Your caravan is legal in both if it is legal at home, with three things to watch. Ireland limits towing to 80 km/h on every road. The automatic GB B+E is not confirmed in either NI or Ireland. And Irish regulations as made set a 2.50 m width, against 2.55 m in the UK.
The licence
If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997, or passed a B+E test, your entitlement is on the licence and travels with you. If you rely on the B+E GB added in December 2021, check before you go: neither NI (Article 19E and nidirect) nor Ireland (S.I. 384/1992) has confirmed it. Your caravan is covered by category B everywhere if car MAM plus caravan MAM is 3,500 kg or less.
Speed
| Road | Great Britain | Northern Ireland | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single carriageway | 50 mph | 50 mph | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
| Dual carriageway | 60 mph | 60 mph | 80 km/h |
| Motorway | 60 mph | 60 mph | 80 km/h |
Sources: GB, NI, Ireland. Irish signs are in km/h; 80 km/h is just under 50 mph.
Width and mirrors
GB and NI allow trailers up to 2.55 m wide (GOV.UK, nidirect). Ireland's 2003 regulations as made set an overall width of 2.50 m (S.I. 5/2003); we could not confirm whether a later amendment changed this for light trailers. Measure yours across the widest point. Towing mirrors are needed in all three if the caravan is wider than the car.
Plates and lights
All three require the towing car's registration on the back of the caravan (GOV.UK, S.I. 318/1992).
Questions
- Is my GB licence enough to tow a caravan in Ireland?
- Yes if car MAM plus caravan MAM is 3,500 kg or less, or you hold B+E from a test or a pre-1997 licence. If you rely on the B+E GB added automatically in 2021, neither NI nor Ireland has confirmed it.
- How fast can I tow on an Irish motorway?
- 80 km/h, about 50 mph. It applies on every road, motorways included.
Sources
- Great Britain licence driven in Northern Ireland: Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, Article 19E, checked 2 November 2026.
- Great Britain licence driven in Ireland (visitors): Road Traffic (International Circulation of Motor Vehicles) Order 1992, S.I. No. 384 of 1992, Art. 9, checked 3 November 2026.
- Towing speed limits in Great Britain: Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, Schedule 6, checked 3 November 2026.
- Towing speed limits in Northern Ireland: nidirect, Towing safety information, checked 3 November 2026.
- Ireland: 80 km/h when towing: Road Traffic Act 2004 (Ordinary Speed Limits) (Amendment) Regulations 2022, S.I. No. 255 of 2022, checked 3 November 2026.
- Trailer width and length: GOV.UK, Towing with a car, checked 3 November 2026.
- NI trailer width and length: nidirect, Towing safety information, checked 3 November 2026.
- Ireland: vehicle width: Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2003, S.I. No. 5 of 2003, checked 3 November 2026.
- Trailer number plate: GOV.UK, Towing with a car, checked 3 November 2026.
- Ireland: trailer shows the car’s registration: Vehicle Registration and Taxation Regulations 1992, S.I. No. 318 of 1992, Reg. 9(8), checked 3 November 2026.
Guidance, not legal advice. Towsheet is independent and not connected with the DVLA, DVA, RSA or NDLS.