Scribble

I need to swap my UK full licence to a Quebec driving licence.
Does the Quebec driving authority require any papers from the DVLA in the UK or can you just do a straight swap?
I've seen here that it seems straightforward: http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/driver...ange/index.php

Also, will Canadian car insurance companies count me as only having had a driving licence for 0 months in canada or will they take the full length of the UK licence as history?
I am allowed to drive on my UK licence for 12 months but will insurance companies look on that badly or just ignore it?

Oakvillian

You'll need both the photocard and the paper counterfoil of your UK license. Presuming, that is, that it is a UK license and not one from Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. For most provinces with reciprocal agreements, it's only the Swansea agency that has the arrangement. No other documentation is required other than some additional photo ID.

Insurance companies generally won't care how long you've held a license; they'll care how long you have had a continuous claim-free insurance record. Get all the documentation (not just no-claims bonus notices, but letters detailing the history of not claiming) from your current and as many previous insurers as you can muster. Some people have indicated that a record of driving history from the DVLA is also helpful. Not very many insurers will give you credit for foreign claims history; those that do need plenty of evidence to back it up. Consensus advice seems to be either use a broker (JOhnson's have been recommended many times) or at least to use the phone rather than online services to seek quotes, as the online self-service tools simply don't have the capacity to deal with foreign driving history.

Note that the advice on eligibility to drive on a foreign license is widely misunderstood. Some provinces make a clear (and some, frankly, a very unclear) distinction between visitors/students/temporary residents/permanent residents, which all have different implications for how long you can drive without exchanging your licence. I seem to recall that Quebec's rules are different for TWP holders, for whom it can be difficult to do a licence exchange compared to newly landed permanent residents. I'm sure there'll be somebody along soon with recent Quebec experience to clarify that!

Vulcanoid

List of documents needed at http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/driver...conditions.php

The one they underline on another page is that a PR card isn't enough, it has to be a certificate of permanent residence for non-native born Canadians.

catpea33

Swapping to a Quebec license is really easy, although I don't remember the process that well because it was a few years back. I think I rang for an appointment beforehand then took my UK license (paper and card) and passport with WP to the office I was assigned. The swap was easy - literally just showing them the info I'd bought - and they processed me there and then. I think they said it takes 10 working days to receive the card license (assuming there are no problems, which I had). I'm 99% certain I was given a temporary paper license that could be used until the card arrived. Just to confirm, I wasn't a PR at this time, I had a TWP and had no problems with the license swap.

Also, just as a tip, check the info they give you back carefully. The woman who processed me didn't believe I have blue eyes, even though I've had them for 30 years, and she overruled me and wrote 'green' on my application. My photo clearly shows they're blue. It caused confusion later on and I had to return to a different office to sort it out (weirdly the card still says green but with blue photo eyes!)

For insurance, they do respect past driving history if you tell them that you have the info. My insurance company was happy to accept my renewal reminder from the UK that showed 10 years no claims. Different insurance companies may require different proof though. You'll need to phone the insurance company too to explain your personal situation because the online quote questions won't accurately reflect your experience.

Cat