Driving in Ireland with a UK licence, and getting around Dublin without one

They drive on the left, the road signs are in English and Irish, and the pubs pull a decent pint after a long drive. But your UK licence has a shelf life once you move here.

The short version

• Visitors can drive in Ireland on a UK licence for up to 12 months [1].
• Once you're resident, you can't drive on a UK licence. You must exchange it for an Irish one through the NDLS [1][2].
• The exchange costs €65 (about £54), free if you're 70 or over, and you have to hand in your UK licence [2][3].
• You don't need an International Driving Permit in Ireland, and it's no substitute for exchanging your licence [1][4].
• In Dublin, a TFI Leap card gets you a 90-minute fare of €2.00 (about £1.67) on buses, Luas, DART and commuter rail. Adult fares rise by about 15% on average from January 2027 [5][6].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002), rounded.

Can you drive in Ireland on a UK licence?

It depends on one thing: are you visiting, or living here?

The FCDO's Living in Ireland guide is blunt about residents: "If you're resident in Ireland, you cannot drive with a foreign licence" [1]. It also says you can't renew or replace a UK licence while you live in Ireland [1]. The DVLA only issues licences to people living in Great Britain, so once you've moved, the exchange is your route.

Before Brexit, a UK licence was simply valid in Ireland. That changed on 1 January 2021, and the NDLS now says a UK or Northern Ireland licence held by an Irish resident is no longer valid to drive on [2]. Plenty of Brits have been caught out by insurers, who may refuse a claim if you're resident and still driving on a UK licence.

The International Driving Permit

GOV.UK's IDP checker lists Ireland as a country where you don't need one [4]. That's for visitors. For residents, the FCDO says an IDP "is not a substitute for exchanging your licence" [1]. So if someone in a PayPoint queue back home tries to sell you one for the move, save your £5.50.

Exchanging your UK licence for an Irish one

The exchange is done through the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), run by the Road Safety Authority. You can do it online or at one of 34 NDLS centres [2].

What you'll need

• your current UK or Northern Ireland licence (or one that expired less than a year ago) [2]
• a Public Services Card and a verified MyGovID account to apply online, or proof of your PPS number and photo ID in person [2]
• proof of address dated within six months, if your address isn't on your Public Services Card record [2]
• an eyesight report dated within one month, unless you're giving a medical report [2]
• a medical report for some licence categories, and a CPC for professional lorry and bus drivers [2]
• a check code: for a UK licence, the NDLS will contact you for a check code so it can verify your record [2]
• the fee: €65 (about £54), or nothing if you're 70 or over [3]

Step by step

1. Get your PPS number and Public Services Card. You'll need both before you can apply online. Our guide to your PPS number and your first weeks explains how.
2. Set up a verified MyGovID account.
3. Get an eyesight report from an optician or your GP.
4. Apply online at ndls.ie, or book an appointment at an NDLS centre.
5. Post your UK licence to the address you're given. If you don't surrender it promptly, your online application is rejected [2].
6. Give the NDLS your DVLA check code when asked, so it can verify your entitlements.
7. Wait for your Irish licence. The NDLS warns of delays because verification with the UK licensing authorities is slow [2], so apply early and keep a copy of your old licence.

Most categories carry over, but a few UK codes don't, such as D1 and D1E minibus entitlements restricted to "not for hire or reward" [2]. If you drive a minibus for a club or school, check before you hand over your licence.

If your UK licence expired more than a year ago, you can't exchange it. You'd have to start again with a theory test and a learner permit [2], which is a lot of faff for someone who's been driving for twenty years. Keep your licence in date before you move.

Driving in and around Dublin

Dublin isn't a city that rewards driving. Traffic on the M50 and the quays can be grim at rush hour, city-centre parking is expensive, and many Dubliners don't own a car at all. A few differences from back home:

• Speed limits are in km/h. Signs show kilometres, so 100 means about 62 mph. Your speedometer from a UK car shows both, in small print.
• The M50 has a barrier-free toll between junctions 6 and 7. There's no booth; you pay online or by account by 8pm the next day, or you'll get fines.
• Bus lanes are strictly enforced, and Dublin has lots of them.
• Your car insurance: tell insurers you're a new resident with a UK record. Some will consider a UK no-claims bonus, but ask for it in writing.

Bringing a UK-registered car? You'll have to register it in Ireland and pay Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT), and older cars need an NCT. See our guide to bringing a UK car to Ireland: VRT and the NCT.

Getting around Dublin without a car

Dublin's public transport is run under the Transport for Ireland (TFI) brand. The main options are:

• Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland buses across the city
• Luas, the two tram lines: the Red line (east to west, from the Docklands to Tallaght and Saggart) and the Green line (north to south, from Broombridge to Brides Glen)
• DART, the coastal railway from Howth and Malahide down to Greystones, and commuter rail
• Dublin Bikes and plenty of cycle lanes, if you can handle the rain

The Leap card and the 90-minute fare

Get a TFI Leap card; it's Dublin's version of an Oyster card. Tap on, and within Dublin you pay the TFI 90 Minute Fare, which covers as many changes as you like between Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas, and DART and commuter rail within Zone 1 for 90 minutes [5].

Source: Leap card, November 2026 [5]. Express and Nitelink buses aren't included; they cost €2.40 for adults and €1.20 for students and young adults [5].

Fares are going up. The National Transport Authority announced on 3 September 2026 that adult fares will rise by an average of 15% from January 2027, the first general increase in eight years [6]. The NTA's fares determination raises the Dublin 90-minute adult Leap fare from €2.00 to €2.30 (about £1.92) [7]. Free travel for children under 9 and people aged 66 and over, and the 50% young adult and student discount, stay [6].

Paying cash costs more than Leap, and buses don't give change, so get the card in your first week. Young adults and students should get the personalised Young Adult or Student Leap card to get the half-price fares.

Getting home to Blighty

Dublin Airport is about 10 km (6 miles) north of the centre, linked by Dublin Express, Aircoach and Dublin Bus services. For driving home or bringing furniture over, ferries sail from Dublin Port to Holyhead and Liverpool. Under the Common Travel Area there are no routine passport checks between Ireland and the UK, but airlines and ferry companies ask for ID, and some only accept a passport [8].

Need a lift recommendation or advice on the M50 commute? Our community group for Brits in Ireland is the place to ask.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Ireland (updated 26 February 2026)
2. NDLS: Exchange my UK/NI licence
3. NDLS: Driving licence fees
4. GOV.UK: International Driving Permits for UK licence holders
5. Leap card: TFI 90 Minute Fare – Dublin
6. Transport for Ireland: Changes announced to public transport fares from 2027 (3 September 2026)
7. National Transport Authority: Fares Determination 2026 (PDF) (September 2026)
8. Citizens Information: Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK

Keep reading

• Bringing a UK car to Ireland: VRT and the NCT
• Moving to Dublin as a Brit
• Cost of living in Dublin
• Driving abroad on a UK licence