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Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Old Oct 28th 2018, 6:47 pm
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Default Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Hello all,

I have been following the forum for quite some time now, and have finally registered to take a more active part.

We will be moving to Ontario in January and I have a question regarding the licence exchange.
My wife will have a UK driving licence for 1.5 years when we move. Therefore not enough to be eligible for an exchange.
I am wondering whether she can just wait 6 months before she goes to exchange her licence or is there a defining date that is used for this calculation?

She is not very keen on retaking the exam.

I'll appreciate any advice

Thanks
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 8:36 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Read all about it with links to the official site in wiki here:

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Drive...s_than_2_years

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
My wife will have a UK driving licence for 1.5 years when we move. Therefore not enough to be eligible for an exchange.
No, not for a FULL UNLIMITED exchange, but you get 'credit', although you will have to do the road test etc.

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
I am wondering whether she can just wait 6 months before she goes to exchange her licence or is there a defining date that is used for this calculation?


You MUST exchange within 60 days of landing for Ontario, if that does not get you 'over the line' for two years then that's that.


Originally Posted by OneLastMove
She is not very keen on retaking the exam.


Sorry, but she won't have a choice I'm afraid.
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 8:51 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

What happens if after your landing, you go back to the UK for an extended period? Surely you only exchange once you have permanently moved to Ontario, no?
In other words, how do they keep track of when have you actually moved to Ontario?
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 8:54 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

No way around it, other than delaying the move to Canada until she has had the UK license for 2 years. The 'defining date' is the day she arrives in Ontario to live.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange...rivers-licence
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 9:04 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
What happens if after your landing, you go back to the UK for an extended period? Surely you only exchange once you have permanently moved to Ontario, no?
In other words, how do they keep track of when have you actually moved to Ontario?
So are you saying that you will do a 'soft landing' to declare PR only, then back to the UK to 'sell up' (or whatever), then return at a later date (after having the UK licence for two years) to 'land as settler'??

IF that is what you are saying, then yes, that would work. This is what we did and we certainly did not convert our UK licences on the soft landing trip - we concerted them when we 'landed as settlers' some six months later.
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 9:13 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

IF that is what you are saying, then yes, that would work. This is what we did and we certainly did not convert our UK licences on the soft landing trip - we concerted them when we 'landed as settlers' some six months later.[/QUOTE]

So how did they know that you have done a soft landing and then went back to the UK for another 6 months? Obviously you don't have to exchange within 60 days, you are just not allowed to use your international driving licence for more than that.
Did you have to present your passport and show entrance/exit stamps?
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 9:28 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
IF that is what you are saying, then yes, that would work. This is what we did and we certainly did not convert our UK licences on the soft landing trip - we concerted them when we 'landed as settlers' some six months later.

Have a read of the wiki section, in particular the links to Ontario drivers licence. There is a range of documents you must show them when you exchange your licence - have a read.

It is very simple. IF you stay in Ontario for more than 60 days and you have landed as PR, you MUST exchange your licence prior to the 60 days or you will be driving illegally. I strongly suggest that you do NOT try to find a 'work around' (shall we say).
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Old Oct 28th 2018, 11:11 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
So how did they know that you have done a soft landing and then went back to the UK for another 6 months? Obviously you don't have to exchange within 60 days, you are just not allowed to use your international driving licence for more than that.
Did you have to present your passport and show entrance/exit stamps?
The 60 days is from when you take up residency. If you arrive, activate PR and leave, you are not a resident of the province, no more than I would be if I went to ON for 2 weeks. If you arrive, with the intention of staying, you are a resident and the 60 days starts then. For the sake of taking a road test or not, you seem to be making this unduly complicated. If someone cannot pass the road test in a Canadian province, I would suggest they should not be driving at all. We already have enough people on the road who have no clue.
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Old Oct 29th 2018, 4:39 am
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

IMO if you/your wife have only been driving a short time then it would be worth your while to take a couple of lessons and take the test in Ontario. Driving in Canada is different to driving in the UK. A new (ish) driver is not going to be terribly confident anyway , so to throw in new road rules and getting a handle on driving on the right is a bit of a challenge.
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Old Oct 29th 2018, 6:03 am
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

What everyone else has said.. it would be worth her while to do a short course here, regardless - a bit like an advanced drivers course - even if she was able to do a direct exchange of her license. As has been mentioned, she will need to exchange within 60 days of taking up residence - so if you are 'moving' over in January there's no way around it.. only if she were to do a soft landing and leave again, not returning for 6 months. Is it really worth it though - just for the sake of not taking a test in 6 months time?

