Ukrainian drivers arriving in Ireland will now be able to secure car insurance without the need for the same level of paperwork as might have previously been the case.
According to the online broker Coverinaclick.ie, clarity has now been provided by "some insurers" following uncertainty in recent weeks as to the documentation required by Ukrainian license holders.
"Developments over recent days mean that we can now secure new car policies on the basis that Ukrainian driver licences will effectively be treated the same as EU licences, so the route to securing cover is pretty straightforward," said Coverinaclick's managing director, Jonathan Hehir.
"When it comes to driving experience, i.e., whether a person has previous crashes or claims," he said, "the word of the driver will be deemed sufficient, rather than insist paperwork from their previous insurer, as would normally be the case."
"This is a unique situation, and we applaud the flexibility shown by some insurers who, in some cases, are agreeing to effectively take on more risk without additional premium."
Until now, those arriving in Ireland from abroad would have had to provide written documentation of their driving experience from a former insurance company. Due to the disruption caused by the Russian invasion, however, this documentation may now be hard to obtain for many Ukrainians. There is no indication that this relaxation of the rules will apply to those of other nationalities.
"This should enable more to enter the workforce sooner than they might otherwise have done so," said Hehir.
"Also, although it's obvious that very few people will have taken a car with them to Ireland from the Ukraine, where once there would have been an issue insuring a left-hand drive car, this should also not be a barrier to securing insurance cover from certain insurers."
Coverinaclick also reported that in some cases that a driver aged over 25, with a full clean Ukrainian driving licence, can be added to certain existing Irish car insurance policies temporarily for up to 30 days at no additional cost.
While Coverinaclick made no mention of exactly which insurance companies are participating in the initiative, Allianz appears to be one such firm. Its website states that it will accept drivers holding Ukrainian licenses on new car insurance policies and allow Ukrainian licence-holders to be added to existing policies as named drivers. It also said that it will accommodate those needing to insure Ukrainian-registered vehicles in Ireland.