Following the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement on Friday 31 Jan 2020, the UK are no longer a member of the EU. Under the arrangements in place, UK/NI driving licences held by residents of Ireland will continue to be valid up to 31 December 2020 (the end of the transition period). As and from the 31 December 2020 a UK licence held by residents of Ireland will no longer be valid to drive here in Ireland. For that reason UK licence holders resident in Ireland should take steps to exchange their licence for an Irish one well in advance of that date.

If you do not submit your original UK/NI licence with your exchange application the NDLS will be unable to validate your application without significant delays.

To exchange your UK licence you must complete a licence application form and present this, the correct fee and your UK licence at any NDLS centre. You can make an appointment online at www.ndls.ie to attend any of our 36 NDLS centres. We also offer a walk-in service, but be advised there can be significant wait times for those without appointments.

In the event of a no deal Brexit your UK/NI licence will no longer be recognised to drive within Ireland.

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is planning to put in place appropriate arrangements that will allow for the exchange of a UK driving licence for an Irish driving licence following Brexit.

However the timeline for this bilateral agreement cannot be confirmed and in the interim period your driving licence will not be valid to drive

Ref: ndls.ie