UK licence after Brexit

R.O.R

Got a text this morning to say my Irish licence has been dispatched and should be with me in 3-5 days. I was in on the 12th March to exchange, so 3-4 week turnaround from application to having the physical licence.

Lantus

R.O.R wrote: »

Got a text this morning to say my Irish licence has been dispatched and should be with me in 3-5 days. I was in on the 12th March to exchange, so 3-4 week turnaround from application to having the physical licence.

Just got same text and was in about 8 working days ago so looks like delay is possibly clearing.?

R.O.R

Lantus wrote: »

Just got same text and was in about 8 working days ago so looks like delay is possibly clearing.?

Or it just took them a bit longer for me due to the very tatty nature of my 25 year old paper licence...

Dark and Long

Hi, I have a question that some on here may be able to answer, as I can't find anything conclusive so far.

I'm originally from the south, but I have lived in the north on/off over the last 5 years, and I did my driving test up there and so have a UK licence. I am now living up north again and will be for the foreseeable future, but I work in the south and so drive across the border every day. My question is, am I better off changing my UK licence to an Irish one? Or would keeping my UK licence and getting an international permit be the better option?

Lantus

Dark and Long wrote: »

Hi, I have a question that some on here may be able to answer, as I can't find anything conclusive so far.

I'm originally from the south, but I have lived in the north on/off over the last 5 years, and I did my driving test up there and so have a UK licence. I am now living up north again and will be for the foreseeable future, but I work in the south and so drive across the border every day. My question is, am I better off changing my UK licence to an Irish one? Or would keeping my UK licence and getting an international permit be the better option?

If your normally resident in the North. Have UK reg car insured by a Northern company addressed to your UK address I'd say you need to keep the UK one and just get the green card to travel.

Squidgy Black

Dark and Long wrote: »

Hi, I have a question that some on here may be able to answer, as I can't find anything conclusive so far.

I'm originally from the south, but I have lived in the north on/off over the last 5 years, and I did my driving test up there and so have a UK licence. I am now living up north again and will be for the foreseeable future, but I work in the south and so drive across the border every day. My question is, am I better off changing my UK licence to an Irish one? Or would keeping my UK licence and getting an international permit be the better option?

If you're a UK resident and the car is registered in the UK, no real benefit in you changing your licence over, as you can just get an insurance green card.

hognef

The green card relates to your insurance and has nothing to do with your driver's license. It will become required regardless of where your license is from.

Unless you're resident in Ireland you have no option to (legally) exchange your license for an Irish one.

Alun

If I see one more reference to a "driver's license" I think I might break my computer screen

CJhaughey

Got mine back today, lost EB category which I wasn't expecting as my UK licence had BE on it from 1994.

R.O.R

Got mine in the post today and still have BE - license issued December 93

The_Chap

R.O.R wrote: »

Got mine in the post today and still have BE - license issued December 93

Mine was issued 91 I better still have it when I get the Irish one back!

MascotDec85

I applied for mine on 19th March and received it today.
I still have BE on it. I passed my UK test in March ‘93

theteal

Marcusm wrote: »

Yours has been exchanged; it cannot be renewed. You have to exchange it back. Yours is one of those cases where it will be apparent that deception is in point (unlike a simple false address renewal). Given that it gives you no advantage it would be silly to attempt it.

Just to go back to this as a FYI. A letter about renewing my Irish license has been received at my old Irish address. Not that I plan on renewing it (no point in wasting the money or effort) I was always sceptical that the exchange would be recorded on both sides. Anyway, nothing to see here.

Marcusm

theteal wrote: »

Just to go back to this as a FYI. A letter about renewing my Irish license has been received at my old Irish address. Not that I plan on renewing it (no point in wasting the money or effort) I was always sceptical that the exchange would be recorded on both sides. Anyway, nothing to see here.

The fact that it hasn’t been recorded properly doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been exchanged and thus the underlying Irish entitlement has lapsed. Administrative incompetence is not the same as validity!

Credit Checker Moose

I am not a bit surprised tbh.

DuckSlice

theteal wrote: »

Just to go back to this as a FYI. A letter about renewing my Irish license has been received at my old Irish address. Not that I plan on renewing it (no point in wasting the money or effort) I was always sceptical that the exchange would be recorded on both sides. Anyway, nothing to see here.

