Driving in Ireland as a Portuguese driver
In Ireland you drive on the left, the opposite of Portugal, so the steering wheel is on the right and you go clockwise around roundabouts. Your Portuguese licence is all you need to drive in Ireland.
Unless signposted otherwise, the limits are 50 km/h in towns, 80 on country roads and 120 on motorways. Watch for fixed, mobile and average speed cameras.
Ireland and Portugal side by side
The rows in yellow are different from home.
| Rule | Ireland | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Drive on the | Left | Right |
| Speed units | km/h | km/h |
| Alcohol limit | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Holding a phone | Banned | Banned |
| Earphones | Allowed | Restricted |
| Turn on red | No | No |
| Unmarked junctions | Traffic from the right | Traffic from the right |
| Roundabouts go | Clockwise | Anticlockwise |
| Daytime headlights | Not required | When visibility is poor |
The rules that catch Portuguese drivers out
The most important first.
Drive on the left
Traffic in Ireland drives on the left and overtakes on the right. Hire cars have the steering wheel on the right. Take extra care when pulling out of junctions and car parks, and at roundabouts. At home you drive on the right.
Speed limits depend on the road number
Limits are in km/h. Unless a sign says otherwise, motorways (M) are 120, national roads (N) are 100, regional roads (R) are 80 and local roads (L) are 60. Built-up areas are 50, and more and more town streets are 30. The road number is on direction signs.
The sign with diagonal lines means 60 km/h
A white disc with black diagonal lines and a Go Mall / SLOW plate does not mean the end of restrictions. In Ireland it sets a 60 km/h limit on narrow local roads. It shows no number so that drivers judge a safe speed, which on these roads is often much lower.
Narrow country roads
Many local roads are very narrow, with no hard shoulder, and some have room for only one vehicle. Expect tractors and animals on rural roads, and drive slowly and carefully.
Roundabouts go clockwise
Turn left to enter a roundabout and go round clockwise. Give way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your right. At home you go anticlockwise.
Lower drink-drive limit for new drivers
The limit is 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. It is 20 mg for learner drivers, drivers in their first 2 years and professional drivers. Gardaí run random breath tests, and every offence brings a ban of at least 3 months.
8 more rules worth knowing
Cameras in published places
Marked GoSafe vans check speeds in more than 1,900 zones, and static, average speed and level crossing cameras cover other places. The Gardaí publish the zones and sites on garda.ie. Camera notices for hire cars are passed on to the driver.
Signs in Irish only in the Gaeltacht
Direction signs show Irish above English. In Gaeltacht areas, signs are in Irish only and show only the Irish place name, so learn the Irish name of where you are going.
Northern Ireland uses miles per hour
Northern Ireland is part of the UK. Its speed limit signs are in miles per hour, while the Republic uses km/h. If you take a hire car across the border, check that its insurance covers Northern Ireland.
Speed limits
Country roads are 80 km/h here, slower than the 90 km/h at home.
Toll roads
Most toll roads have barrier plazas where you pay by cash or card. The M50 around Dublin has a barrier-free toll that you pay online, by phone or in a shop by 8pm the next day. The M50 toll point is between Junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown) and Junction 7 (N4 Lucan) and charges in both directions. Cameras on an overhead gantry read your number plate, and there is nowhere to pay at the roadside. Purple overhead signs marked Toll show where the M50 toll applies. A late €3.80 toll becomes €7.80 and can grow to €186.80.
Your Portuguese licence is enough
With a Portuguese licence, your own licence is enough. You don't need an International Driving Permit. Licences from EU and EEA countries can be used for as long as they are valid.
Give way to the right at unmarked junctions
Where two roads meet with no signs and neither is a major road, give way to traffic approaching from your right. If your road ends at the junction, give way to traffic on the other road. At a junction with no signs, signals or road markings, give way to traffic coming from your right, even from a small side street. It's the same rule as at home.
No turning on red
You may not turn left on a red light. Only a green filter arrow lets you go while the main light is red.
Open Ireland in the app, set to a Portuguese licence, and keep all of this with you offline.
Open it in the appSpeed limits compared with home
The black marks show your limits at home.
Who goes first
Priority to the right
Roundabouts go clockwise
Signs that look different from home
Give way
Give way to traffic on the major road ahead.
Roundabout ahead
A roundabout is ahead.
Speed camera ahead
A speed camera is ahead at the distance shown.
Average speed zone
Your average speed is measured between two cameras.
Level crossing with lights
A railway level crossing with flashing red lights is ahead.
Mini roundabout
You are at a mini roundabout.
Sharp corner
A sharp corner is ahead in the direction shown.
Series of sharp bends
Several sharp bends are ahead.
Signs you won't know from home
A residential area with a 30 km/h limit.
A toll road starts at the distance shown.
Directions on a motorway (M road).
Directions on a national road (N road).
Directions on regional (R) and local (L) roads.
A crossroads is ahead.
The road gets narrower ahead.
The road narrows to a single lane ahead.
A road hump is ahead.
Speed cameras
Marked GoSafe vans check speeds in more than 1,900 published zones. There are also nine static cameras, average speed cameras on five roads and cameras at two railway level crossings. The Gardaí publish the van zones and the static and average speed sites on garda.ie, with a map. Camera notices go to the registered owner, which for a hire car is the hire company. The owner must name the driver within 28 days, and the notice is then sent to that driver. Points on a foreign licence are kept on a separate record and move to an Irish licence if you get one later.
Before you drive
- Your driving licenceThe physical card, not a photo or a digital licence.
- Your passportHire companies and police ask for ID.
Driving in Ireland soon?
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Where Portuguese drivers drive next
Ireland for drivers from elsewhere
Sources: the official Ireland sources listed on the Ireland guide, checked 15 October 2026.