Holding both Irish and UK driving licences

Carnmore

For someone with an Irish driving licence, is it possible to also hold a UK licence?

Would it involve sitting another driving test in the UK?

unforeseen

You can hand in your Irish passport in exchange for a UK one but can't hold both at the same time unless you take driving tests for both.

Carnmore

unforeseen wrote: »

You can hand in your Irish passport in exchange for a UK one but can't hold both at the same time unless you take driving tests for both.

It is possible then if a driving test was taken?

unforeseen

In theory yes. Achievable? No idea

RikM

unforeseen wrote: »

You can hand in your Irish passport in exchange for a UK one but can't hold both at the same time unless you take driving tests for both.

I don't think you meant "passport" here...

unforeseen

RikM wrote: »

I don't think you meant "passport" here...

You're right. My mistake

RikM

I'm having to assume here that the original poster is an NI resident, or the question is moot (I don't think you can even apply for a UK licence, with no residence here).

In which case there appear to be two routes to obtaining an NI or rest of UK licence (remembering that these are currently two separate things)...

1. Exchange. Currently, both NI and the mainland will accept an exchange of an Irish licence. Note: who knows what will apply after March?
2. Take the test and get a licence independent of any already held.

NI licences are exchangeable for mainland ones, if someone moves out of NI (or vice versa), but there is no limit on how long they can be used in the other jurisdiction. Last time I looked the administering bodies would not update an address outside of their goegraphic area on a licence (but that was a decade back, maybe they got more sensible and put in some cross communication, since then?).