Husband is heading back to the UK next week to start work, before I join him in January when our house closes.
My parents have very kindly said that he can drive their car whilst there.
Insurance has said to add him, he must have a UK licence. We still have the paper part of licence, but handed in card when applying for Canadian one.
we know he can apply for an exchange of licence by filling in a form, it states that he must be a resident for 6 months prior to this. Is there anyway around this?

He does not have to ‘exchange’ is Canadian DL. As he had a UK DL he can simply apply to the DVLA to get his UK DL card re-issued. There has been numerous threads/posts on this subject.

Thankyou for your help.

Your husband should complete Form D1 (he can pick one up from the Post Office) and complete as if he was exchanging his Canadian licence but he should also include his GB driving licence number in the relevant box. When he posts off the form he should include both his Canadian licence and his (now defunct) GB paper counterpart. The DVLA will then reissue his GB driving licence with his full entitlements as per his DVLA record.

Is there a stipulation to hand over a foreign DL? There is in Ontario but I didn’t think there was in the UK.

Yes, because otherwise the DVLA will want to know where his previous GB driving licence is, if it wasn't lost or stolen.

Makes sense. Thank you.

But if he is to be a resident of both countries (and some people are) then he will need to continue holding both licences. (Or is it license in Canada?).

Illegal in Ontario to hold more than one DL.

He'll need to hold the licence from whichever country he spends the most time in.

If one has a US license but never UK license, can it simply be exchanged ?

Depends if that country allows you to hold more than one DL...Canada does not.

Thanks for all replies. So maybe we should get copies of his paper part, before sending off with Canadian licence, so that he can drive while waiting for UK licence to come back.?

You can only exchange a foreign driving licence for a GB/NI driving licence if the country in question is a 'designated country' - the US is not and therefore anyone holding a US driver's license will need to pass a GB/NI driving test within a year of arriving in the UK.

It does vary between countries but you cannot hold more than one EEA/EU driving licence and as you point out Canada does not allow you to hold more than one.

Your husband can drive in the UK whilst he waits for his licence to come back from the DVLA. The paper counterpart has been abolished anyway so there's no point making a copy.