Expat Car Leasing, Rental & Chauffeur Ireland

Relocation support for all your mobility needs in Ireland!

Contact us

Get a car without an Irish credit history or driver's license

International professionals can arrange for their car before or after moving to Ireland. There are no restrictions on when to start the process with our program. Our Irish partner will help arrange finance, insurance, registration and road tax and have you “on the road” within 48 hours of your arrival – and in most cases, 24 hours!

Full insurance and maintenance program can be offered with the lease.

Free "Personal Car Shopper Service"

Our intercultural program will provide you a skilled and knowledgeable professional contact who understands the car market in Ireland.

New and Used Cars

Let your Personal Car Specialist assist you with locating the right car for you.

Expat Auto Leasing

We offer flexible leasing options at competitive interest rates per annum for qualifying customers.

Car Rental for expatriates

Rentals are from 1 day up to 12 months. The rental car program covers 100 countries globally. Click here to book…

We offer destination services for all your mobility needs in all of Ireland

All major cities and all smaller cities, we’ll be there for you: Dublin, Cork, Dún Laoghaire, Limerick, Galway, Tallaght, Waterford, Swords, Drogheda, Dundalk and the list goes on…

No matter what Irish province you are relocating to, contact us for your car needs: Leinster, Ulster, Munster or Connacht

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is insurance included in the lease payments?

    No, insurance is paid for separately. We can either offer insurance through our program or the customer can find their own insurance.

  • What features are included in the lease?

    The following features are included in the lease:
    • Delivery
    • VAT
    • Warranty

  • What are the required documents to start a lease?

    The following documents are required:
    • Copy of passport with photo
    • Copy of work visa
    • Copy of valid driver’s license – local or from your home country
    • Letter of employment stating salary, term and allowances
    • Completed finance application

  • Do I need an Irish driver's license to start a lease?

    No, it is not a requirement. You can drive with international driver's license for 12 months. After 12 months, the driver needs to have an Irish driver's license.

  • What is Personal Car Shopper Service?

    A free service - Our program will provide you a skilled and knowledgeable professional contact who understands the car market in Ireland. This has proven to be a big time saver.

  • What does the initial payment consist of?

    The initial payment consists of the following:
    • Registration fee and taxes
    • Pro-rated portion of current month’s monthly payment
    • First full month lease/finance payment
    €275 set-up fee

  • Is ExpatRide specialized in only supporting expatriates, or is it available for short-term and domestic needs?

    ExpatRide’s primary focus is on workforce mobility services. It includes all employees’ transportation needs, be it short-term international assignments or long-term and permanent moves. We can assist employees moving domestically and internationally.

  • How can ExpatRide support our corporate relocation service needs?

    We work with you to establish a global mobility program for all aspects of car transportation. Aligning customary transportation across continents, budgets, allowances, self-pay, approved vehicles, individually tailored solutions, and centralized direct billing arrangement across all services.

    If you work with a Relocation Management Company. We can support and implement the plan mentioned above together with the RMC, including coordinating expense management for your employees, thus utilizing the relocation support services infrastructure already provided to you by the RMC. We work with all the major RMCs and Destination Services Providers.

    Please see more information on our “Corporate page”

  • Do you offer corporations direct billing via invoicing instead of credit card payment?

    Yes, we offer different payment options worldwide for corporations. This is individually accessed and may not be available for all

  • Do you support Global Mobility HR with their expats’ transportation needs?

    Yes, we can assist corporate human resource divisions in coordinating all transportation needs for their employees on international assignments.

Practical Information on Driving in Ireland

Speed Limit

Motorways: 120 km/h (75 mph)
National Routes: 100 km/h (62 mph)
Local and regional roads: 80 km/h (50 mph)

Alcohol & Driving

Don’t do it! Drinking and driving are taken very seriously in Ireland and few people will risk getting behind the wheel even after one drink. The legal limit to drive in Ireland is 0.5 mg/ml of blood – which is lower than that 0.8 legal limit in many other countries.

