

hi fer

im planning on living in the north for a yr and a day so i dont have to pay vrt. i have already checked with e customs and i need to b a resident for a yr and own the car for 6 months but i dont need to b employed by a northern company.

im buying a 04 e46 m3 in the north and my vrt is between 12-15k so im really trying to avoid that.

i dont want to change my license to a uk one.

rite what i want and wat im wondering can i do is:

move to the north, by the bmw, use my southern license while im there and get insured with my southern license while im there. then a yr later move back to the south, avoiding vrt and live happily ever after.

Its 6 months not a year. Resident does not mean having an address there, you need to be paid by a company in the north and have proof that your living there, bills etc.

Also when you bring the car back you can't sell the car for a year too.

Irish licenses are valid across the EU, you do not have to change them in a year, no matter what the law states in the country you are living in. Its valid until the date it expires. Then you'll have ot exchange it or go home and get it renenewed.

smashey

I'm living in the North now and use my Irish license. I'm on my second insurance policy and there isn't a problem.

I have never been stopped by the PSNI so can't comment on this.

I was stopped by the Customs outside Letterkenny one morning and asked for a license. I produced my Irish license and they were very un-impressed. The guy told me they had been instructed to lift Northern cars being driven on an Irish license unless proof of address could be provided. I now carry a copy of my phone bill with me.

junior_apollo

pete4130 wrote: »

You could apply to sit your test up there and have 2 licences. Waiting times for tests up north are only a few weeks.

This is a perfectly valid second option yes.

Basically it comes down to:

2 Licenses (ROI + GB) :

Pros:
Less questions from Police

Cons:
Can receive penalty points/endorsements on second license
Costs money
Extra test and paperwork



1 License (ROI) :
Pros -
No Points/Endorsements

Cons -
Police may ask you extra questions each time


Personally speaking though I would just stay with my Irish one... :rolleyes:

But each to their own...

Katie_Kiss

craichoe wrote: »

Its 6 months not a year.

no no its definately a yr i got confirmation from customs of this yesterday and have to own the car for 6 months. there getting back to me on whether i need to be employed in the north.

junior_apollo

moe_sizlak wrote: »

i presume your all talking about provisional licences as a full licence means you have a european drivers licence which entitles you to drive in australia if you want

Hoping to not go off topic...

Nope talking about full licenses...

You can drive for up to 3 months on your full license in some states/countries, in others its fine to drive the whole time, in others the accompanying Intl. License is needed. All the details of which countries and states etc etc that need it are wrote on the license itself... which is obtained from either Cork AA office or the one in Dublin... I got mine in Cork... cost me €5

Dont believe your allowed drive on the provisional as it isnt recognised by anyone other than the issuer... Hence a full license being European recognised.

Back on topic... How much the M3 gonna cost?... If i didnt have ties down here I'd be doing the EXACT same! haha

craichoe

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

no no its definately a yr i got confirmation from customs of this yesterday and have to own the car for 6 months. there getting back to me on whether i need to be employed in the north.

156 days constitutes residency in any EU state. Once your outside Ireland for longer than this period your non resident.

From
http://www.revenue.ie/index.htm?/leaflets/vrt3.htm

you must have had possession of and have actually used the vehicle outside the State for at least 6 months before your transfer to Ireland. In the case of relief from import charges, you must have used the vehicle at your former normal place of residence. Any possession and use in the State, even during times when you were living abroad, does not count

Is proof of residence required?

Yes, you will be required to produce sufficient evidence to show that you have been living abroad for the required length of time. You will also be required to show that you are taking up residence in the State. The evidence required includes documents relating to:

* the acquisition and disposal of property abroad and in the State (e.g. rent agreements, mortgage documents, rent/mortgage payments etc.)
* employment abroad and in the State (e.g. payslips, tax records, social welfare records etc.)
* other transactions carried out in the course of day to day living (bank statements/transaction documents, bills/receipts for electricity, phone, service charges and other day to day living expenses)
* travel records connected with trips into and out of the State
* other such evidence as requested in individual cases.

Remember the onus is on you to prove that you were resident abroad for the stated period. If the necessary documentary evidence is not furnished, tax relief cannot be granted.

Yes, you need payslips and bills.

I'm in the process of doing all this in Holland at the moment.

IF you buy a car up North and just use someones address you know, the Revenue will bend you over the table when you bring in the car.

Also students cannot avail of this exemption:

You do not qualify for relief from VRT

* if you went to live abroad primarily for the purpose of pursuing a course of studies
* if you were working abroad on a task of duration of less than one year and your personal ties remained in the State
* if you were working abroad on a task of duration of more than one year and you have been granted tax relief in respect of another vehicle in the previous 5 years.

Katie_Kiss

basically i have to live in the north, work in the north and use the car in the north for at least 6months to qualify.

mick4_2000

worst case is that i buy the car and just own it for 6 months, not insure it or drive it. then bring it back to the south, get insured and drive it and all back to normal

No you cant, you must prove you were using the car Eg Show Insurance and Tax Certs in your name.

moe_sizlak

junior_apollo wrote: »

Hoping to not go off topic...

