How to Get Canadian Driving License -for Newcomers

[Leon]

Hi Qorax,

I'm planning to land in Edmonton in August 2012; I will then have 4 months left on my UK driving licence to complete 2 years (i.e. in December 2012). I understand I can drive in Alberta up to 1 year on an IDP. In this case, can I wait till December to complete 2 years on my UK licence to exchange and get a Class 5 Albertan full driving licence?
In fact, it seems Alberta won't consider any licences with less than 24 months experience on it for an exchange.

Thanks & regards,
p2c

In AB, it varies a lot by which registry you go to. Some of them may give you a full license, even classes you should not have because they don't know any better.

If you look at http://www.servicealberta.ca/1671.cfm you see that they only say if you have more than 24 months experience, GDL conditions will not apply. That doesn't mean that you can not exchange your license before 24 months. It just means that you would get a GDL license instead of a full license. There is really not much difference, the most important being that 0% blood alcohol is allowed so you can not drive if you had as much as even half a drink and that you lose it after half the demerit points allowed for a full license.

However, if you want to wait 2 months and then apply, you don't see why you can't do that.

 

[Canooknic]

That's what has happened to me, but as Leon says there's not much difference. It has only been an issue once when my nephew wanted to go practice driving before his test and I couldn't be his accompanying driver, the alcohol thing hasn't bothered me

 

[prishy2canada]

Thank you Leon & Canooknic for the replies. So I'm not worrying much about the licence now. But I'll still get an IDP just in case. Thank you!

 

[KKm]

hi Qorax, thanks for your posts. i have a DL from INDIA and i also got DL in CHINA. i got your 3 years driving experience in china. please advise what shall i do to apply canada DL?

 

[qorax]

hi Qorax, thanks for your posts. i have a DL from INDIA and i also got DL in CHINA. i got your 3 years driving experience in china. please advise what shall i do to apply canada DL?

Get a LOA from the Chinese MTO, apply for ur DL@a DriveTest-Canada centre [if it's for Ontario] alongwith the original Chinese DL, pay the fees... bingo!

 

[Aquib]

Get a LOA from the Chinese MTO, apply for ur DL @ a DriveTest-Canada centre [if it's for Ontario] alongwith the original Chinese DL, pay the fees... bingo!

Hi , I got 10 year old Indian licence , also 6 year old UK licence .
My wife got approx 3+ year old UK licence and 10 year old Indian licence.

Can we get 10 year experience in Alberta driving history while changing 3 year old UK driving licence ?

 

[qorax]

Hi , I got 10 year old Indian licence , also 6 year old UK licence .
My wife got approx 3+ year old UK licence and 10 year old Indian licence.

Can we get 10 year experience in Alberta driving history while changing 3 year old UK driving licence ?

Pls read:
http://www.servicealberta.ca/1671.cfm

 

[Aquib]

Pls read:
http://www.servicealberta.ca/1671.cfm

Hi bro,

It's say that I can exchange my British licence and get 6 year experience on in .

It say I can get experience equivalent to Indian licence (if I don't have british licence) and needed test.

But how to exchange British licence and get experience of oldest Indian licence (ESP for my wife whose UK licence is 3 year old) .

May be you know some one Got licence from Countries With Reciprocal Licensing Agreements - like UK) and was native of GDL Program Exemption country Like India, Pak , UAE etc .
Did he able to get benefits of both licence at same time or they just look one licence.

 

[Leon]

For you to get a full license in Ontario, you only need 2 years experience. You gain nothing extra by having 10 or 20 years experience. 2 is enough.

 

[KKm]

Thanks qorax
I will b landing at Vancouver in august first week.
Is the procedure same as Ontario?

 

[Leon]

Thanks qorax
I will b landing at Vancouver in august first week.
Is the procedure same as Ontario?

To exchange your license in BC, you find the instructions here: http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/moving-bc/moving-dl

Same thing as Ontario, to get a full license, you need 2 years experience.

 

[Yogi7890]

Hi Qorax and all other senior members,

I am holding a driver's license from India which is valid til 2019,but when I got the license I never looked to check if there's an issue date mentioned or not? To my surprise it wasn't ; after landing here in Canada I contacted the licensing authorities in India from where I was issued my driver's license and they said I can request for letter to proof that the license is issued since 1999 ,but we won't state that you have been driving here from last 12-13 years .Do you think that letter with those wordings in itself will suffice the issue to get at least G2 license in Ontario.

Thanks in advance

 

[steaky]

Thanks qorax
I will b landing at Vancouver in august first week.
Is the procedure same as Ontario?

In addition to what Leon says, if you have a no-claims letter from your auto insurance company in China or India, indicating the number of years of driving experience, you may be eligible for further deduction on your ICBC basic autoplan insurance.

 

[azmatgaad]

Dear Qorex
Can u please share a format/wordings for the letter we need from our home country RTO / License department stating 24 moths plus experience

 

[azyz]

if anyone needs driving lessons before gong for G-test,esp those who are attempting direct G1-G test I had a very good experience with one of the driving school.I had brought LOA from saudi arabia.I did my G1 test last tuesday and went straight for G-test this tuesday and i Passed.
i took 5 hours of lessons from TODAY'S DRIVER number#416-8882318.I found this guy very good in teaching drivers from abroad and he knows wht mistakes we commonly make in the exam.
BEST OF LUCK TO EVERY1