You can apply in person at any of the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) centres nationwide. You must book an appointment to attend an NDLS centre. There is no walk-in service available. Once processed your licence/permit will issue to you by post.
If you need the assistance of a sign language interpreter for your in-centre NDLS appointment, please request that here
You will need to bring ID, fee and any other supporting documentation including medical or eyesight report if required. Otherwise, your application will be delayed. Application forms are no longer required. However, if you wish to make your application in Irish you will be required to complete an Irish application form. Your photograph and signature will be captured electronically at the NDLS centre.
If you have a Public Services Card (PSC) you can use it with a verified MyGovID to apply online. If you apply at an NDLS centre, you can use your PSC to simplify the process as it will satisfy the following requirements:
Photo ID
- Irish driving licence or learner permit
- Current Public Services Card
- Irish passport which cannot be expired by more than 12 months
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Current passport for all non-Irish citizens (valid for international use)
- Current national identity card for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens
- Irish Certificate of Naturalisation
- Current UK photo driving licence
- Current Irish travel document
Evidence of PPSN
- Public services card/social services card
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Correspondence from Revenue/Department of Social Protection showing PPSN
- P21/Tax Assessment/ Notice of Tax credits
- Receipt of social welfare payment which shows full PPSN
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Medical card / Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) card / European Health Insurance card
- Payslip or P60/P45
Evidence of Address
Please note the evidence of your address can be no more than 6 months old at date of application. The address on the proof of address document you present must exactly match the address on the application form. Please check this before you attend the NDLS centre as if they do not match exactly, even if it is a misspelling, it cannot be accepted and may lead to your application being rejected.
- Public services card
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Utility bill (i.e. from electricity/phone/gas/cable television service/broadband provider) Printed online bills are acceptable. Mobile phone bills are not acceptable. Note: Bills should be printed so they can be submitted as part of the application
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Statement or other correspondence from bank/building society/credit union including eStatements where the customer’s name and address are detailed. (Statements from store cards/catalogue companies are not acceptable)
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Correspondence from any Government Department or Irish State Agency e.g. Heath Services Executive; Department of Employment and Social Protection, Revenue Commissioners, An Garda Síochána; etc.
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Correspondence from an insurance company regarding an active policy
New applicants particularly the 17-20 age group may be able to provide the following to serve as their evidence of address:
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Letter headed correspondence with their secondary school or 3rd level training institute (Date of correspondence must be clearly shown)
- Correspondence from SUSI/CAO
- Correspondence from a bank/credit union
- Correspondence from a government body
Evidence of normal residence
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Public services card -where place of birth or nationality is within EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK/N.I
- Irish/UK (long-form) birth certificate or adoption certificate
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EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK/NI driving licence or Irish learner permit which shows place of birth as within EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK/N.I
- Certificate of entry in the Irish Foreign Births Register
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Irish passport/passport card (current or expired by no more than 12 months)
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Current passport for all EU/EEA/Swiss/U.K/N.I citizens (valid for international use)
- Current national identity card for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens
- Irish certificate of naturalisation
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Current Irish residence permit (IRP), certificate of registration (Garda National Immigration Bureau/GNIB card) or Temporary Residence Card (TRC) for non- EU/ EEA/Swiss/UK citizens (The IRP, GNIB and TRC cards must be presented with a current passport valid for international use or with a Public Services Card).
- In the case of a Ukraine driver who does not have an IRP or TRC and living in Ireland under temporary protection you must provide a Section 60 Temporary Residence document issued by Department of Justice
What is ‘normal residence’?
“normal residence” means the place where a person usually lives, that is for at least 185 days in each year, because of personal and occupational ties, or, in the case of a person with no occupational ties, because of personal ties which show close links between that person and the place where he or she is living. However, the normal residence of a person whose occupational ties are in a different place from his or her personal ties and who consequently lives in turn in different places situated in 2 or more Member States shall be regarded as being the place of his or her personal ties where the person returns there regularly. This last condition need not be met where the person is living in a Member State in order to carry out a task of a definite duration. Attendance at a university or school does not imply transfer of normal residence.
Documents that will not be accepted
When attending your appointment please be aware that the below cannot be accepted. Please note this list is not exhaustive and will be reviewed regularly.
- An Irish passport which has expired by more than 12 months.
- Non-Irish passports or national ID cards which have expired
- A GNIB card is not acceptable as photo I.D. (but are acceptable as evidence of residency entitlement for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens)
- A GNIB card or Irish residence permit cannot be accepted without a current passport or PSC
- Photocopies of photographic ID documents are not acceptable College IDs & Garda Age cards are not acceptable as primary identity documents
- Employer IDs are not acceptable as primary identity documents, including where the employer is a state agency e.g. Army I.D., Garda I.D.
- Short form birth certificates
- Baptismal certificates
- A birth/adoption certificate not issued by General Register Office (GRO) in Ireland/UK
- Religious/ Church marriage certificates are not acceptable
- Marriage certificates cannot be accepted as proof of address
- Laminated marriage certificates are not acceptable
- Any Deed poll documents which are not executed in Ireland & enrolled in the Irish High Court
- Laminated free travel pass as proof of identity
- Driver Theory Test Certificates cannot be used as either proof of address or PPSN
- Mobile phones bills cannot be used as proof of address
- Statements from store cards/catalogue companies cannot be used as proof of address
- Proof of address which is dated more than 6 months prior to the date of application
- Personal correspondence as proof of address
- Handwritten letters are not acceptable as proof of address
- Temporary Travel Certificates
If you do not have a PSC you are required to present documentation at the NDLS Centre to satisfy 1. Photo ID, 2. Evidence of PPSN, 3. Evidence of Address, 4. Evidence of normal residence - see above for a list of acceptable documents for each.
In some cases the same document may satisfy more than one requirement e.g. an
Irish/EU passport is adequate as photo ID & proof of residency entitlement; a
letter to you from Revenue which shows your PPSN could be used as both proof
of your address & proof of your PPSN.
Centre Locations
The online appointment booking system in place for all NDLS Centres is available here.
Please select county for more information:
