mickj

Hello everyone,

Just a little reminder for those that are just arriving into Ontario from the UK, as from today March 1st, you can now go into any ministry of tranport and swap your UK licence for a full G ontario one. The UK has been accepting Ontario full G since 1999, from Ontario residents in the UK.

You are the lucky ones, some of us had to take the tests all over again when we came here. It will cost you $50 for the 5yrs licence, and all you do is just an eye test. Don't forget to take IDs with you. The reciprocity agreement was signed on Jan 30th 04

They take your UK licence of you though, but am sure you can ask for a photocopy of it !

Welcome to Ontario ( Very nice Province, but none of the cities made the top 10, for cities with the best quality of life )


cheers

pjb001

Yay!

Well I'm happy they've agreed to recognise the UK licence! I got my G1 within 90 days of arriving and decided to 'put off' taking the full test until the snow and ice cleared...

I wondered whether this affects the situation with car insurance? i.e. rather than being an effectively new driver on a G1 licence (as I was - $1000 for a 6 month policy on a Pontiac Grand Prix with State Farm), can I now say that I've had a full (G) licence since the date my UK licence was issued (as they're effectively equivalent?)

And... Is it me, or has Ottawa come out of hibernation with all the warm weather we've been having?

P

Karib

Well I am not exactly new in Ontario, but never got round to applying for an Ontario licence. Looks like I have been rewarded for my wait.

SmilerJen

i am so jealous of everybody, when we arrived we had to take the test, and i was so nervous because we both needed to be able to drive for work etccc....

I'm glad that they have now recognized us Brits as good drivers.

Smiler

CalgaryAMC

The name of the game is reciprocal agreement. Driving quality has nothing to do with it.

Provinces do not send quality inspection teams to other countries to examine their doings and goings on.

Provinces do sign reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions where there is deemed to be mutual benefit for each other's citizens, and as and when they approach or are approached by another jurisdiction to make a deal.

Absolutely not a dig against you Jen, this is just one of my pet issues and I have to bang my drum on it every time it comes up.

And it is the same for everything - from driving licenses to bar associations (California bar will accept a British trained lawyer, Alabama won't...etcetera, etcetera).

So ultimately what I'm saying is that this has just as much to do with the Brits recognizing an Ontario license as it has to do with the Ontarians recognizing a British license. And even then, it takes one switched-on politician or bureaucrat to spot the demand for a particular reciprocal agreement.

mad bunny

Hi to all.
What concearns me is the fact that you need to surrender your U.K. license. I enquired at the test centre today, and was advised that it is standard practise with countries with this reciprocal agreement. The U.K. license is returned to the U.K. apparently. This would suggest to me, to ensure that the
canadian license is suitable to drive a manual/gear shift, if you are in a position whereby you need to visit the U.K. frequently.
I was advised to check with the U.K. to ascertain the legislation regulations there, insofar as fees charged, and how long you can drive on a canadian license.
My problem is that I will need to return to the U.K. to work, so it is important for me to verify all the facts/costs, before i surrender my U.K. license.
I am a nurse, Registered Mental Nurse, the status of which, although I was a nursing sister grade in U.K. is not recognised in Canada. I cannot even work as a care assistant/p.s.w. without undertaking a 3-6 month course! At my cost! That's for a different post however, when I get round to it.
So in my particular situation I believe it would be more prudent, just to take the canadian driving test, which at the end of the day, appears simple. Sorry if I offend anybody, but with automatic cars mostly, no roundabouts, no hill starts and the rest of U.K. scenario to contend with on your driving test. I think driving on the 'wrong' side of the road is managable (U.K. perspective that is).
As for insurance, dream on.
Canadians can't even get a decent insurance rate (Not in Ontario), so why are the insurance companys going to give brit newcomers a decent rate. There just plain greedy. Appears to be no competative edge unlike the U.K. I've been driving for over 20 years, and i'm classed as a new driver in Ontario, insurance just shy of $3,000. Insurance company suggest it ai'nt going to change!
I would so like to be wrong!

seamonsta

I always thought you could drive in Canada on a UK licence anyway, for 9 months or something? Is that not the case?