Kids in Cars

Children under 150 cm in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms (generally children up to 11-12 years old) must use the correct child seat or booster cushion.

Documentation

Valid US, Canadian, or EU driver’s license, Passport (required, if your driver’s license does not have a photo) International driver’s license, Vehicle registration document (V5) (required)

Minimum Age

You Must be 17 years of age to drive a vehicle in Ireland.

Expat Auto Insurance

While you can opt out of the CDW coverage in some countries, it is a mandatory insurance in Ireland. Proof of third-party insurance (required)

Phone & Driving

It is illegal to hold a mobile phone in your hand or support it with another part of your body, for example, between your head and shoulder, when you’re driving. You can only use your mobile when you’re driving if you are phoning 999 or 112.

Seat Belts

There is a legal obligation in Ireland to be restrained when motoring and this applies to drivers and passengers

Driver's License

As an expat in Ireland, you can drive on a driving license from any state outside the EU/EEA for up to a year provided the driving license is current and valid. However, on taking up ‘normal residence’ in Ireland you must either exchange your driving license or apply for a driving license in Ireland.

How to Exchange your foreign driver’s license to an Ireland Driver’s License

If you have a driving license issued by an EU/EEA member state, you can drive in Ireland as long as your existing license is valid. If you wish to exchange your driving license for an equivalent Irish driving license, you must do so within 10 years of your driving license expiring.
Where a driving license has been issued on foot of an exchange from a country that Ireland does not have an exchange agreement with then Ireland cannot exchange the driving license.
To complete an application, you will need to submit:

• Fully completed application form for a Driving license D401
• Current or most recent EU/EEA driving license (if your license has expired by less than ten years or does not have a category start date you will need to provide an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the relevant licensing authority)
• If you do not have your most recent driving license in your possession, you will need to present an original letter of entitlement / driver statement from the appropriate licensing authority and must complete the lost or stolen license declaration on the application form and have it witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána
• Certified translations are required for all letters of entitlement / driver statements which are not in English or Irish
• Photographic I.D.
• Proof of your personal public services number (PPSN)
• Evidence of address dated within the last six months is required if your current address is not recorded on your permit and it differs from that provided to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) if and when you applied for a PSC
• Evidence of residency entitlement, (if you hold a public services card and your place of birth or nationality are within the European Union/European Economic Area, it is adequate to present the PSC)
• Fully completed NDLS medical report form, dated within one month, if required in your case
• Evidence of certificate of professional competence (CPC), if required
• If exchanging a Northern Ireland license it must be accompanied by the counterpart
• Application fee of €55

Reciprocity Agreements

Ireland has reciprocity agreements with all EU members and a list of other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and South Africa. The Canadian province of Ontario was recently added to the list and rest of Canada is expected to follow shortly.

Visit the National Driver’s License Service for updated information:
the National Driver’s License Service.

Note: Information may not be up-to-date. Please check official government information for latest laws and regulations.

We finance all makes and models across the nations

We offer the following car brands and any other car brand available in Ireland
Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford,Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lamborghini, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, MG, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Rolls-Royce, Skoda, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo

"I highly recommend ExpatRide for anybody looking for a car after making the big move!"

– Andreas from Denmark, Audi A4

”The service we received was amazing! Out of everything we've had to do with our move overseas, getting our new car was the easiest and most stress-free."

About our partner in Ireland:

Our partner is Ireland’s leading expat lease company with nearly 19,000 vehicles managed on their fleet. Established in 1983.

Whether it is for business or personal use, they can find the ideal specification and terms to suit your needs.

We are ready to assist!

    • Start process before or after arrival to Ireland
    • Build an Irish credit score
    • We can source any make and model
    • Personal Car Shopper Service (free intercultural service) - saves time and hassle with visiting dealers
    • Competitive interest rate