Rules and laws in Ireland (2026)
Last reviewed: 15 October 2026
Every topic we cover for Ireland. Each rule links to its official source.
Driving
Car insurance and green cards
Third-party motor insurance is compulsory in Ireland. Cars registered in the EU and in the UK, including Northern Ireland, do not need a green card to be driven in Ireland.
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Car speed limits
Passenger cars may do 50 km/h in built-up areas by default, with 100 km/h on national roads, 80 km/h on regional roads and 60 km/h on rural local roads. The motorway limit is 120 km/h. Local authorities are to lower many urban limits to 30 km/h by 31 March 2027.
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Distinguishing sign on cars
Irish number plates carry the EU flag with the letters IRL, which other EU states must accept in place of a separate sign under Regulation (EC) No 2411/98. A national rule on a separate sign for foreign cars in Ireland was not found.
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Drink-driving limits
Ireland limits blood alcohol to 0.05% (50 mg per 100 ml) for ordinary drivers and 0.02% for learner, first-licence and professional drivers. Gardaí may require breath tests at authorised checkpoints. A conviction under section 4 can bring a fine of up to €5,000, 6 months in prison, or both.
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Driving after drugs
Ireland has a per se limit for specified drugs in whole blood, including 1 ng/ml THC, measured within 3 hours of driving. A medical exemption certificate covers prescribed cannabis only. Gardaí can require a roadside oral fluid test, and conviction brings a disqualification of at least 1 year.
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E-bikes and speed pedelecs
E-bikes with up to 250 W, a 25 km/h assistance cut-off and pedal-only assistance are treated as bicycles: no licence, plate, tax or compulsory insurance. Faster or more powerful e-bikes are e-mopeds, which must be registered and taxed, and the L1e-B category needs a category AM licence.
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E-scooters
E-scooters that meet the technical requirements may be used on public roads from age 18, at up to 20 km/h, and riders must wear a helmet and high-visibility clothing. No driving licence, registration, motor tax or insurance is required. They are used like a bicycle and never on the footpath.
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Foreign driving licences
A driving licence issued by another EU or EEA state is valid in Ireland for the period it has effect. A visitor with a domestic licence or international driving permit may drive the vehicles it covers. The rules for residents with a non-EU licence are still to verify.
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Minimum age for a car driving licence
The minimum age for a category B (car) driving licence or learner permit in Ireland is 17. Motorcycle and moped categories start at 16.
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Mopeds
A moped (category AM) can be ridden from age 16 with a category AM licence, a helmet and insurance. Learners must complete Initial Basic Training, and the moped must be registered and taxed.
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Motorcycles: helmets and licences
Riders and passengers on motorcycles must wear a crash helmet with an approved standard mark in public places. The minimum age is 16 for category A1 and 18 for A2, and 24 for category A (20 with progressive access).
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Road tolls and vignettes
Ireland has no vignette system. Cars pay tolls on ten national toll roads, including the barrier-free M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel, and on the East Link bridge. TII sets the tolls each year with an inflation adjustment.
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Seat belts and child seats
Adults must wear a seat belt where one is fitted, in the front and the rear of cars. Children under 150 cm tall and under 36 kg must use an appropriate child restraint system, and a rear-facing seat needs the front airbag deactivated.
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Towing trailers and caravans
A vehicle drawing a trailer or caravan may not exceed 80 km/h on any road unless a lower limit is signed. A category B licence covers a trailer of up to 750 kg, or a heavier trailer if the combination does not exceed 3,500 kg; category BE covers a trailer of up to 3,500 kg.
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Using a mobile phone while driving
Holding a mobile phone while driving is an offence in Ireland; hands-free use is not covered by that offence. The fixed charge is EUR 120 with 3 penalty points, and sending or reading text messages while driving is also prohibited.
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Travel
Air passenger rights
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to flights departing from Ireland, with compensation of EUR 250, 400 or 600 by distance. The national enforcement body is the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).
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Customs allowances for tobacco and alcohol
From other EU countries, Revenue lists indicative personal-use quantities of 800 cigarettes, 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine and 110 litres of beer. From outside the EU the allowances are 200 cigarettes, 1 litre of spirits, 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer.
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Health cover for temporary visitors
The EHIC covers medically necessary care from doctors and hospitals in the Irish public health system. It does not cover private care, repatriation or planned treatment. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is the contact body in Ireland.
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Identity documents
Non-nationals aged 16 or over must produce a valid passport or equivalent document on demand to an immigration officer or a Garda. EEA and Swiss citizens need a passport or national identity card to enter Ireland, and UK citizens travel freely under the Common Travel Area.
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Meat and dairy imports
Travellers may not bring meat, milk or their products into Ireland from outside the EU, including Great Britain, apart from small derogations such as 2 kg of infant milk and 20 kg of fish. The ban does not apply to products moved between EU states or from a short list of European countries.
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Minors travelling: documents
The Irish border guidance for children entering Ireland advises, but does not oblige, a child travelling without a parent to carry a signed consent letter with supporting documents. An immigration officer may ask for the other parent's consent when a child travels with one parent only.
