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Car Insurance for Drivers with Ukrainian Licences

Car Insurance for Drivers with Ukrainian Licences

Yes, you can insure a car in Ireland on a Ukrainian licence while you hold temporary protection, and you can drive here on that licence for as long as it lasts. The EU has extended temporary protection to 4 March 2028. Ireland has no licence-exchange agreement with Ukraine, so the licence cannot be swapped for an Irish one.

A Ukrainian licence is a non-standard case for our team: an instant online price is not always available and one of our agents may need to check which insurers will quote. GMIB.ie compares quotes from 14 different insurers and, where the form cannot give a price straight away, one of our agents reviews your details and calls you back with the options.

Start with the Quick Quote form below. It takes under 60 seconds. If you would rather talk first, call us on 0818 92 92 42, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.

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How a Ukrainian licence affects your quote

Because it is a non-standard case, the online form may not return a price straight away. When that happens, one of our non-standard insurance team reviews what you entered, checks which of our insurers will quote for your circumstances, and calls you back. Getting a quote does not commit you to anything.

To get a quote you will need your licence details, your address in Ireland, the car’s registration number (or its make and model if you have not bought it yet), and how long you have been driving. If you have held your own car insurance policy in Ireland, have your latest renewal documents to hand as well.

If your licence is from another country, see our foreign licence driver insurance page. New to driving in Ireland? Our first-time drivers page explains how a first policy works.

In Ireland since 2022? Plan your licence now

If you arrived in 2022 you may still be driving on your Ukrainian licence. It remains valid while you hold temporary protection, which currently runs to 4 March 2028.

Your licence is tied to temporary protection. The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) states that a Ukrainian licence is not recognised for driving in Ireland under any other immigration permission. Ireland’s new Temporary Protection Transition Scheme, announced in May 2026 with applications intended to open from September 2026, lets eligible people apply for a Stamp 4 permission. If you are considering that move, check your licence position with the NDLS first and start the Irish licence process before you switch.

You do not start entirely from scratch. The route is the driver theory test, a learner permit, then the driving test. The Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) reduced Essential Driver Training applies to foreign licence holders who cannot exchange their licence: six lessons instead of twelve and no six-month wait before the test, provided you held your licence for at least two years before your learner permit was issued, it has not expired by more than six months, you live in Ireland and you hold an Irish learner permit. You can begin this while still on temporary protection.

Tell us when your licence or immigration status changes and we will check what it means for your cover.

GMIB.ie is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Hosting someone from Ukraine, or wondering about a Ukrainian-registered car? Our insurance guidance for Ukrainian citizens in Ireland has background on those questions.

Sources: NDLS – Ukraine drivers; Council of the EU, 15 July 2026; Department of Justice, 26 May 2026; RSA – reduced EDT. Last reviewed September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I drive in Ireland on my Ukrainian driving licence?

    Yes, if you live in Ireland under temporary protection. Your Ukrainian licence is recognised for driving here for the duration of your temporary protection, which the EU has extended to 4 March 2028. It is not recognised if you are in Ireland under any other immigration permission.

  • Do I have to exchange my Ukrainian licence for an Irish one?

    No, and you cannot: Ireland has no driving licence exchange agreement with Ukraine. If you plan to stay after your temporary protection ends and want to keep driving, you will need an Irish licence through the normal learner permit and driving test route. The NDLS advises starting that process before your temporary protection ends.

  • What happens to my licence when temporary protection ends?

    Once your temporary protection ends, or if you no longer hold that status, your Ukrainian licence is no longer valid for driving in Ireland. Plan ahead, because the Irish licence process takes time.

  • Can I get car insurance in Ireland with a Ukrainian licence?

    Yes. It is a non-standard case for our team, so an instant online price is not always available. GMIB.ie compares quotes from 14 different insurers, and where the form cannot give a price straight away, one of our agents reviews your details and calls you back with the options.

  • What do I need to get a quote?

    The Quick Quote asks for the car’s registration, your name, date of birth, licence type, no-claims years, cover start date and Eircode, and takes under 60 seconds. The full quote that follows asks about your licence and driving history in more detail.

  • I have been in Ireland since 2022. Is my Ukrainian licence still valid?

    Yes, for as long as you hold temporary protection, which the EU has extended to 4 March 2028. The NDLS states that the licence is not recognised under any other immigration permission, so if your status changes, your licence position changes with it.

  • I am moving to the new Stamp 4 Transition Scheme. What happens to my licence?

    Ireland’s Temporary Protection Transition Scheme, announced in May 2026, is intended to open for applications from September 2026 and, for those approved, grants a Stamp 4 permission. The NDLS states that a Ukrainian licence is recognised only under temporary protection, so check your licence position with the NDLS before you switch, and start the Irish licence process first if you can.

  • Do I have to start from scratch to get an Irish licence?

    Not entirely. You need the driver theory test, a learner permit and the driving test, but the RSA’s reduced Essential Driver Training for foreign licence holders means six lessons instead of twelve and no six-month wait before the test, if you held your licence for at least two years before your learner permit, it has not expired by more than six months, you live in Ireland and you hold an Irish learner permit.

  • Does my Ukrainian driving history count towards a no-claims bonus?

    Some of the insurers GMIB.ie works with recognise no-claims history earned abroad. You will need proof from your previous insurer, translated into English where it is not already, and it has to be verified before it can be used; some insurers do that themselves, in other cases our agents do it. Acceptance varies by insurer, so tell us about your history when we call back and we will say what can be used on your quote.

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