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A process allowing Irish residents to fast-track obtaining Irish driving licences by travelling to Georgia has been closed. Georgian officials at the Ministry for Internal Affairs told Prime Time that new legislation has come into effect in the last week, requiring any new applicants for a Georgian driving licence to have been resident in the country for a minimum of 180 days. A memorandum of understanding signed between Ireland and Georgia last year had meant that a driving licence obtained in Georgia could be exchanged for an Irish licence and vice versa.Competent drivers can pass their tests in Georgia and receive a licence in a week or two. The country's fast and efficient driving test process has drawn applicants from across Ireland and countries in mainland Europe. As of 31 May, the national average waiting time for a driving test in Ireland stands at 20.6 weeks — a slight improvement from the 27-week average recorded at the end of April, according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA).Last week, Prime Time travelled to a driving school in the city of Rustavi, around 30km from Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. The school specialises in preparing foreigners to pass their driving tests. There, Mika Vincheuski, a Belarusian living in Georgia, spoke of how he facilitates driving lessons and arranges test dates for non-Georgians who want to get their licence quickly. He said numerous Irish people had been to through the process with him over the last year, and obtained their Georgian licence for exchange back in Ireland.<snip>One Irishwoman, Laura, had already passed her Georgian exam and received her motorcycle licence. Once back in Ireland, she can exchange it for the Irish equivalent in a process that will take just a couple of weeks to complete. "I did the motorcycle one, so it's been a success three days in: theory on the first day, on the third day then I did my test - passed, license in hand," Laura said.
Wait till they drive on the M50...
