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A narrow road between low stone walls curving over boggy green hillside in Ireland, wet after rain, with shafts of light breaking through cloud.

Ireland

Drives on the left · EUR · Emergency 112
LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-13

Driving in Ireland

Ireland drives on the left like the UK, but signs in kilometres rather than miles — so if you are arriving from Britain the numbers change even though the side of the road does not. The limits on this page match Irish signage directly. The M50 around Dublin is the thing to plan for. It is barrier-free, with no way to pay at the roadside, and without a tag you must pay online, by phone or at a Payzone outlet by 8pm on the day after you drive it. Missing that adds €3.50, and letting it run a further 14 days adds €46.50 on top — so a toll of a couple of euros becomes a substantial bill. The other tolled roads and the Dublin Port Tunnel use ordinary barriers. There is no priority-to-the-right convention: give way by signs and markings, and on roundabouts give way to traffic already circulating, approaching from your right. There is no low-emission zone network and no winter tyre requirement. Headlights are needed from dusk to dawn rather than through the day. The alcohol limit is 0.5‰, dropping to 0.2 for novice drivers, and mobile camera locations are often published in advance.

Speed limits

Urban
50 km/h
Rural / outside built-up areas
80 km/h
Motorway
120 km/h

Alcohol limits

General limit
0.5‰
Novice drivers
0.2‰

Mandatory equipment

  • •None legally mandatory for private cars — a warning triangle and hi-vis vest are recommended but not required

Winter tires & snow chains

No legal requirement for winter tires or chains — rarely needed given the mild climate, though conditions can turn icy on higher or rural roads in winter.

Tolls

System
Toll booths

Several motorways and the Dublin Port Tunnel charge tolls; the M50 around Dublin is barrier-free electronic tolling — pay online within days if you don't have a tag, or risk a fine for non-payment. Other tolled roads use traditional barriers (cash/card).

Full motorway tolls guide →

More things to know before you drive

Seatbelts
Mandatory front and rear for all occupants.
Mobile phone use
Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited.
Child seats
Children under 150 cm or 36 kg (whichever comes first) must generally use an approved child restraint.
Headlights
Not generally mandatory in daylight; dipped headlights required from dusk to dawn and in poor visibility.
Low-emission & restricted zones
No nationwide low-emission zone network currently in place.
Right of way & roundabouts
No general priority-to-the-right rule — give way according to signs and road markings. Roundabouts go clockwise (as in the UK); give way to traffic already on the roundabout, approaching from your right.
Parking
Pay-and-display or app-based paid parking is common in towns; disc parking zones exist in some areas.
Speed cameras
Fixed and mobile safety cameras are used, with locations for mobile enforcement often published in advance.

Good to know

Drives on the left, like the UK — but unlike the UK, distances and speed limits are in kilometres, not miles, so signage matches the numbers on this page directly. 999 also works as an emergency number alongside 112.