A person who is resident in Ireland must have an Irish or other EU driving licence to drive here.
Irish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU law, which sets out the standards to be met in driving tests to qualify for a licence. When it comes to driving licences issued by non-EU states, we may make bilateral agreements on licence exchange, but only where the two licensing regimes are comparable. Ireland does not have a driving licence exchange agreement with Russia.
When people come to Ireland with a non-exchangeable licence, we have no option but to require them to go through the process of obtaining an Irish licence. This is a matter of public safety. While many may have a safe driving record, we have no way of measuring the standard of the driving test through which they obtained their licence.
A person who has held a full Russian driving licence for more than two years can avail of a shorter process to a full licence, involving Essential Driver Training of six lessons only instead of twelve, and they will not have to wait the minimum of 6 months before taking a driving test.
An Irish learner permit can be renewed up to 5 years after its expiry date.