European Community / European Economic Area
Licences issued in the European Community and three other countries in the European Economic Area make up two groups that are treated equally. The full list is :-
EC COUNTRIES
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Cyprus
- Romania
- Slovenia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
EEA COUNTRIES
- All EC countries
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
Visitors
If you hold a valid Community licence and you are visiting Northern Ireland, you can drive any vehicle for as long as your licence remains valid. The appropriate full entitlement for the vehicle you wish to drive must be shown on your licence.
Residents
If you have a valid Community licence, this will authorise you to drive in this country for the periods set out below. Alternatively, you can apply to exchange your licence for a Northern Ireland one providing you meet the specified conditions for exchange on the How To Exchange Your Licence For A NI Licence page.
Provided your licence remains valid you may drive in NI:
Ordinary Licence Holders
Until aged 70 or for 3 years after becoming resident whichever is the longer period.
Vocational Licence Holders
Until aged 45 or for 5 years after becoming resident whichever is the longer period.
If you are aged over 45 (but under 65) until your 66th birthday or for 5 years after becoming resident whichever is the shorter period.
If you are aged 65 or over for 12 months after becoming resident.
In order to continue driving after these periods, a Northern Ireland driving licence must be obtained.
Register of Community Licence Holders
Holders of Community licences with vocational entitlement who live in NI must register their details with DVLNI. For further information please contact DVLNI's Customer Enquiries Unit, Telephone 0845 402 4000.
Notifying Health Conditions
Visit the "Medical Rules" page, You must tell us about conditions which existed prior to you coming to live here and which you may have already notified to the authorities, as well as those health conditions you have recently become aware of. In most cases, our rules will be the same as those in other EC/EEA countries although there may be some differences. For example, epileptics who have had attacks in the last 10 years are not permitted to hold a vocational licence in NI.
Taking a driving test
If you want to take a NI driving test you must be normally resident in Northern Ireland. However, if you have moved to NI having recently been permanently resident in another state of the EC/EEA, you must have been normally resident in Northern Ireland or GB for 185 days in the 12 months prior to your application for a driving test and a full licence.
To take a NI driving test you will need to
Exchange your Community licence for the Northern Ireland equivalent and request the appropriate provisional entitlement.
Vehicles Which Community Licence Holders May Also Drive In NI
Community licence holders with category B entitlement can also drive certain vehicles in NI, which are exempt from the normal large vehicle driver licensing requirements. These include non-commercial minibuses driven on a voluntary basis, permit buses and large vehicles such as agricultural motor vehicles and road construction vehicles. Further details about these vehicles and the conditions that apply to them can be found in Special Licensing Arrangements For Drivers of Large Vehicles.
Community Licences issued in exchange for licences from elsewhere
- A Community licence issued on the strength of a licence from a designated country will be valid for driving in NI for 12 months only and IS acceptable for exchange purposes.
- A Community licence issued on the strength of a licence from a non-designated country will be valid for driving in NI for 12 months only but is NOT valid for exchange purposes.
- A licence from any country outside the EC/EEA, which was originally issued on the basis of a Community licence, will be valid for driving in NI for 12 months only and is acceptable for exchange purposes. Evidence of the original EC/EEA entitlement must be provided.