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Rail passenger rights
Regulation (EU) 2021/782 applies, with compensation of 25 % of the ticket price from 60 minutes and 50 % from 120 minutes. The National Transport Authority is the national enforcement body.
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Short stays (90/180-day rule)
Ireland is not in the Schengen area and does not take part in the Entry/Exit System. British citizens need no visa and EU, EEA and Swiss citizens show a passport or national identity card on arrival. Other nationals who may enter are given up to 3 months at the immigration officer's discretion.
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Tax-free shopping for visitors
Visitors who live outside the EU, including Great Britain but not Northern Ireland, can reclaim Irish VAT on goods with an export voucher value of at least EUR 75 that they export by the end of the third month after the purchase. Customs certifies the voucher; the retailer or a refund agent pays.
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Travelling with personal medicines
Visitors may bring up to 3 months' supply of prescription medicines for personal use, with a prescription or a doctor's letter. Travellers arriving from the Schengen area with Schedule II or III controlled drugs need an Article 75 certificate covering at most 30 days. Customs officers decide whether the documents support the amount.
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Travelling with pets
EU rules apply: a transponder, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, and a passport (EU) or animal health certificate (non-EU). No more than five animals may travel, except for events.
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Living
Deposit return schemes and plastic bags
Ireland has a national deposit return scheme for PET bottles and aluminium or steel drink containers of 150 ml to 3 litres, with a deposit of EUR 0.15 or EUR 0.25. A levy of EUR 0.22 applies to each plastic carrier bag supplied at the point of sale, with exceptions.
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Dual nationality
Ireland does not require applicants for naturalisation to give up another citizenship, and an Irish citizen who acquires another nationality keeps Irish citizenship. Citizenship ends by a declaration of alienage lodged by an adult citizen living abroad. A certificate of naturalisation can be revoked on specified grounds, including a voluntary acquisition of another citizenship.
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Home education
Parents may educate a child at home in Ireland if the child is registered with the Child and Family Agency after an assessment of the education provided. Otherwise the parent must cause the child to attend a recognised school on each school day. Compulsory age runs from 6 to 16, or three years of post-primary education if later.
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Maximum working time
The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 limits the working week to an average of 48 hours, calculated over a reference period of normally up to 4 months. An employee is entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest in each 24 hours and to 24 consecutive hours of rest in each 7 days.
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Naturalisation by residence
Naturalisation in Ireland needs 5 years of reckonable residence in the last 9, including one continuous year before applying. Good character and an intention to keep living in Ireland are also required, and another nationality does not have to be given up. The Government has approved drafting of a bill that would raise the period to 8 years and add language and civics tests.
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Paid holiday
Employees are entitled to paid annual leave of 4 working weeks under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. There are 10 public holidays a year, each with its own entitlement that is separate from annual leave.
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Registering residence for longer stays
EEA and Swiss citizens do not need to register with the Irish immigration authorities or hold a residence card. Citizens of countries outside the EEA, the UK and Switzerland who plan to stay more than 3 months must register with Immigration Service Delivery within 90 days of landing and get an Irish Residence Permit.
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Smoke alarms in homes
Rented houses in Ireland must contain a suitable fire detection and alarm system and a fire blanket, and the landlord is responsible for compliance with these standards. Multi-unit buildings have further requirements for common areas. No requirement for owner-occupied homes was found in the sources read.
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State pension age
Ireland's pensionable age is 66 years for the State pension (contributory). The earlier increases planned in the 2011 Act were repealed in December 2020, and State pension (transition) at 65 has not been payable since 2014.
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Statutory minimum wage
Ireland has a statutory national minimum wage set per hour. From 1 January 2026 the rate for employees aged 20 and over is €14.15 per hour, with lower rates for employees aged 19 and under.
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Restrictions
Cannabis
Possessing cannabis is a criminal offence in Ireland whatever the quantity, and so are cultivating it without a licence and supplying it. Cannabis products can be prescribed for medical use only by a medical consultant, for three specified conditions, to patients on the HSE register.
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Drinking age and alcohol sales
The minimum age to buy alcohol in Ireland is 18. A person under 18 may drink at home only with a parent's or guardian's explicit consent. Children may be in a bar with a parent or guardian until 9.00 pm.
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Drones
Ireland applies the EU drone rules, run by the Irish Aviation Authority. Operators of drones over 250 g, or with a camera or sensor, register with the IAA (age 16 or over) and pilots complete online training. Direct remote ID is required for C1, C2, C3, C5 and C6 drones.
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Fireworks
Only Category F1 (very low hazard) fireworks may be bought and used by the general public in Ireland, and they may not be sold to anyone under 12. Bangers and all other categories are illegal for the public to import, hold, sell or use without a licence.
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Knives and pepper spray
Having any knife or article with a blade or sharp point in a public place is an offence in Ireland unless the carrier proves good reason or lawful authority, with no exception for short or folding knives. Flick-knives and articles made to injure are separate offences, and a weapon designed to discharge a noxious liquid is a prohibited weapon (a firearm).
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Tobacco and nicotine age limits
The minimum age to be sold tobacco or nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes is 18; it rises to 21 for tobacco on 1 February 2028. Smoking tobacco is banned in workplaces and on public transport, and in a vehicle in a public place when a child under 18 is present.
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General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.