eyey

Hi,

How long does it take to get a driving license in Canada with the situation, as follow:
- I used to drive back 9 years ago in my home country.
Presently I am living in Tokyo, where cars and driving is not really an option, since it is too costly and the public transportion (Subway + Railway) can take you almost anywhere.
- I still have my home country driving license which will expire this October.

Do I have to start from scratch? or attend a driving school and get a Canadian driving license? How long will it take till I am fully licensed and can drive anywhere?
http://67.15.12.206/forum/newthread.php#Confused
FYI, I am planning to land this November.

Thanks a lot in advace.

With regards,
eyey

iaink

If you can swap your current valid license from your home country for a valid japanese license for little expense, then do that. Then you can swap your japanese license for a (insert province here) license, and perhaps avoid a test in canada all togerher. If you came without a valid license, in ontario you will have to go through the graduated test system, which could be very restrictive at first (no alcohol / passenger restrictions at the lowest level), and may take a couple of years to reach unrestricted status.

To get a definative answer you should tell where your home country is, and which province you are heading for, as there is no "Canadain" license as such.

Iain

julius smith

Hi, eyey!
By coincidence, I went to the driver's test centre in Ontario and they just did a straight swap with my UK licence--completely painless! I did have to take a quick eye test though. I thought that I could keep my UK paper licence but they said it has to go back to the UK, and if I ever went back, I will be able to get it back.
I now have a full G licence--now, to get me some wheels........!!

Purley

In Saskatchewan you can just swap your licence for a Saskatchewan licence the same day you arrive here if you want to.

Like someone else said - it depends on which Province you are going to live in.

iaink

The problem here is that the OPs license will have expired by the time they land, and I dont think they would be able to swap an expired license for a new one. However, right now they may be able to swap for a japanese license relatively easily, and then swap that on landing.

eyey

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm planning to land in Toronto, Ontario.
My driving license is from Indonesia and I think is not that easily swapable to Canadian/ province license. Even here in Japan is not that easy, still need to take the driving and written test, and it usually needs to take several times to pass. My friend took almost 5 times to swap his license to a japanese one (cost him all around $214CND)!!
I think, same thing also in Ontario.

Either I go back home first (to Indon) to renew my driving license, go to Canada attend several hours driving practice (driving school) then get it swapped into Ontario driving license. Or just come straight to canada and start from scratch (G1, G2 license--> will take a year?).

Thanks again, really appreciate it.
FYI, in japan it cost around $4700CND to join a driving school and then your Japanese license in a couple of months. :scared:

eyey

Thanks again for all the replies.

I did some more research and I found that I really need to get a Jpn driving license and have it swapped to Ontario province one, when I land. But due to some technical issue, I could not convert my home-country driving license to a Jpn one here in Tokyo, I have to get a new/ fresh (Japanese) driving license instead.
I checked http://www.drivetest.ca/en/license/ExchangeOutProv.aspx, and I found the following:

*. Drivers from the United Kingdom, United States, JAPAN, Republic of Korea, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland or Canadian Forces - Europe
A. 2 or More Years of Driving Experience Within the Last Three Years
..<deleted>...

B. Less than 2 Years of Driving Experience Within the Last Three Years
If you have less than two years experience, you may get credit for your experience for graduated licensing and be issued a Class G2 licence. Once you have a total of two years of driving experience, you may take the G2 road test to earn full driving privileges.


Since mine will be a new/ fresh Jpn license, it falls on the category of "Less than 2 years drv experience in the last 3 Years". One question to ask though, what is the meaning of Class G2 issuance followed 2 yrs later taking G2 road test to earn a full one?
The first issuance is not a full license? Does it mean that it's like a G1 class, "one may drive when accompanied by a fully licensed driver with 4 years experience"?
Anybody has any experience re. this?

Thanks a lot in advance, appreciate it.

Cheers,

iaink

G2 Means no alcohol allowed in your blood, so no driving with a hangover! Also you can only have as many passengers as you have seatbelts (seems obvious to me, but i guess it means no mates travelling in the bed of your truck) After two years experience you can take the Full test for an unrestricted G license, at which point you can endanger your friends lives with impunity

If you start from scratch you get a G1 license, which means you have to have a qualified full G licensed driver (with 4 years experience) with you at all times. Kind of a "provisional license", then you get G2, then full G.

G2 will cost more to insure than full G.

Pretty Flowers

I'm getting driving lessons at the moment, as I really don't fancy not being able to drive unaccompanied when I finally make the move over. Living in London has meant that I have never really needed to drive a car. I somehow suspect that it will be a lot more of a necessity once I land on the other side of the pond....

Little Hazel

I have recently arrived from U.K. with valid drivers licence to live in B.C. You cannot in this Province swap your driving licence for a valid B.C. licence. I have had to take my driving test here within 90 days of arriving. Fortunately I passed, but if you fail the test and 90 days expires, you have to go through the 2 year graduated driving programme which is quite costly. I don't think it is fair that some countries can swap licences without taking a test, If you saw some of the appalling driving within B.c. from most of the Asian countries you would want everyone to take a driving test, some of these people can't even speak the language let alone drive.....

iaink

"I'm not a racist but...."

willmore

Exactly - but if you want to see bad drivers.....come to Victoria....and try to cope with some of the seniors driving - they abandon their car in parking lots, or drop their wife off at the store and taking up space waiting instead of going to park, take up 2 parking spaces, go half the speed limit allowed, never signal, pull out in front of you, you never know if they are going to stop at stop signs - I can't tell you the number of times this has happened to me with kids in the car.......

You have to love them seniors one and all.......

eyey

I wonder, how much will it cost more the insurance for a new G2 license compare to a full G license?

Thanks again.

Regards,

squarepants

I don't know when you are moving over, but you will have to had your licence for 2yrs prior to you arriving before you can swap your UK lience for any of these provinces that will swap it:

Saskatchewan

New Brunswick

Ontario, and

Quebec


Indonesian licence in Ontario, is as good as a uk licence in BC

stavex

How much of a wait did you have from applying for the practical test to taking it? We aim to get our licenses done ASAP, so it would really help if you could let us know how long.

Thanks
MAtt