Countries · Britain and Ireland

How to Drive Your Own Car to Britain and Ireland

Checked 5 October 2026 on GOV.UK, gov.ie, the Road Safety Authority's and the operators' own pages · skynomad

Since 28 September 2026, Stena Line asks every passenger on its Holyhead and Fishguard routes to show a valid passport at check-in.

That is the newest trap. The oldest is the side of the road: a left-hand-drive car on the left, with headlights aimed at the oncoming traffic.

Sort the papers first, then the lights, then the charges.

Get the Papers Right Before the Crossing

• ETA. EU citizens need an electronic travel authorisation to visit the UK; it has been required since 2 April 2025. Bring your passport: GOV.UK accepts an EU identity card only in a few cases, such as for people with settled status.
• Licence. GOV.UK says a visitor can drive in the UK on a non-UK licence, with no international driving permit.
• Insurance. For a car insured in the EU, carry a green card or other valid proof of insurance from your insurer.
• How long. A car registered abroad may be used in the UK for up to six months in total in any twelve. Ireland allows up to twelve months without any application, if the car is taxed and registered abroad and you carry proof.

The EU's Entry/Exit System is checked on the UK side at Dover, Folkestone and St Pancras before you leave for France. It concerns non-EU citizens only.

Cross by Tunnel or Ferry

LeShuttle takes cars through the Channel Tunnel from Calais to Folkestone in 35 minutes. Our trip calculators use that time, without check-in.

The ferries to Britain sail from Calais and Dunkirk to Dover, Dieppe to Newhaven, Hook of Holland to Harwich (from 6 hours 30), Amsterdam to Newcastle, and from several French and Spanish ports to Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth.

For Ireland, the direct ferries run from Roscoff to Cork, Cherbourg to Rosslare and Dublin, Bilbao to Rosslare and Dunkirk to Rosslare. Through Britain, Holyhead to Dublin takes 3 hours 15 minutes.

Keep Left, and Aim Your Headlights Down

Drive on the left in the UK and in Ireland, and overtake on the right.

UK law forbids headlights that dazzle other drivers. It has no rule written for left-hand-drive cars, but the AA advises adjusting the beam or fitting deflectors so that it does not hit oncoming traffic.

Know the Limits

In Ireland, national roads are limited to 100 km/h, regional roads to 80 and towns to 50. In Northern Ireland, a driver from outside the UK caught by the police must pay a deposit at the roadside, or the car is immobilised.

Carry What You Like: No Kit Is Listed as Compulsory

We found no official list of compulsory kit for a private car in the UK or Ireland. Ireland's Road Safety Authority recommends a warning triangle, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher and spare bulbs, and the AA says a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher are not compulsory in a private car.

The rest of the continent still asks for its own: keep the triangle and vests for the drive home. The required kit page lists them by country.

Call 999 if You Break Down on a Motorway

In the UK, call 999 in an emergency. Free emergency phones stand about every mile and tell the operator where you are. If you stop in a live lane and cannot get out safely, stay in the car with your seatbelt on and call 999.

In Ireland, call 112 or 999.

Get the ETA and the passports in order, aim your headlights down, and pay the road charges online: the UK and Ireland charges page lists them. Every rule on this page was read on GOV.UK, gov.ie, the Road Safety Authority's or the operators' own pages on 5 October 2026.