S.I. No. 173/2026 - Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (International Circulation) (International Driving Permit) Order 2026

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 28th April, 2026.

I, DARRAGH O’BRIEN, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 38 of the Local Government Act 1955 (No. 9 of 1955) and the Roads and Road Vehicles (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2007 ( S.I. No. 815 of 2007 ) (as adapted by the Transport, Tourism and Sport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 351 of 2020 )), hereby order as follows:

Citation

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (International Circulation) (International Driving Permit) Order 2026.

(2) These Regulations come into operation on 18 May 2026.

Definitions

2. In this Order—

“Convention of 1926” means International Convention relative to Road Traffic concluded at Paris on 24 April 1926;

“Convention of 1949” means International Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 19 September 1949;

“driving licence” means a driving licence (within the meaning of section 3 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961), other than—

(a) a learner permit (within the meaning of section 35 of that Act), or

(b) a foreign driving licence (within the meaning of the said section 3(1)) recognised for the purpose of exchange of that licence by an order under section 23A of that Act;

“international driving permit” means a valid and properly completed international driving permit issued under the Convention of 1926 or the Convention of 1949 by the competent authority of the state in which he or she resides, or by an association duly empowered by such authority to issue such permit;

“Order of 1992” means Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (International Circulation) Order 1992 ( S.I. No. 384 of 1992 );

“visitor” means a person resident outside the State making a temporary stay in the State.

Competent authority - Road Safety Authority

3. The Road Safety Authority is the competent authority in the State to issue international driving permits under Regulation 4.

International driving permit

4. The Road Safety Authority is authorised—

(a) to issue to a person holding a driving licence, who is not a visitor, an international driving permit, and

(b) to charge for an application for the issue of the permit a fee of €15.

Reference construction - Order of 1992

5. In articles 9 and 10 of the Order of 1992 a reference to the Automobile Association is to be read as a reference to the Road Safety Authority.

Deletions and revocation

6. (1) The Order of 1992 is amended—

(a) in Article 4(1), by the deletion of the definitions of “Automobile Association” and “RAC Motoring Services (Ireland)” (inserted by ( S.I. No. 111 of 1998 )), and

(b) by the deletion of Article 11.

(2) The following are revoked:

(a) the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (International Circulation) (Amendment) Order 1998 ( S.I. No. 111 of 1998 );

(b) the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (International Circulation) (Amendment) Order 2010 ( S.I. No. 489 of 2010 ).

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

15 April, 2026.

DARRAGH O’BRIEN,

Minister for Transport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order—

• enables the Road Safety Authority to issue international driving permits to certain persons holding driving licences resident in the State and to charge for their issuing;

• gives functions to it in respect of the driving licences of visitors to the State.