Question for the BIB - EU Nationals

[BMW343]

Dear BiB I have a question regarding people from the original EU countries

My understanding is that: if you are from say the Rep of Ireland that you can drive in the UK for as long as the drivers original license remains valid in thier home country. Or do you need to apply for a UK license after a period of time

If this is the case what would happen to said person if caught speeding ?

Thank you for you time

//M

[jayjay]

I have a similar situation with my g/f. She is a Polish national with a UK company car and has just been told by the company her first NIP is on its way.

[nel]

I have no idea if it works the same way, but for what it's worth when I moved to France I did not have to change my UK licence for a French one.....until I got done for speeding. The moment that you commit an infraction as a resident they make you take a French licence so that they can take points away from you (in France you start with 12 and lose them for some reason).

Hopefully BIB can give some guidance for the UK now, and I'll just butt out

[Bobbins]

jayjay said:

I have a similar situation with my g/f. She is a Polish national with a UK company car and has just been told by the company her first NIP is on its way.

Might be worth replying to the NIP with her Polish home address? Although her company might have given the game away if they've already returned it.
Not sure about the EU licence - I think for other countries you've got 12 mths to get a UK licence.
If her (I presume speeding offence) is pursued then she'll have to go to court (can't use the fixed penalty system without UK licence - although I think there's someone on here who sent an Irish licence, they took his money but couldn't give him points?) and they set up a virtual licence to put the points on - so when she gets a UK licence it will come ready equipped with points!

[Dwight VanDriver]

All depends on being classed as a visitor or resident with EEC Licence or domestic Licence.

All explained in simple terms at:

http://tinyurl.com/4lsqp

DVD

[Cooperman]

So if you can somehow obtain an address in Southern Ireland you can simply exchange your UK licence for an Irish one onto which it is not posible to add points.
If you get an NIP you can give the Irish address and, probably, it will all go away.
If your company give your UK address you could send the NIP back with the note 'returned to .....' on it. If, subsequently, you were contacted in poerson at your UK address, you could just say you had received nothing but have now returned from Ireland once again to work here for a while before returning again.
Thinks "my wife's family are all from Ireland - what a good idea".

[medicineman]

I work with a couple of people from Southern Ireland. Neither have bothered to get UK licences and both have been done several times by the scamera ships. They never get taken to court because apparently its not worth the hassle.

[Bobbins]

Cooperman said:

So if you can somehow obtain an address in Southern Ireland you can simply exchange your UK licence for an Irish one onto which it is not posible to add points.

I *think* you'd have to take test to get a licence? If you surrendered your UK licence you might have problems with insurance.

Cooperman said:

If you get an NIP you can give the Irish address and, probably, it will all go away.

That seems to be generally the case (from comments made on PH) but in other cases the Patnerships pursue them, sometimes even outside the EU. There was a recent case of a guy who got done for Perverting the Course of Justice when he gave an Irish relatives address.

Cooperman said:

If your company give your UK address you could send the NIP back with the note 'returned to .....' on it. If, subsequently, you were contacted in poerson at your UK address, you could just say you had received nothing but have now returned from Ireland once again to work here for a while before returning again. Thinks "my wife's family are all from Ireland - what a good idea".

This all seems a bit complicated - the Scamera Patnership might pursue your company for the money (your employer wouldn't be pleased about that). For anything more serious than speeding, you'd quickly find yourself in a lot of trouble.

[Cooperman]

Bobbins said:

Cooperman said: So if you can somehow obtain an address in Southern Ireland you can simply exchange your UK licence for an Irish one onto which it is not posible to add points. I *think* you'd have to take test to get a licence? If you surrendered your UK licence you might have problems with insurance. Cooperman said: If you get an NIP you can give the Irish address and, probably, it will all go away. That seems to be generally the case (from comments made on PH) but in other cases the Patnerships pursue them, sometimes even outside the EU. There was a recent case of a guy who got done for Perverting the Course of Justice when he gave an Irish relatives address. Cooperman said: If your company give your UK address you could send the NIP back with the note 'returned to .....' on it. If, subsequently, you were contacted in poerson at your UK address, you could just say you had received nothing but have now returned from Ireland once again to work here for a while before returning again. Thinks "my wife's family are all from Ireland - what a good idea". This all seems a bit complicated - the Scamera Patnership might pursue your company for the money (your employer wouldn't be pleased about that). For anything more serious than speeding, you'd quickly find yourself in a lot of trouble.

No test required as it's within the EU. All you do is fill in a form from Dublin and get the licence changed over. They send your UK one back to Swansea.
You are entitled to live anywhere in the UK and to have homes in any or all countries. Thus you are entitled to have an Irish address and an Irish licence.
The scammers might well try to chase you overseas, but they won't have any luck.
If a company provide the driver information they have fully complied with S172 and can't be prosecuted successfully. We've had that problem when the driver of one of our company cars went to France to live immediately after he got 'zapped' by a truvelo. They never came back to us.
For ordinary minor speeding they just give up if it's difficult.

[kenp]

Irish licence is a bit more difficult. They require the equivalent of Nat Ins number in order to issue licence.