Driving in Ontario for New Residents

[Jhokris]

Hello,

We are arriving in Ontario this February 2018. My husband has a valid UAE driving licence. Can he use this to drive within Ontario, if we are staying only for 3 weeks?

I saw in Ontario's website that those staying less than 3 months can use their home country driving licence. I'm not sure if this is valid for us because
1) UAE is not our home country
2) Yes we are staying less than 3 months, but not as a tourist (as a permanent resident).

On another note, if he decides to convert his UAE licence to Ontario licence, how long will the process take? (he has been driving for more than 23 months). Another concern is that, will he be able to drive in UAE again using the Ontario driving licence, without any formality?

Hope my questions are not confusing.

Thanks!

 

[zardoz]

Hello,

We are arriving in Ontario this February 2018. My husband has a valid UAE driving licence. Can he use this to drive within Ontario, if we are staying only for 3 weeks?

I saw in Ontario's website that those staying less than 3 months can use their home country driving licence. I'm not sure if this is valid for us because
1) UAE is not our home country
2) Yes we are staying less than 3 months, but not as a tourist (as a permanent resident).

On another note, if he decides to convert his UAE licence to Ontario licence, how long will the process take? (he has been driving for more than 23 months). Another concern is that, will he be able to drive in UAE again using the Ontario driving licence, without any formality?

Hope my questions are not confusing.

Thanks!

For just 3 weeks, there is no requirement for a licence change.
Once you return to Canada to settle, you will need to investigate the current requirements for obtaining a new licence. UAE licences are not eligible for a direct exchange.

 

[Jhokris]

For just 3 weeks, there is no requirement for a licence change.
Once you return to Canada to settle, you will need to investigate the current requirements for obtaining a new licence. UAE licences are not eligible for a direct exchange.

Thanks zardoz! We thought before that if you are on a tourist visa then using UAE driving licence is fine. But since we're on PR visa, won't there be any issues?

 

[NetMecca]

The rules is that if you settle in any province, even if moving within Canada you are required to convert your license to a local provincially issued drivers license. However if you are on a foreign license, there may be a requirement for you to have an international driver's license at least. Also if you are planning to rent a car, make sure to purchase the insurance as well. It is expensive, but you would not want to start your life in Canada with something ruining your life before you even start.

 

[zardoz]

Thanks zardoz! We thought before that if you are on a tourist visa then using UAE driving licence is fine. But since we're on PR visa, won't there be any issues?

No, there won't. You may be a PR but you are not taking up residence in the province, yet. It's residency that triggers the requirement, not immigration status.

 

[kjabbar]

No, there won't. You may be a PR but you are not taking up residence in the province, yet. It's residency that triggers the requirement, not immigration status.

Thanks for your reply. I also planning to Land in Ontario state by end of June. Do I need to get any letter from authorizes in UAE before travelling or my UAE driving License is sufficient to avoid the wait time after G1 test.