Immigration to Canada > Family Class Sponsorship >

[paolo_tornabene]

Hi, I live in London with my partner but I am Italian and she is Canadian. We are going to move to Toronto soon and I would like to know if I have an Italian driving licence exchanged here in London to a british license and then when I move to canada, do I have to do the test again ? or it will be just exchanged to a Canadian one as I have read on the ontario.ca website that Great Britain has the exchange agreement in place with Ontario (Canada)
My question is if that will work for me even if the driving license was generated in Italy which does not have the agreement with Canada.

Thank you !

 

[Lons]

That is an interesting question. If you have your driver's license exchanged in Great Britain and that license is the exact same license that residents of Britain would receive, I don't think you would have a problem at all. However, if you have less than 2 years of driving experience, regardless if they accept your exchanged license or not, you'll need to wait until you have 2 years of driving experience total to complete the first road test. So this means, if you're coming from Italy or Great Britain and you only have 20 months of driving experience under your belt, regardless of the license you provide (Britain or Italy), you'll have to wait 4 months until you have a total of 24 months to take the road test. You'll be able to drive with a G1 in this time (a "learner's permit" type license).

If you DO have 2+ years of driving experience, they'll exchange your license from Great Britain and you'll be good to go, fully licensed. They can also accept your license from Italy with some additional processing on your part. If you bring your license from Italy and you have 2+ years of driving experience, you'll be required to take an eye exam & a written exam regarding the laws of the road. You'll then be able to immediately take your road test to receive your full license. So, if you are going to need to write an exam or take a road test in Britain to exchange your license, you might as well wait and just do that here in Ontario.

I hope that wasn't too confusing. Here's a link for more information https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange-out-province-drivers-licence

 

[RoyalNS]

Hi, I live in London with my partner but I am Italian and she is Canadian. We are going to move to Toronto soon and I would like to know if I have an Italian driving licence exchanged here in London to a british license and then when I move to canada, do I have to do the test again ? or it will be just exchanged to a Canadian one as I have read on the ontario.ca website that Great Britain has the exchange agreement in place with Ontario (Canada)
My question is if that will work for me even if the driving license was generated in Italy which does not have the agreement with Canada.

Thank you !

I think you can drive three months in Ontario (Toronto) with international license after that you must go for the driving test. You can ask Service Ontario for more clarification

https://www.ontario.ca/page/serviceontario

I think British driving is left side and we do right side in Canada. I would be very surprised if they just exchange the license without a test again. You might not have to go for written test(G1) but might have to go for road test (G2). With your British driving experience they might give you G instead of G2. Your best option is send an email or call Service Ontario.

 

[paolo_tornabene]

I think you can drive three months in Ontario (Toronto) with international license after that you must go for the driving test. You can ask Service Ontario for more clarification

https://www.ontario.ca/page/serviceontario

I think British driving is left side and we do right side in Canada. I would be very surprised if they just exchange the license without a test again. You might not have to go for written test(G1) but might have to go for road test (G2). With your British driving experience they might give you G instead of G2. Your best option is send an email or call Service Ontario.

I am 100 % sure that if is a births driving license there is no writing test or driving test to do, like Lons said. They will just exchange the licence for a Canadian as my partner sister did. She did the license in England just before moving to Canada. I was just in question for my Italian driving license exchanged to a British and then to a Canadian. I believe now they will just change it with no problem as they have done to my partner sister.

Thank you for help.

 

[paolo_tornabene]

That is an interesting question. If you have your driver's license exchanged in Great Britain and that license is the exact same license that residents of Britain would receive, I don't think you would have a problem at all. However, if you have less than 2 years of driving experience, regardless if they accept your exchanged license or not, you'll need to wait until you have 2 years of driving experience total to complete the first road test. So this means, if you're coming from Italy or Great Britain and you only have 20 months of driving experience under your belt, regardless of the license you provide (Britain or Italy), you'll have to wait 4 months until you have a total of 24 months to take the road test. You'll be able to drive with a G1 in this time (a "learner's permit" type license).

If you DO have 2+ years of driving experience, they'll exchange your license from Great Britain and you'll be good to go, fully licensed. They can also accept your license from Italy with some additional processing on your part. If you bring your license from Italy and you have 2+ years of driving experience, you'll be required to take an eye exam & a written exam regarding the laws of the road. You'll then be able to immediately take your road test to receive your full license. So, if you are going to need to write an exam or take a road test in Britain to exchange your license, you might as well wait and just do that here in Ontario.

I hope that wasn't too confusing. Here's a link for more information https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange-out-province-drivers-licence

Thank Lons for your help, I believe they will just exchange it for a Canadian as at the end of the day its gonna be a British license.
By the way I have done my license in April 2007 thats about 10 years ago. As you said, in Canada after exchange I will be ready to go ? right ?
Also if is about to expire are they able to renew the license ?

 

[Lons]

I would renew the license in your home country, have it exchanged in Britain and then come to Ontario and exchange it. Just to be on the safe side.

 

[paolo_tornabene]

I would renew the license in your home country, have it exchanged in Britain and then come to Ontario and exchange it. Just to be on the safe side.

Well, I am not living in Italy anymore since 2012 and I would not have the possibility to go there stay and wait till they will renew the license. I have move permanently to England. Now that we have decided to move to Canada what should I do every time go back to italy to renew my documents ? Once its exchanged to a British license the only way to have back the Italian one is to move back to Italy.

 

[Lons]

Well, I am not living in Italy anymore since 2012 and I would not have the possibility to go there stay and wait till they will renew the license. I have move permanently to England. Now that we have decided to move to Canada what should I do every time go back to italy to renew my documents ? Once its exchanged to a British license the only way to have back the Italian one is to move back to Italy.

Ah, I didn't know you left Italy already. I don't think you'd have a problem either way. Maybe the license that you'll receive in England will have a different expiry date than your Italian license? If your license from Britain has the same expiry as your license from Italy, would it be expired by the time you're exchanging it in Ontario?