Me and my dad are both doing driving lessons here in england and are going to be doing our practical tests in about 2-3months (flights to canada are booked yay for the 30th march) trying to both pass our tests over here first as we heard it is a lot more complicated over there ... have read that if you go to canada with a licence from another country you must apply for a new one within 60days of arriving .. is this still the same or has it changed??
what sort of tests will we have to do in order to get a canadian driving licence ... will it just be like starting over or is it different as you have already got a licence but from another country??
also will it be the same for me and my dad both being new drivers or will it be different as i am only 17 ??
anything will help...
thanks
tasha x x x

It depends upon the province. In BC you have to take a BC driving test within 90 days if you are new resident. In ON I think you can just exchange licenses. I don't know about other provinces

Hi

1. In Ontario since they will have less than 12 months experience, they will need to pass the tests and take a G1 Road test http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dan...r/exchange.htm
2. In BC with less than 24 months of experience they will be required to enter the Graduated Driving Program http://www.icbc.com/licensing/lic_re..._new.asp#never

In Alberta with less than 24 months experience they will be issued a probationary licence and will be required to fulfill the requirements of the Graduated Driving Program.
http://www.saferoads.com/drivers/dri...ewdrivers.html

Pmm, the Ontario link you posted is for those exchanging non-swap country licenses. I assume the OP and her Dad will be swapping GB licenses with <2yrs experience (as I did) so if they're headed to Ontario, this would be the info they need to know - http://www.drivetest.ca/en/license/ExchangeOutProv.aspx - they'd get a G2 license (and need a G2 test before the 2nd anniversary of their GB test date).

Is that 24 months in Alberta? I mean if i come over with 3 years on my licence in the UK can i just start driving over there?

It is 24 months or two years driving experience, with three years on a UK licence I would assume they will just give you the full Alberta drivers licence.

Yey I dont want to look like a douche with Learner plates on hah!

thanks for everyones help .. we are moving to ontario .. so with less than 12months experience would we need to practicaly start from scratch? or isit just a case of doing a test to see you are up to their driving standards then exchanging it?
ta x x

Hi ,

Unfortunately, you will have to start totally from scratch with less than 12 months experiance.

You can only exchange your license in Ontario if you have 12 months or more experiance.

Even if you waited until you had 12 months experiance, you'd still have to take a G2 test.

Although, I think it's a good idea to do the tests over there. - I have over the required driving experiance, so I just walked in with my UK license, and out with my Ontario class G license, having never driven on the road there previously... Scary!!!

It depends on how long you've held your provisional licence for. I'd had mine for several years before moving to Ontario. I exchanged it for a G1 licence, but could do the G2 test straight away, and once having passed that, could do the G test straight after....

I exchanged my GB one when it was only 9mths old, I was given a G2. I went to Manitoba after that and it magically became a full one along the way, but I was definitely credited with my whopping 9mths experience by Ontario.

I just drove over here for the first time by myself, without my girlfriend to remind me which side of the road to drive on; I wouldn't give myself a driving license without some practice and a test .

To be honest, I think it would have been easier if I hadn't spent eighteen years driving in the UK, because now I have to unlearn all those old habits I've built up over the years... like going left at roundabouts .

The really Scary thing is I have a UK driving license (since 1994) but have driven approx 3 miles since I passed my test. Yesterday one eye test and 75 dollars later I now have a full Ontario license!

If I was you, save your money as your instructor in the UK will be bringing you up to a higher standard than you would need for a Canadian Licence, that’s if you having to start from scratch again in Ontario that is.

If not, take as much practical driving, as you will need it, with the drivers you get on the roads in the part of Ontario that I live in... GTA

I speak from experience in this field, 5 years of being an ADI in the UK and owning my own driving School...

Best of luck to you and your Dad.


(Average pupil will take between 35 to 40 hours of tuition in car to reach test standard for a UK test), this information can be gained from the DSA site...)

(Canadian pupil will take on average 15 hours of practical training).