Citizens of the Republic of Moldova legally residing in Ireland can exchange their Moldovan driving licence for an Irish one without having to take driving tests (theory and practical tests).
The Agreement between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova and the Department of Transport of Ireland, signed in Dublin on 8 April 2026, entered into force on 24 July 2026.
What does this mean for citizens?
Any person holding a valid driving licence issued by the competent authority of one of the Parties and legally residing in the other state will be able to exchange their driving licence for an equivalent one — without having to take a driving test.
Which categories are covered?
The categories/subcategories B, BE, C, CE, C1, C1E, D, DE, D1, D1E and H (tractor) obtained in the Republic of Moldova may be exchanged for Irish licences, provided that they were first obtained on or after 8 May 2022.
Category B of the Moldovan driving licence will be exchanged for categories B and W (tractor) of the Irish driving licence.
Specific situations
If a category was obtained after 8 May 2022, but the preceding categories were obtained before this date, the Irish authorities will also accept for exchange the preceding categories on the basis of which the respective category was obtained.
Persons who took the driving test before 8 May 2022 in a vehicle with a manual transmission and subsequently obtained an additional category in a vehicle with an automatic transmission will receive an Irish driving licence with the indication “automatic transmission” for the respective categories.
Exceptions
The Agreement does not apply to:
Moldovan driving licences previously obtained through an exchange for licences issued by states with which Ireland does not have an exchange agreement;
provisional driving licences issued in the Republic of Moldova;
Irish driving licences intended exclusively for learning to drive (learner permits).