MY Canadian partner said the Canadian driving test is very easy anyway. Don't know if that's true or not.

mickj

Hello there,

You are only allowed to drive for 60 days with your foreign licence/ out of province licence. After that, you have to take the test or swap it. Another way round this, is getting an international driver's permit before leaving your country, that allows you to drive for 1 yr. This of course only works if your country is one of the countries that belongs to this group.


The driving test is easy, but most people get nervous and then start making mistakes. There are new things to learn, like you are allowed to turn right on a red light, as long as the coming traffic is clear. Only three provinces in the past allowed a straight swap, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick.

Looking left/right when at an intersection waiting to go through, and when driving along. You also have to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, no cruising stop. We don't have many 4 way intersections in London UK, you have to know the rules here.

There are other things like that to take in when you come over, and if you are a bad driver to start with, you are going to struggle.

My 2 pennies

laceybank

Not only do we Brits bring good drivers to the country, we also bring a sense of humour which in my exprience here, often falls on deaf, or is it dumb... ears! Smiler Jen was only JOKING when she said we Brits are recognised for being good drivers...after all we drive on the left, or is it the right (as in correct) side of the road!

laceybank

True Story. I was here on a teacher exchange a couple of years ago and needed an Ontario license to get insurance. As with everything Canadian the wait for the test was a while.... 3 months. Fortunately in the meantime I knew someone in the insurance business who would insure me and give me credit for driving accident free for 20 years. Anyway with the pressure off, I really didn't need to do the test, but thought I would for the hell of it anyway. My dogs got into a skunk the night before the test so when the examiner entered my car there was an awful smell...not a good start. I proceeded with the test and I was awful. too slow on the entry ramp to freeway, changed lanes without due care, I even messed up my 3 point turn when my hand slipped off the gear lever in AN AUTOMATIC for goodness sake and I forgot to check my blind spot a couple of times. Sure failure ...or so I thought. At the end the examiner said I'd made 24 errors but I had still passed....I was allowed to make up to 30 mistakes. THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE STORY! I still have the copy with 24 ticks/crosses and "pass" written at the bottom. I guess they are lax with people who can already drive. My 12th grade Canadian students in my class next day could not believe it as by all accounts their tests are tough...no mistakes! Must be the only time in Canada an immigrant (well one year visitor) has been given a break!
The car still smells to this day....I am now over here on a PR card!!!!
Oh and by the way we Brits are good drivers!

AnyaT

The real problem with getting an Ontario license from scratch, instead of exchanging your UK license, is that you would have to go through the whole 2-year graduated licensing program if I am not mistaken. This program was instituted a few years ago in a misguided (in my opinion) attempt to increase driving experience before granting a full license. So you will have to:
- take a written test to get a learner's permit
- keep the learner's permit for at least 6 months while you "learn" to drive
- do a driving test to get an intermediate license
- Keep the intermediate license for 1 year (I think - it may be longer) which has restrictions about the number of people in the car, driving after midnight, etc
- Upgrade to a full license - I don't think a test is involved, but am not sure

Of course, there are also fees associated with all these steps along the way. So it really seems like a bit of a fiasco to get a license, which is ludicrous considering how necessary it seems to be in Canadian life, and probably explains why I have never bothered to get a license at all. I believe all the provinces have now instituted this silly program. I blame New Zealand - it originated there.

flashman

No necessarily good just different. In Canada you don't get too many narrow, twisty roads but miles of fairly straight wide ones where driving long distances is normal.

laceybank

What’s with the four way stop? What a joke that is! It’s great when everyone arrives at the same time cos nobody has a clue who should go first, especially if there’s a new Brit in town in the foursome. “After you�, “No after you�, “Please I insist, you go first� etc etc. Why do they not do as In Britain and designate one road to have right of way and the people on the other road have to stop. It would cut in half the incidence of exhaust fumes at all 4-way stops, I would have thought in an area of the world where acid rain is the highest; the government would have a vested interest. Usual story I guess, very thorough they are here, just not efficient at all (Sorry my frustrations coming through again after dealing with Canadian Bureaucracies for the last year….most frustrating country I’ve lived in and that includes Australia, Germany and the UK….Oh Canada)!

iaink

No different to a roundabout then in those circumstances.

The general rule is "whoever has the biggest truck goes first"

hot wasabi peas

I'm not sure about Ontario but in BC graduated licensing is only applicable if you've never held a drivers license. It's aimed at people who have never driven before.