I also got the renewal after I had exchanged my Irish for an English licence a few years back. I just exchanged back though as didn't want to face the possibility of getting caught out.

theteal

Marcusm wrote: »

The fact that it hasn’t been recorded properly doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been exchanged and thus the underlying Irish entitlement has lapsed. Administrative incompetence is not the same as validity!

I never said/thought it was valid however I was also never really in doubt that it wouldn't work. Just relaying the info.

scudzilla

Finally bit the bullet last week and surrendered my UK license, couldn't trust them clowns in westminster to not fcuk things up and me having no license.

Took around 10 days in total from going into NDLS to getting license.

Now something on it has me truly amazed, IIRC when i got my license in the UK in the early 90's i didn't select bike licence to be added onto it, in 2013 i got a new license as they wanted a new pic, so i ticket the bike part, it must have been added on.

Get my new Irish license this week and i've got category A, so in theory i'm legal to ride any type of bike i want, and i've NEVER taken any sort of bike test, surely that can't be right

ferrigan101

scudzilla wrote: »

Finally bit the bullet last week and surrendered my UK license, couldn't trust them clowns in westminster to not fcuk things up and me having no license.

Took around 10 days in total from going into NDLS to getting license.

Now something on it has me truly amazed, IIRC when i got my license in the UK in the early 90's i didn't select bike licence to be added onto it, in 2013 i got a new license as they wanted a new pic, so i ticket the bike part, it must have been added on.

Get my new Irish license this week and i've got category A, so in theory i'm legal to ride any type of bike i want, and i've NEVER taken any sort of bike test, surely that can't be right

What does it say in the box beside it? If it says 70 UK then it's full bike license. If it's 70 UK 79.03 then it's trikes only, which you're allowed to drive on a car license.

scudzilla

ferrigan101 wrote: »

What does it say in the box beside it? If it says 70 UK then it's full bike license. If it's 70 UK 79.03 then it's trikes only, which you're allowed to drive on a car license.

Errrr, ok, move along, nothing to see here, i'm just off to browse trikes :pac::pac:


Thanks for the clarification, was eyeing up a mean looking 1200cc bike

kerosene

Is it possible to hold both uk and irish licences if you do the test in each country?

R.O.R

kerosene wrote: »

Is it possible to hold both uk and irish licences if you do the test in each country?

Not legally, no - at the moment. May change when the UK leave the EU though.

SCOOP 64

What if Westminster accepts the deal do i still need to change the UK licence ?

SCOOP 64

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

What if Westminster accepts the deal do i still need to change the UK licence ?

Not if, as part of the deal there is mutual recognition of each other's licences.
In reality, Ireland is an outlier in allowing UK licences to be retained at all, every other country expect you to convert your licence when you become resident or stay for more than six months(or so).

MascotDec85

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

What if Westminster accepts the deal do i still need to change the UK licence ?

You’re cutting it fine if they don’t. Most, if not all, opposition parties have said they’ll reject it.

Whether or not your car insurance would be valid is the real deal breaker, Gardaí may turn a blind eye in the short term, but you could find the insurance invalid if you crash and not be able to renew.

MascotDec85

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Whether or not your car insurance would be valid is the real deal breaker, Gardaí may turn a blind eye in the short term, but you could find the insurance invalid if you crash and not be able to renew.

I can’t imagine Gardaí turning a blind eye to uninsured drivers. Anyone who knowingly drives without valid insurance deserves all that’s coming to them.

MascotDec85

MascotDec85 wrote: »

I can’t imagine Gardaí turning a blind eye to uninsured drivers. Anyone who knowingly drives without valid insurance deserves all that’s coming to them.

The insurance companies may or may not accept a UK licence after a no deal Brexit, that is a bit of an unknown.
Cancelling an insurance policy is another issue.

MascotDec85

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The insurance companies may or may not accept a UK licence after a no deal Brexit, that is a bit of an unknown.
Cancelling an insurance policy is another issue.

What’s being said is, and the information is out there that, in the event of a No Deal the UK licence will not be valid. They are saying someone who didn’t exchange before 31st October would have to take the test here. Not being in possession of a valid licence nullifies your insurance with immediate effect much in the same way if you were banned.
I’m a driving instructor in Meath who held a full UK licence since 1993. The risk for me was, had I not exchanged it, I could be out of work overnight.

nomdeboardie

I acknowledge the precariousness of my situation in continuing to be a, eh, licence swop refrainer, but found it striking that when I changed insurer for a better quote in Sept the new company's rep said nothing as I explicitly declared my UK licence - just told me to send a scan/photo of it online, and it was accepted. However I know this doesn't have a bearing on the legal situation, and I suppose the insurance company could use that as a convenient argument to refuse/recoup any claim that might arise later, so maybe they have no motivation to care! Perhaps I'll go in to swop it in a panic a few days before the 31st if things still look bleak or there hasn't been another deferral.

