Swapping driver's licence
 

So I am living in Ontario now after somehow getting away with driving with just an international licence in B.C. for ages.

I am halfway through this graduated licence system and I've just found out from my friend that instead of taking the final test I can just swap my UK licence for an Ontario one.

Turns out they've (Government types) just updated the international agreement. Didn't seem fair the way it was before because you could just just swap your licence over if you were from Japan or Korea or Germany (car producing nation anyone?) Now the UK is in the mix too.

But I'm strangely reluctant to part with my DVLC. Not just becuase the picture is fantastic but because it was so hard to get.

It took me three goes before a nice examiner in Putney finally passed me.

What have you all done?

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

I didn't consider that I had a choice because I understood that my UK licence was only good for sixty days in Ontario. So I did the swap and have a very smart Ontario licence instead! :)

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

If/when you go to the UK you can exchange your Canadian licence for a UK one - although you can drive on the Canadian licence in the UK I am not sure for how long. On the UK request for replacement licence form tick the 'option' stating you are requesting a replacment because you have exchanged your original UK licence. You then submit the request form along with your Canadian licence.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

Oh that's really good to know. I just didn't want to trade in my UK licence for good. One of the Ontario driver's licence phone gurus said I can't change it back because if I get a licence here they (in Britain) won't think I know how to drive standard anymore.

But I can drive standard....and parallel park...and pull out with less than three miles of clear roads on either side.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

I changed mine to UK with no problem after 3 years in Cyprus and believe me there is no such thing as 'standard' there. A red light and a green light mean the same thing - slow down a little and take a quick look both ways.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

Right :) I can't believe what people get away with in the name of driving. The styles are so different. I don't know how anyone in Renfrew County (land of huntin' and fishin' and drainpipe jeans) could drive in London where there's no room for a v. wide farmer's turn. And they would be gumming up the works sitting there waving everyone to go ahead of them at green lights.

I don't suppose learning how to do any of that is going to be a transferable skill for me.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

Does that mean that the "automatic only" rule for Canadian license holders (unless manual test taken) doesn't apply on return to the UK if you've previously held a full UK license? Not that I'd remember how to change gears anyway...but useful to know ;)

Biiiiink

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

What if you have the old type UK licence, like i have, i also have motor bike, tracked vehicle licence and my HGV Class 1 on it, surely i cannot expect to have all licence catagories swapped for a Canadian equivelent ? Trucker on his way to saskatoon as soon as daughter has finished exams :)

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

Don’t know about "automatic only" as the ‘G’ class in TO covers -

�Any car, van or small truck or combination of vehicle and towed vehicle up to 11,000 kg provided the towed vehicle is not over 4,600 kg.�

- and does not mention automatic. The class ‘G’ is the one you get if you exchange a full UK licence in TO so you would get a 'full' UK one in exchange for the 'G'.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

Ah, I wondered if you meant that if we UK holders surrendered our license for a Canadian one, we would return to our full usual UK entitlement (automatic or manual) on return. At the moment, the DVLA say this about Canadian licenses, but I'm still not clear if having previously held a full UK one would alter this for us.


Canadian Licences - Due to information received from the Canadian licensing authorities, it was decided to give all drivers who exchange Canadian licences automatic transmission only.* This can only be upgraded to manual upon presentation of confirmation from the relevant licensing authority of a manual test being passed or a manual test is passed in this country.

From http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvin...ed%20Countries

Anyway, it's all academic for me - I need to get my Canadian one first and sincerely hope never to be swapping it back for a British one anyway ;)

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

Wouldn't the british licensing authorities have proof in their records that you're an experienced "manual" driver?

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

When I got my BC driver's license (long time ago) it didn't matter whether you drove a standard or automatic - you just got a license to drive. Most cars in Canada are automatic and if you want to drive a standard, go ahead, but you don't need a license to. I'm pretty sure it's still like that in BC and the likely the rest of Canada. That's probably why British authorities only give the automatic licenses for Canadian licenses - most Canadians just don't drive cars with manual transmissions.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

You would hope so. At the moment they don't have proof in their records that I own the car I do so I'm not particularly hopeful of their common sense in these things!

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

When you apply to replace your Canadian licence in the UK the form you fill in asks for your original licence number (name/DOB). This DVLA record is valid until your next test date and covers the last sentence in your quote above as your records will show you held a full UK licence (assuming you did).
The inclusion of your Canadian licence with your application will validate your request for a replacement UK licence due to your original one being exchanged in Canada for a Canadian one.

Re: Swapping driver's licence
 

here in quebec, when you exchange your UK license, you get to keep it still!... so i have possession of both my UK and Quebec driving license :)