Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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836. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an Irish citizen who is living abroad can renew a driving licence in advance of its expiration if that person is in the country, or if the person must wait until the driver licence has expired; his plans to change this process to allow drivers renew their licences in advance of their expiration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6192/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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​Under current legislation, holders of a driving licence may apply to renew their licences up to three months before their old licence expires.  EU law requires that a person should be normally resident in a Member State in order for that person to be issued with a driving licence by that Member State.  A person may be normally resident in a Member State but residing temporarily outside it for work or study reasons.  If a person is normally resident in Ireland but temporarily residing abroad, they are permitted to apply to renew their driving licence by post, without the normal requirement to appear in person at an office of the National Driver Licensing Service.

If a person has taken up permanent residence abroad, we cannot under EU law issue them with an Irish driving licence.  If they are living in another EU Member State, or in a non-EU State with which Ireland has an agreement on mutual recognition of driving licences, they should exchange their Irish driving licence for one from the country in which they are now resident.  If they are living in a non-EU State with which we do not have an agreement on driving licence exchange, they will be required to obtain a driving licence from that country according to the rules which apply there.