Nope talking about full licenses...

You can drive for up to 3 months on your full license in some states/countries, in others its fine to drive the whole time, in others the accompanying Intl. License is needed. All the details of which countries and states etc etc that need it are wrote on the license itself... which is obtained from either Cork AA office or the one in Dublin... I got mine in Cork... cost me €5

Dont believe your allowed drive on the provisional as it isnt recognised by anyone other than the issuer... Hence a full license being European recognised.

Back on topic... How much the M3 gonna cost?... If i didnt have ties down here I'd be doing the EXACT same! haha

your european full licence entitles you to drive in the north for as long as the licence is valid , max of 10 yrs

craichoe

mick4_2000 wrote: »

worst case is that i buy the car and just own it for 6 months, not insure it or drive it. then bring it back to the south, get insured and drive it and all back to normal

No you cant, you must prove you were using the car Eg Show Insurance and Tax Certs in your name.

And you can't sell it for a year after you get back, otherwise you get the bill from the revenue anyway

Basically all the rules are there to stop cross border buying to make a profit.

deman

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

basically i have to live in the north, work in the north and use the car in the north for at least 6months to qualify.

I did exactly what you're planning on doing. I moved from Donegal to Tyrone and stayed about a year. As soon as I moved into Strabane, I changed my car to a Vauxhall Vectra. I didn't change my licence, I didn't change my job (in Donegal), and didn't change really my driving habits that much. One year later when I moved out again, all I needed to take to the customs office in Letterkenny were my phones bills, electricity bills and I also took my oil bills (just in case) going back for as long as I'd had the car (just a little over a year). I also needed some proof that I'd moved out so I showed them proof that I'd got newly registered with ESB and Telecom Eireann. Everything was straight forward, got the registration about 10 days later and changed the plates. I kept the car for another 2-3 years and sold it for the same price as I'd paid for it.

Was stopped by the police and there were no problems. The only problem was with one particular garda after I'd moved out and before the registration came through but I'd had proof to show him that I'd been to the customs already.

Katie_Kiss

thanks deman - unfortunately the insurance in the north on the m3 is costing me 8k sterling (which is unreal cos its 1900euro on the same car in the south) so this has determined a decision. looks like ill have to get a 04 320 m sport in the roi.

thanx everyone for the help.

Wishbone Ash

pete4130 wrote: »

You could apply to sit your test up there and have 2 licences. Waiting times for tests up north are only a few weeks.

My brother did that. He holds both an Irish and a UK licence.

caesar

Katie_Kiss wrote: »

thanks deman - unfortunately the insurance in the north on the m3 is costing me 8k sterling (which is unreal cos its 1900euro on the same car in the south) so this has determined a decision. looks like ill have to get a 04 320 m sport in the roi.

thanx everyone for the help.

8k.....sterling:eek::(

I was going to do exactly what you are thinking of when I finish college in two years but I was thinking along the lines of a 01.

Why is it 8k? Is your driving experience down here not recognised up there or something.

judy07

no you do not have to surrender your licence while in the north. i know in ireland they let you keep your english until it runs out and once your licence is a full eu it is perfectly legal in the north. the only reason the psni get cagey over it is because if you get caught for an offense they can not legally put any points on your irish licence.
Same as the guards here they get a bit pissed off when you hand them an english licence and they can not give you points.
I know you said you do not intend on commiting any offenses but trust me even when you don't intend to its alot easier in the north/england than in the republic as there are so many speed cameras etc. keep your irish licence you won't regret it!!!
also for anyone with an english licence do not change it for an irish one its so easy to get penalty points in the republic these days you will be glad you kept it.

Alun

judy07 wrote: »

i would agree with a few of the above though apply for a uk provisional and sit your test, if you get penalty points in the republic you have an english licence so no points and vice versa in the north.

You cannot legally be in the possession of a driving licence from more than one EU state though.

craichoe

Alun wrote: »

You cannot legally be in the possession of a driving licence from more than one EU state though.

Of course you can,

You can have two passports, a license is just a license to drive issued by the state.

For example, Polish individual gets their license here before they joined the EU and had a license in Poland beforehand. Now they have two .. What are they supposed to do.

Similarly, people entitled to Dual Citizenship that have two passports, German and Italian for example, both documents allowing travel outside the EU, not illegal either.

Please point to where in the EU legislation it says this.. otherwise i'll just assume you made it up.

I think your perhaps mixing up License exchange under false pretences, which is illegal.

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

Of course you can,

"of course" ???

Please point to where in the EU legislation it says this.. otherwise i'll just assume you made it up.

It's been covered here on boards many times before. Anyway, here you go ...

http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/living/car/driving-license/index_en.html


it's towards the bottom of the page, but just in case here's the appropriate paragraph ...

- you cannot hold more than one driving licence issued by a Member State, even if your licence has been suspended or withdrawn.

Also from here http://ec.europa.eu/transport/home/drivinglicence/faq/004_en.htm

21. Is it possible to have two driving licences issued by different Member States?

No, in its Article 7(5) Directive 91/439/EEC stipulates that no person may hold a driving licence from more than one Member State. This includes withdrawn licences.