Q. Will Irish drivers with CPCs issued in the UK before Brexit continue to have their CPCs recognised in Ireland after a hard Brexit?
In the event of the UK leaving the EU without an agreement (Hard Brexit), UK CPC qualifications issued in the UK will no longer be recognised in Ireland after the exit date. Any driver with a UK CPC card who is resident or working in Ireland is advised to exchange their CPC card for an Irish CPC card before the UK exits the EU. The expiry date on the UK CPC card will be honoured on the Irish CPC card. The driver is then required to have five days of CPC training completed in advance of the expiry date in order to obtain a renewal Irish CPC card. Recognition of prior CPC training may be given where CPC modules have been completed in the UK up to the UK exit date, however the training modules must be in keeping with the objectives of the EU Directive (2003/59/EC) similar to the Irish CPC syllabus.
Q. If the original CPC, theory test and drivers licence was issued in the UK can retraining be done or is the full training from the beginning needed for the Irish person to be issued with the Irish CPC (assuming there IS a driver licence exchange agreement with the UK in place
If there is a driver licence exchange agreement in place (which Ireland can put in place with third countries under provisions in the Road Traffic Act 1961) The UK CPC holder will only need to do the compulsory periodic retraining in order to maintain the CPC qualification and obtain a renewal CPC card.
Q. If the original CPC, theory test and drivers licence was issued in the UK but becomes invalid as of the withdrawal date, can retraining be done or is the full training from the beginning needed for the UK licence and UK CPC holder to be issued with the Irish CPC (assuming there is no driver licence exchange agreement with the UK in place. Assuming no driver licence agreement is in place the UK driver can exchange their existing UK driving licence and CPC card for an Irish driving licence and Irish CPC card before the UK leaves the European Union. RSA Driver Education section will issue a replacement CPC card and honour the expiry date on the UK CPC card. The driver should have also exchanged their driving licence for an Irish driving licence and the Irish driver number will be the recorded driver number on the CPC card. The driver will then be required to complete one day of CPC training per year on an ongoing basis in order to maintain their Driver CPC qualification. Where the expiry date on the CPC card is less than 5 years from the exchange date, the driver will be required to have their five days of training completed in advance of the renewal date. As mentioned above, recognition of prior CPC training in the current CPC cycle may be given where CPC modules have been completed in the UK before the date the UK leaves the EU, however the training modules must be in keeping with the objectives of the EU Directive (2003/59/EC) and similar to the Irish CPC syllabus. Alternatively if the driver exchanges their UK CPC card for CPC card from any other EU
member state before the UK exits the EU and subsequently relocates to live or work in Ireland they will be entitled to maintain their CPC qualification by completing CPC training in Ireland.
The driver is required to have an Irish PPS number and an Irish contact address in order to be registered on the RSA CPC system.
FAQ on Brexit and Digital Tachographs
Q. I am resident in Ireland and I hold a valid UK Driver Licence with higher categories. I do not have an existing tachograph card from any other country. I wish to apply for an Irish digital tachograph card. Can I do so after 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020)? A. No. RSA will not recognise a UK drivers’ licence after 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020) for digital tachograph card purposes. To obtain a digital tachograph from the RSA, an applicant must have a valid EU driving licence at the time and be resident in the state. Q. I currently hold a valid tachograph driver card issued in Ireland with a UK driving licence. It is due for renewal before the 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020)? Will I be able to apply for a renewal of my driver card before that date using my UK/NI driving licence? A. Yes – RSA will accept an application for renewal of the driver card using a UK driver’s licence up to 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020). As indicated above, a person seeking a renewal of a driver card on the basis of a UK licence and is resident in the state should exchange their UK licence for an Irish driver’s licence before 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020) which is set as the withdrawal date of the UK from the EU. Q. I am resident in Ireland with an UK tachograph driver card and employed by an Irish company based in the State. Can I use my UK issued digital tachograph card after 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020)? A. A possible extension to 31 July 2020 Remains to be agreed by the European Commission. Q. I currently hold a valid tachograph driver card issued in Ireland with a UK driving licence. It is due for renewal after the 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020). Will RSA accept and process the application for renewal of the card? A. No. To qualify for a digital tachograph card, the applicant must hold a valid EU driver’s licence. The advice to holders of UK licences is that they should exchange their UK driving licence for an Irish one before 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020) and be resident in the state.
Q. If I lose or damage my valid Irish tachograph driver card (with UK driving licence) or if it becomes malfunctioning or is stolen, can I replace my driver card? A. No – this will not be possible unless the driver licence to which the card relates has been exchanged for an Irish licence before 31 October 2019 (may also apply to new exit date on 31 December 2020). The applicant must hold a valid EU driving licence at the time of the application and be resident in the state. Q. I have a UK driver licence and UK driver card resident in the UK and occasionally travel on my truck to Ireland delivering and picking up goods. Will my UK driver card be accepted? A. Yes – this does not present any problems from a digital tachograph card perspective. RSA expects that the European Commission will publish guidance on the arrangements to apply in this regard from 1 August 2020.
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