tomdean93

Hi guys new to the forum so apologies if I've posted his in the wrong place

I had a provisional driving licence for 5 years before I passed my test
I have been driving on a full licence for 4 months in the UK
How do I go about getting a Canadian driving licence in Vancouver ? As I am moving there shortly , I really can't be bothered to go and do all that theory test stuff and start from the beginning again (I'd rather just wait 20 months when my UK licence will be 24 months old and exchange then, than go back to the very beginning) I'm guessing they don't take provisional licence into account as 'driving experience'
Is there any way round this? Is there a compromise? What would be the best solution for me ?

If I was to exchange my licence and start as a learner / Novice in Vancouver
Would I then have to start again in the UK or can I get my full licence back?

Aviator

There are no Canadian drivers licenses, each province issues their own. In BC we have the Graduated License Program (GLP). Min 12 months on a L then a road test and if passed 24 months on a N. Another road test to exit the GLP and get a full class 5. If you have taken formal lessons from a licensed driving school in BC, the N stage can be reduced to 18 months.

Having full UK license for 4 months, you would go into the N stage and have to drive with the restrictions associated with a class 7 license for 20 months. At the end of this period, you would have to take a road test to get a class 5 (full BC license).

There is no way around it if you live in BC. If you want to wait 20 months, that would be 20 months not living in BC. Any drivers license exchange has to be done within 90 days of arriving in BC. If you live in BC and wait 20 months, there is a high probability that questions will be asked and you end up on the N anyway for 20 months.

Suck it up, use it as a learning experience. Up until a few years ago, we all had to do a road test to get a BC license. If you can drive, it should not be an issue.

Your UK license is valid until the expiry on it. It will not change by getting a BC license.

Engineer_abroad

Details from ICBC

http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing...r-country.aspx

At a guess you would be given an Novice license and credit for your 4 months of UK driving experience. You would be on a Novice license for a year and 6 months and would need to sit the class 5 road test.

You cannot simply wait 20 months as there is only a 90 day grave period from when you arrive to when you are required to exchange your license. At most you could argue you had been driving here for 3 months on your UK license and bring your novice time down to a year and 3 months.

When you exchange your license you will need to surrender your UK license (and the removal of the license is reported to DVLA). When you return to the UK you can request your full license back.

Aviator

Was that not what was said in post 2? Other than they would be a year and 8 months in the GLP, not year and 6 months.

Engineer_abroad

yea, I was posting whilst you were so I didn't see your post until I had finished.

midnight02

When I arrived in BC, they counted the time I had held my learners license- not sure if I was just lucky but it meant I just got a regular licence.

Siouxie

From the website: http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing...r-country.aspx
It's under 'other Countries' tab but presumaby applies to all?

Aviator

GLP in BC is a learners for min 12 months and N for 24 months (18 if you have lessons).

Any time spent on a learners permit anywhere else counts toward the 12 months learners in BC. One then has to take a road test to get the N and a road test to exit the GLP.

Jfox

This is encouraging.

Can I ask how long you had your full UK license for and how long had you been on the provisional before that?

I'm in a similar situation whereby I had a provisional for four years but only got my full driving licence 6 months ago. It seems absurd that I should have to go back to being a restricted learner having passed my test.

Aviator

ICBC will not exchange for a full class 5 license in BC on 6 months of a full license in the UK. They may require you to take a 'N' test and then a class 5 road test, counting the 6 months you have held a full license, thereby reducing the N period to 18 months. If you are lucky, you might get the N without a road test, but will still have to take a road test to exit the GLP and get a class 5.

Not sure why you believe this is absurd? From what you say, you had a learners license for four years, had you taken the test several years ago this would not be an issue. Although you have taken a test, you have not taken one in BC.

Jfox

Thanks for responding. I find it odd because I'm as qualified a driver as anyone else in the UK yet anyone who has had the same licence as me for a longer period doesn't need to sit any tests, or am I wrong about this?
As a result of having lessons and L plate supervised driving during that period, I have had the same levels and duration of experience required by the BC licencing system, but still don't qualify. This is what I find odd.

I was encouraged by a previous comment in which the author mentions receiving the full licence because his / her provisional driving licence period was taken into account.

Many thanks.

Aviator

It is, but learner time only counts toward learner time, not a full license. So your learner time will get the 12 month learner time credit (whether you did 12 months or 4 years in the old country), your 6 months full license will give 6 months toward the N time, so only 18 months to do. If you take lessons from a certified GLP driving school, that could drop to 12 months.

It is not odd at all, learner time that is supervised does not give the same experience as unsupervised time. Also, the system has to be set for all drivers coming from various countries, it is not on a case by case basis. Personally I believe everyone should have to take a test and do a competency test every 5 years. Maybe the standard of driving may improve!