dozzzzy

There was an article in Canada News (November 2005) about what, where and when (OK not when) you can exchange your UK licence for a Canadian provincial one. The seven provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Labrador, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Quebec and Manitoba all have an exchange program of some sorts. Below is a paraphrasing of the article so hopefully this is not a copyright infringement and I have paraphrased it correctly, I'm sure a mod will help out here. Please do not take this as gospel from me and verify that you can do what you want to do. Most of the article dealt with car and motorcycle exchanges so if you have other endorsements you might need to do more tests to hold on to those classes



Apparently across Canada you can drive for up to 90 days on your UK driving licence before you have to exchange it for your preferred provinces equivalent. I think that I’ll start off in Manitoba so that I can get my motorcycle endorsement straight away with out having to retake the test. Does any one know what the deal with inter-province exchange is, like for like or will you always have to do some testing if you move about the country

Any ways on to what the article said:

Ontario

UK B class licences can exchange for a G licence as long as there is proof of more than 24 months driving experience, less than 24 months and you'll get a G2 (See Biiiink for possible exceptions) licence and all that that entails.

No exchange of motorcycle licences but you should get some form of credit for the length of time you have been riding

Above only applies to England, Scotland and Wales, sorry Northern Ireland you start at the beginning.

Alberta

UK B licences (or A if before 1/04/1990) will get a class 5. If you were licences before 01/01/1976 then you have to start again sorry.

Motorcyclists start again

Again only applies to E, S, W. NI start at the beginning.

New Foundland and Labrador (since 2nd June 2005)

UK B licences get a Class 5 licence

If you have a motorcycle endorsement that gets exchanged also, as long as you pass a vision test.

If you were licensed before 01/01/1976 then you have to start again

Again only applies to E, S, W. NI start at the beginning.

Saskatchewan

Class A to E will get a class 5

Motorcyclists will have their endorsement transferred

However you must show driving record with any accidents and/or convictions

Appears to apply to NI

New Brunswick

Holders of a full licence will be able to transfer it to a class 5 licence, unless you have any additional classes like tractor trailer, taxi, ambulance then you will need to take the full test to have these transferred. If you don't want to keep these additional classes then you will get the class 5 with out testing

Appears to apply to NI

Quebec

No problem here, there is a full exchange program at least for car and bike

Manitoba

No problem here, there is a full exchange program at least for car and bike

Other providences do not have reciprocal agreements with the UK so you get to start at the beginning, although you might be given some credit and start after the novice phase

British Columbia

If you have held you licence for more than 24 months you will have to take a knowledge test, vision screening test and a driving test to get your BC licence. If you have held a UK licences for less than 24 months then you get to start again and it takes at least 2 years to get your licence

Nova Scotia

A vision and written test and driving test are required if you have more than 24 months driving experience or you get to go through the graduated program

Prince Edward Island


You’ll get a leg up and will not have to start at the beginning, but you will have to take a vision, written and driving test


Yukon

A written and road test is required


Regards,


Dozzzz

JennP

Here's a link to the specific info for BC.


If, like my fiance, you haven't renewed your licence for a few years - try and do so two years before coming to BC to avoid the graduated licensing process. Although, to be honest, I'm not totally clear on how those two last sections work.

But it is before noon. On Sunday.

Biiiiink

Excellent post, nice to have it all laid out like that! Karma for you

I think it's 60 days in Ontario before you have to swap, but don't quote me.

A bonus of swapping a Canadian graduated license in MB is that they give you a full one straight away. I thought this was a mistake (but didn't point it out!) but it seems to be policy as I've met other ON-->MB swappers who were also "upgraded".

Scrapcat

Yep - here in PEI you do have to do the whole thing except for the driving training course. You do get your driving history recorded though so you aren't registered as a brand new driver.

I was pretty worried about having to take a driving test again after nearly 20 years (on the 'wrong' side of the road and in a large automatic being used to my Nissan Micra!) and as I'd never taken a written test before (too old!) that was new territory too. But it was fine - we revised thoroughly for the written test and me and DH both got 98% (one question wrong) and the road test was nowhere near as bad as the UK one that I remember - no reversing around corners, no emergency stops, no three point turns and all in very little traffic compared to the UK!

I was annoyed that I couldn't just swap my UK driving licence for a PEI one but it wasn't so bad in the end and it probably did me some good to refresh/learn the rules over here to be honest - certainly feel more confident now.

steve of 5-0

In NB, once one has acquired insurance for your car, one has SIX months to do something.
That something is - Walk in to a SERVICE NEW BRUNSWICK office, produce two ID`s - UK passport (any immigration status is fine), plus one proof of address.
Wave goodbye to your 2 part UK licence, have a picture taken, watch your new one piece "credit card sized" licence created/printed, pay ya 60 bucks!

We had clean licences to exchange - whole process 25 minutes for two persons.

Done. ooooops