SCOOP 64

Will see what happens today in Westminster, if deal accepted will then contact RSA and see what the situation with a UK licence is now.

MascotDec85

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Will see what happens today in Westminster, if deal accepted will then contact RSA and see what the situation with a UK licence is now.

I’d be amazed if it gets voted through tbh

Isambard

MascotDec85 wrote: »

You’re cutting it fine if they don’t. Most, if not all, opposition parties have said they’ll reject it.

It's finely balanced and as I see it it will scrape through. I don't know what the deal would be then, but I imagine we'd be back to a bi-partisan agreement to accept each others licenses. I'm not sure if the EU could block this though. We'll have to wait and see, but it's taking a bit of a risk not to change your license.

SCOOP 64

MascotDec85 wrote: »

What’s being said is, and the information is out there that, in the event of a No Deal the UK licence will not be valid. They are saying someone who didn’t exchange before 31st October would have to take the test here. Not being in possession of a valid licence nullifies your insurance with immediate effect much in the same way if you were banned.
I’m a driving instructor in Meath who held a full UK licence since 1993. The risk for me was, had I not exchanged it, I could be out of work overnight.

I looked online about the need to change licence if no deal before ore 31st, RSA saying could be long delays after that date to get a Irish licence but no mention on having to retake your driving test after that date?

MascotDec85

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

I looked online about the need to change licence if no deal before ore 31st, RSA saying could be long delays after that date to get a Irish licence but no mention on having to retake your driving test after that date?

There’s been radio adverts about it. I’ll try and find a link later

sundodger5

https://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Brexit/Driving-Licences/
clearly states you will need a learner permit..so that is a retest

SCOOP 64

Not only would my licence need to be changed also my cpc card and my digital tachograph card also will need a medical, alot more involve for me, that's why i was putting it off ,so was hoping for a decisive vote today to know to jump or not, but as usual UK making a balls of it.

User142

Deleted User wrote: »

Whether or not your car insurance would be valid is the real deal breaker, Gardaí may turn a blind eye in the short term, but you could find the insurance invalid if you crash and not be able to renew.

My broker highlights all changes to the text when my insurance policy was renewed this year.

I don't have the exact wording to hand but essentially they just added UK licences to every area in the past that mentioned Irish or EU licences. This was Aviva.

Edit:
Scroll down to: "Terms and conditions apply. Please see our policy documents for more information." on https://www.aviva.ie/insurance/car-insurance/.
And you can see how they now include UK licences in their policies.

nomdeboardie

Looking up FAQs from my new insurer, Allianz, I see:

https://www.allianz.ie/car-insurance/faqs/uk-licence-insured-with-allianz-implications-if-licence-not-changed-after-brexit/
"We encourage all our customers who hold UK licences to take all reasonable steps to get their licences exchanged before the 31st October 2019. However, as things currently stand, failure to achieve this will have no negative impact on your existing Allianz insurance policy terms and conditions."

https://www.allianz.ie/car-insurance/faqs/uk-license-premium/
"Will my Allianz Insurance premium go up if I still hold a UK driving licence after October 31st 2019?
At this point, we do not envisage that your Allianz premium will be affected as a result of you holding a UK licence after October 31st 2019."

However the uncertainty re the validity of the licence, depending on exactly what happens, is discussed in
https://www.allianz.ie/car-insurance/faqs/i-live-in-ireland-with-uk-driving-licence-driving-in-ireland-after-brexit/
...though they don't actually mention whether they would honour a claim if the licence becomes invalid!

And more mind-twisters...
https://www.allianz.ie/car-insurance/faqs/will-allianz-policy-operate-after-brexit-when-exchanging-uk-to-irish-licence-whilst-driving-unaccompanied/

scudzilla

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

What if Westminster accepts the deal do i still need to change the UK licence ?

I was in the same boat as you (i think), i wanted to keep UK license and kept putting off changing it.

