Key Requirements & Rules

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U.S. drivers can use a valid U.S. driver’s licence in Ireland for up to 12 months as a tourist.
Driving is on the left-hand side of the road, and vehicles are right-hand drive in the Republic of Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland uses kilometres per hour (km/h) for speed limits; Northern Ireland uses miles per hour (mph).
Everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt; using a mobile phone while driving is prohibited unless hands-free.
The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.05% BAC in the Republic; for novice/professional drivers it is lower.

Rental cars: Make sure you specify the correct side (right-hand drive) and consider whether automatic transmission is available — manuals are more common.
Roundabouts: Traffic goes clockwise; give way to traffic already on the roundabout. Being used to right-hand driving in the U.S., this is one major adjustment.
Narrow roads: Especially in rural and scenic areas, roads may be narrower than what U.S. drivers expect; proceed carefully.
Tolls & parking: Some roads and bridges have tolls (including barrier-free systems like the M50 around Dublin). Always check for signage and payment requirements.

While driving in Ireland is about logistics, your financial and payment planning matters too — here’s where dogpaycan help:

Pre-fund travel cost: If you’ll pay for car rental, insurance, fuel or tolls in Ireland and you hold USD (or another currency), convert funds ahead of time using dogpay so you arrive prepared and avoid rushed or unfavourable conversions.
Smooth payment abroad: For incidental costs (additional fuel stops, tolls, local services) dogpay gives you a flexible payment option rather than relying solely on local cards or cash.
Currency control: Holding multiple currencies? Dogpay can help you choose when to convert some funds into euros (EUR) ahead of your trip, reducing exposure to last-minute conversion fees or poor rates.

Check your U.S. driver’s licence is valid and you meet rental car company age/license duration requirements.
Book a car early and confirm whether it’s automatic/manual, right-hand drive, fuel type.
Review insurance options and confirm coverage for your driving period in Ireland.
Notify your bank/cards of overseas travel; check foreign transaction and ATM fees for payments in Ireland.
Use dogpay to set aside a portion of funds ahead of travel — for rental, fuel, tolls, and any unexpected driving expenses.
Familiarise yourself with driving on the left, roundabouts, road signage in km/h, and rural vs urban road conditions.