Minister reminds drivers to avail of Letter of Entitlement if travelling abroad and renting a car

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD is reminding drivers that they can apply for a Driver Statement / Letter of Entitlement if they are intending to drive in a foreign country on a licence with an extended expiry as a result of Covid19.

Where a driving licence has been extended and the licence holder is travelling abroad and wishes to drive, they can obtain a Driver Statement/Letter of Entitlement from the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) to show the new expiry date of their driving licence.

EU countries will recognise a driving licence where the period of validity has expired up to the end of the extension period granted by the issuing Member State.

For licences that have been extended, drivers should check with car hire companies in advance of travelling to see if a driver statement is required.

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD said: “Some drivers will have had their licences extended in response to the disruption caused by Covid-10 to driver licensing services across the EU. As international travel re-opens it is likely that those travelling may wish to drive at their destination.

“While EU countries will recognise a driving license with an extended expiry date, a Driver Statement from the NDLS is available free of charge to those who may be driving outside the EU or where car hire companies state this as a requirement.”

Concluding, Minister Naughton said “I would advise holiday makers who are planning on driving while abroad to check any local requirements before travelling and contact the NDLS if they need to request a Letter of Entitlement.”

A Letter of Entitlement or Driver Statement is a copy of your driver record with details of name, address, date of birth, driver number, date of expiry of licence and class of licence.

Drivers can request a Letter of Entitlement / Driver Statement free of charge by phoning the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) at 076 1087880 or emailing  [email protected]. It will take three to four days for the request to be processed and posted out to a driver.