Turning point for me was the uncertainty, if they crash out with no deal then on Oct 31st i wouldn't have a license, be unable to drive and would have to take a test and i think 8 lessons.

Just couldn't afford to take the risk.

Also, i know that the UK License is valid until you're 70 but you do have to renew it every 10yrs (update pic), technically for a few months about 5yrs ago i was driving without a licence as it was past renewal, sent a digital pic into DVLA and they delivered a new one to my dads gaff in Wales.

Makes you wonder how many others driving UK licenses have gone past the 10yrs

SCOOP 64

Isambard wrote: »

another thing to bear in mind whilst you rush off to swap your license, I guess your new Irish license will bear all the points you built up on your "ghost" Irish license over the years.

No,you might get last points added, no more then that, don't seem to keep record of old offences, but doubt you will even get that, friend already changed his had 3 points from 2016 , new Irish licence clean.

SCOOP 64

scudzilla wrote: »

I was in the same boat as you (i think), i wanted to keep UK license and kept putting off changing it.

Turning point for me was the uncertainty, if they crash out with no deal then on Oct 31st i wouldn't have a license, be unable to drive and would have to take a test and i think 8 lessons.

Just couldn't afford to take the risk.

Also, i know that the UK License is valid until you're 70 but you do have to renew it every 10yrs (update pic), technically for a few months about 5yrs ago i was driving without a licence as it was past renewal, sent a digital pic into DVLA and they delivered a new one to my dads gaff in Wales.

Makes you wonder how many others driving UK licenses have gone past the 10yrs

Ive still got the old type pink licence valid until im 70,was hoping to hang on to it, seems doubtful now, if a extension is granted by EU might have more time to consider.

scudzilla

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Ive still got the old type pink licence valid until im 70,was hoping to hang on to it, seems doubtful now, if a extension is granted by EU might have more time to consider.

As in the paper license??

Let me ask you 1 question, are you willing to put your livelihood & license into the trust of Boris fcukin Johnson and the rest of them clowns, thats what i asked myself and was down the the NDLA the next day

SCOOP 64

scudzilla wrote: »

As in the paper license??

Let me ask you 1 question, are you willing to put your livelihood & license into the trust of Boris fcukin Johnson and the rest of them clowns, thats what i asked myself and was down the the NDLA the next day

Yeah the old paper one, there will be a deal done be it with a extension or not, it should not be worded by RSA "if a no deal brexit by 31st oct you should change your Licence then if told with a deal done and passed you have to change it anyway, wouldn't make sense, will see how it plays out.

hognef

[Deleted User] wrote: »

In reality, Ireland is an outlier in allowing UK licences to be retained at all, every other country expect you to convert your licence when you become resident or stay for more than six months(or so).

Not true:

"[...] if you move to another EU country, you won't usually have to exchange your licence. You can drive in your new country on your current licence as long as:

- it is valid

- you are old enough to drive a vehicle of the equivalent category

- it is not suspended or restricted and has not been revoked in the issuing country."

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-recognition-validity/index_en.htm

OK I stand corrected, It used to be the case, but it does state that when you renew, the licence needs to be issued in the country of residence so in effect if you move country you get an EU recognised licence issues from your new country and not your home country.

SCOOP 64

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Ive still got the old type pink licence valid until im 70,was hoping to hang on to it, seems doubtful now, if a extension is granted by EU might have more time to consider.

I had a pink one as well, but swapped in in February as the risk of no deal was high. Proved to be correct, i wasn't expecting the extension.

SCOOP 64

Deleted User wrote: »

I had a pink one as well, but swapped in in February as the risk of no deal was high. Proved to be correct, i wasn't expecting the extension.

Your decision can still prove to be wise.

hognef

[Deleted User] wrote: »

OK I stand corrected, It used to be the case, but it does state that when you renew, the licence needs to be issued in the country of residence so in effect if you move country you get an EU recognised licence issues from your new country and not your home country.

No... You don't "in effect" get a licence from your new country if you move country. You get a licence from your new country if you live in that new country and need to renew your "home country" licence. This is basic stuff, and is not new.

bmr1984

Does anyone have an opinion on whether we'll be able to keep a UK license and apply for an Irish one post-Brexit? I live here (technically) but work in London and I'd really like to keep my UK license as an official form of ID. If they leave the EU, we should in theory be allowed apply for a Learner Permit here right? The lessons, test etc would be annoying but I'd get over it.