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Driving in Britain on Irish licence – a Brexit update

The latest travel guidelines have been issued for drivers post-Brexit.

For those driving in Britain on an Irish licence post-Brexit arrangements for EU licence holders who are visiting or living in Britain will not change.

Visitors to Britain with driving licences from EU Member States will carry on with the same arrangements.

Proof of insurance

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) and the Association of British Insurers have advised those planning on driving Irish-registered vehicles in Northern Ireland or Great Britain post-Brexit to get a Green Card from their insurance company.

Green Cards are internationally-recognised insurance documents, which act as proof of motor insurance when travelling internationally. Drivers travelling from Northern Ireland or Great Britain to Ireland will also be required to carry a Green Card.

MIBI, the body responsible for the Green Card system in Ireland, has circulated approximately one million Green Cards to insurers and brokers. 

All insurers are now issuing Green Cards on request from their customers, with some insurers automatically issuing Green Cards to those living in border counties.  A number of insurers are issuing Green Cards to all policyholders.

 
Cover

At present, all motor vehicles from any EU country including Britain, may travel within the EU without carrying special documentation to prove they have insurance in the country they are visiting. This will change if Britain leaves the EU without an agreement in place.

The vast majority of Irish motor insurance policies cover driving in Britain, as they refer to that country specifically. A small number of policies may refer to travelling “in the EU” rather than explicitly referring to Britain.