Getting a driving licence these days in Ireland feels like entering a lucky dip. Even if you have the €800-€1,000 to pay for 12 lessons and the other various fees to get a full licence, you may be waiting until well into 2026 to sit the test itself.

Frustrated with lengthy waiting times in Ireland, some of the unlicensed population are turning to other options to beat the queues here. Namely, Georgia – the country, not the US state.

Georgia is offering learners a more cost-effective route to get onto the roads. It’s totally legal and a world (or plane ride) away from the red tape associated with passing your test here.

“Ireland entered into a driving licence exchange agreement with Georgia in June 2024 following a detailed technical analysis of their driver licensing and testing systems,” the Road Safety Authority (RSA) told Irish Country Living. “Ireland found it to be comparable to that in Ireland. Therefore, a Georgian Driving Licence can be exchanged for an Irish driving licence.”

Over the past year, service providers in Georgia are offering licences to Irish people desperate to get on the road for less cash and without the wait. When they come home, they do not need to re-sit their theory or practical exams. They simply exchange their licence, which takes about 30 days.

“An international driving permit cannot be used on its own to drive as it is a translation of the driving licence, it must be accompanied by a driving licence,” says the RSA.

Over the past year, service providers in Georgia are offering licences to Irish people desperate to get on the road for less cash and without the wait

Exchanging the Georgian licence for an Irish one can be done online via the National Driver Licence Service website ndls.ie. It requires you to post your public services card, proof of address, foreign licence, proof of residence, eyesight report and pay an application fee of €65.

Irish Country Living spoke to one service in Georgia, Urgent Driving License, urgentdrivinglicense.com, who are supporting foreigners to get their driving permit in Georgia. The company says that learners can secure their licence in one to two weeks in Georgia. The applicant completes three tests – a theory test, parking exam and city driving exam – and if you fail, you can re-sit much faster, every week if needed. While a resident in Ireland must take 12 lessons to apply for their licence, there are no mandatory practice hours in Georgia to qualify for the exams.

Urgent Driving License tells Irish Country Living that there are 10 test centres around the country and that tests are in English.

Time and money are the two forces that influence our decisions, especially when it comes to booking a driving test.

Below, we break down the costs for sitting your driving test (for a car) in Georgia versus Ireland.

Driving test in Georgia

Flight: €200-€300. Budget airlines including Pegasus and Wizzair fly to Georgia. The price of a round trip depends on the season and time of booking, but flights to Kutaisi, Tbilisi and Batumi are available for less than €300.

Accommodation: €15-20 per night.

Three tests: €850 (including full support, documents, exam fees).

Lessons: €13-17 depending on type of lesson. You are not required to take driving lessons before sitting your tests but some preparation (three to four hours) is recommended, especially as you’ll be driving on the other side of the road.

Total: €1,300 (approximately), which includes the rental of a car for lessons and sitting the test.

Driving test in Ireland

Driver Theory Test: €45.

First learner permit: €45.

A completed Driving Licence Eyesight Report Form must accompany all first learner permit applications: €20 on average.

Complete 12 (EDT) lessons with an approved driving instructor: €550, according to a survey by Money Guide Ireland 2024

Test: €85.

Apply for a full licence: €65.

Total: The average cost is €810 (approximately) and this figure does not include vehicle insurance or purchase or car rental. Market analysis conducted by Peopl Insurance showed that young learner drivers are facing premiums as much as €2,618 a year to get insured on the road.

Three driving instructors who spoke to Irish Country Living all raised concern about learners heading to Georgia to sit their test. “As a driving instructor, we are supposed to be teaching pupils to drive safely and calmly,” says one instructor. “Obviously we’re there to help them pass their test but we aren’t teaching them to [just] pass a test. The intensive training in Georgia is more about teaching someone to pass a test [rather than drive safely].”

“Our main job is to help people become confident and safe on the roads.”

There is no information from the RSA on how many people are trading Ireland for Georgia. Urgent Driving License says about 20 people have taken this route since 2024, and certainly not everyone is a fan of this new way of getting a licence. But, for some of the country’s learners desperate to get their own wheels, well, they are on that midnight plane to Georgia.

Note: Irish Country Living have learned that the Georgian driving licence authorities may be making changes to residency requirements before issuing the driving licence to foreigners. The situation is ongoing.