She might want to have a read of the drivers handbook so she can get an idea of how different it is here.. https://www.ontario.ca/document/offi...ivers-handbook

Has she ever driven in snow, in ice or on 4-6-8 lane highways where undertaking is legal - in an automatic?







Last edited by Siouxie; Oct 29th 2018 at 6:21 am.
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Old Oct 29th 2018, 7:59 am
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by Siouxie
What everyone else has said.. it would be worth her while to do a short course here, regardless - a bit like an advanced drivers course - even if she was able to do a direct exchange of her license. As has been mentioned, she will need to exchange within 60 days of taking up residence - so if you are 'moving' over in January there's no way around it.. only if she were to do a soft landing and leave again, not returning for 6 months. Is it really worth it though - just for the sake of not taking a test in 6 months time?

She might want to have a read of the drivers handbook so she can get an idea of how different it is here.. https://www.ontario.ca/document/offi...ivers-handbook

Has she ever driven in snow, in ice or on 4-6-8 lane highways where undertaking is legal - in an automatic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQYRlOoH2Eo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MfjFzmTefo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTodTfvJ5yM





Exactly. Every time we go to Canada my partner is too nervous to drive - and he's been driving for 40 years! Especially when we're in Southern Ontario visiting my family. I do the driving. When we visit the UK he can drive.
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Old Nov 2nd 2018, 2:14 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

As an Ex UK driving instructor (Grade 5 - That's good) I find the driving test ridiculously easy in Ontario and the standard of driving appalling

If you find yourself in Ontario (401 Corridor) I would willingly give Mrs OneLastMove some in car guidance - I have got 8 young drivers through their graduated driving tests in Ontario with a 100% first time pass rate - Don't try and avoid the test !

Why would you want her risking her own life and the life of others for the sake of a driving competency test - Stop signs appear from no where and so do pedestrians (who have total right of way)
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Old Nov 2nd 2018, 2:22 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
IF that is what you are saying, then yes, that would work. This is what we did and we certainly did not convert our UK licences on the soft landing trip - we concerted them when we 'landed as settlers' some six months later.
So how did they know that you have done a soft landing and then went back to the UK for another 6 months? Obviously you don't have to exchange within 60 days, you are just not allowed to use your international driving licence for more than that.
Did you have to present your passport and show entrance/exit stamps?[/QUOTE]


I don't recall it being that complicated .......... I arrived in Ontario from Manitoba - Similar if not same rules applied - I lived in a caravan for 2 months before buying a house, Once I bought the house I looked into re registering the vehicles and obtaining my Ontario license

If you arrive and go back there is no reason to start counting from one to sixty - Once you are here and settled (rental property etc) then go get your licenses exchanged - After all they will need an Ontario address and you will need to show you live there (Utility bill, Mortgage/Rental agreement etc)
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Old Nov 9th 2018, 2:50 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by J-A-UK
So how did they know that you have done a soft landing and then went back to the UK for another 6 months? Obviously you don't have to exchange within 60 days, you are just not allowed to use your international driving licence for more than that.
Did you have to present your passport and show entrance/exit stamps?


If you arrive and go back there is no reason to start counting from one to sixty - Once you are here and settled (rental property etc) then go get your licenses exchanged - After all they will need an Ontario address and you will need to show you live there (Utility bill, Mortgage/Rental agreement etc)
Thanks for the reply. That is exactly what I was thinking anyway. By the time we have a place to live, and the snow has melted away, she will reach her 2 years and can exchange.
As for driving experience generally, she has more than 15 years of it, just not enough of it in the UK.

And I really don't think that taking the test, or even a few lessons, would really prepare you for driving on snow/ice or 6/8 lane motorways, no matter where did you get your driving licence from. It comes with experience.

Last edited by OneLastMove; Nov 9th 2018 at 2:53 pm.
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Old Nov 9th 2018, 4:39 pm
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Default Re: Exchanging a less than 2 year old UK licence for an Ontario one

Originally Posted by OneLastMove
Thanks for the reply.And I really don't think that taking the test, or even a few lessons, would really prepare you for driving on snow/ice or 6/8 lane motorways, no matter where did you get your driving licence from. It comes with experience.
It would be a lot better than no training and 'giving it a go'!

Taking formal training for a new driver gives them an approx 2 year jump on an untrained driver.
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