
1 
This Order may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Exchangeable Licences) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 and shall come into operation on 31st October 2022.
2 

(1) In this Order—
 “the Order” means the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981;
 “driving test” means a test corresponding to the practical test of driving skills and behaviour prescribed under Article 5 of the Order as part of the test of competence to drive;
 “Table 1”, “Table 2”, and “Table 3” mean the Tables bearing those numbers in Schedule 1;
 “vehicles with automatic transmission” means vehicles in which either—
(a) the driver is not provided with any means whereby he may vary the gear ratio between the engine and the road wheels independently of the accelerator and the brakes; or
(b) the driver is provided with such means but they do not include a clutch pedal or lever which he may operate manually,and accordingly, a vehicle with manual transmission is any other type of vehicle.
(2) A reference to a licensing category or licensing sub-category is a reference to the category or sub-category, as the case may be, identified by the same letter or combination of letters or the same letter and number in the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.
3 

(1) Subject to paragraphs (3), (4) and (5), the countries and territories specified in Table 1 are designated under Article 19D(2)(b) of the Order as respects licences of the descriptions specified in paragraph (2).
(2) The licences referred to in paragraph (1) are licences which—
(a) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category AM, A, B, B+E, F, K, or Q, and sub-categories A1 or A2; and
(b) have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 1—
(i) to a person who has passed a driving test in that country or territory; or
(ii) by way of exchange for a licence granted in—(aa) an EEA State or the United Kingdom;(bb) any other country or territory specified in Table 1;(cc) a country or territory specified in Table 2 or Table 3; or(dd) a country or territory specified in Schedule 2,to a person who has passed a driving test in any such State, country or territory.
(3) A licence of a description specified in paragraph (2)(b)(ii), being a licence granted by way of exchange for a licence granted to a person who has passed a driving test in a country or territory specified in Table 2, shall not be exchangeable in so far as it authorises the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category A or sub-category A2, notwithstanding that the licence authorises the driving in the country or territory specified in Table 1 of a class of vehicle corresponding to that licensing category.
(4) A licence of a description specified in paragraph (2)(b)(ii), being a licence granted by way of exchange for a licence granted to a person who has passed a driving test in a country or territory specified in Table 3, shall not be exchangeable in so far as it authorises the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category AM or A or sub-category A1 or A2, notwithstanding that the licence authorises the driving in the country or territory specified in Table 1 or Table 2 of a class of vehicle corresponding to that licensing category.
(5) Notwithstanding that a licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) authorises the driving of vehicles with manual transmission, that licence shall be exchangeable only to the extent that it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who has passed a driving test in a vehicle with automatic transmission.
4 

(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the countries and territories specified in Table 2 are designated under Article 19D(2)(b) of the Order as respects licences of the descriptions specified in paragraph (2).
(2) The licences referred to in paragraph (1) are licences which—
(a) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category AM, B, B+E, F, K or Q and sub-category A1, and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 2—
(i) to a person who has passed a driving test in that country or territory; or
(ii) by way of exchange for a licence granted in—(aa) an EEA State or the United Kingdom;(bb) any other country or territory specified in Table 2;(cc) a country or territory specified in Table 1; or(dd) a country or territory specified in Schedule 2,to a person who has passed a driving test in any such State, country or territory; or
(b) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category AM or sub-category A1, and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 3 by way of exchange for a licence granted in—
(i) an EEA State or the United Kingdom;
(ii) a country or territory specified in Table 1 or 2; or
(iii) a country or territory specified in Schedule 2,
to a person who has passed a driving test in any such State, country or territory.
(3) Notwithstanding that a licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) authorises the driving of vehicles with manual transmission, that licence shall be exchangeable only to the extent that it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who has passed a driving test in a vehicle with automatic transmission.
5 

(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the countries and territories specified in Table 3 are designated under Article 19D(2)(b) of the Order as respects licences of the descriptions specified in paragraph (2).
(2) The licences referred to in paragraph (1) are licences which—
(a) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category B, B+E, F, K, or Q, and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 3—
(i) to a person who has passed a driving test in that country or territory; or
(ii) by way of exchange for a licence granted in—(aa) an EEA State or the United Kingdom;(bb) any other country or territory specified in Table 3;(cc) a country or territory specified in Table 1 or 2; or(dd) in a country or territory specified in Schedule 2,to a person who has passed a driving test in any such State, country or territory;
(b) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle in licensing category AM or A or sub-category A1 or A2, and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 3 by way of exchange for a licence granted in—
(i) an EEA State or the United Kingdom;
(ii) a country or territory specified in Table 1; or
(iii) a country or territory specified in Schedule 2,
to a person who has passed a driving test in any such State, country or territory; or
(c) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle in licensing category AM or sub-category A1, and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 3 by way of exchange for a licence granted in—
(i) an EEA State or the United Kingdom;
(ii) a country or territory specified in Table 2; or
(iii) a country or territory specified in Schedule 2,
to a person who has passed a driving test in any such State, country or territory.
(3) Notwithstanding that a licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) authorises the driving of vehicles with manual transmission, that licence shall be exchangeable only to the extent that it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who has passed a driving test in a vehicle with automatic transmission.
6 

(1) Subject to paragraph (3), Switzerland is designated under Article 19D(2)(b) of the Order as respects licences of the descriptions specified in paragraph (2).
(2) The licences referred to in paragraph (1) are licences which—
(a) authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle included in licensing category C, C+E, D or D+E, whether or not they authorise the driving of any other class of vehicle; and
(b) have been granted by the licensing authority of Switzerland—
(i) to a person who has passed a driving test in Switzerland in respect of each class of vehicle authorised by that person’s licence corresponding to a class included in one or more licensing categories or sub-categories referred to in paragraph (2)(a); or
(ii) by way of exchange for a licence granted in—(aa) Northern Ireland to a person who has passed a driving test in Northern Ireland in respect of each licensing category or sub-category referred to in paragraph (2)(a) authorised by that licence; or(bb) Great Britain, Gibraltar, an EEA State or a country or territory specified in Schedule 2 to a person who has passed a driving test in Great Britain, Gibraltar or any such State, country or territory, as the case may be, in respect of each class of vehicle authorised by that licence corresponding to a class included in one or more of the licensing categories or sub-categories referred to in paragraph (2)(a).
(3) Notwithstanding that a licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) authorises the driving of vehicles with manual transmission that licence shall be exchangeable only to the extent that it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who has passed a driving test in a vehicle with automatic transmission.
7 
The Motor Vehicles (Exchangeable Licences) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 is revoked.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Infrastructure on 3rd October 2022
Chris Hughes
A senior officer of the Department for Infrastructure

SCHEDULE 1
Articles 3, 4 and 5


Table 1
Country or territory
Andorra
Australia
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
The provinces and territories of Canada
Falkland Islands
Hong Kong
Japan
New Zealand
Principality of Monaco
Singapore
South Africa
Switzerland
Zimbabwe

Table 2
Country or territory
The Cayman Islands
The United Arab Emirates

Table 3
Country or territory
The Faroe Islands
The Republic of Korea
The Republic of North Macedonia
Taiwan
Ukraine
SCHEDULE 2
Articles 3, 4, 5 and 6

Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
