WHat good is an international driver's licence?

[toby]

I am told by the licence department in B.C. that anyone who has not had a Canadian driver's licence must got through the entire driver's training program, regardless of having a driver's licence in a different country.

If that is true, what is the good of getting an international driver's licence before coming to Canada? Does that allow a few months of driving in Canada, before starting the driver's examination etc?

 

[steaky]

Tourist can drive with existing licence for up to six months. Any restrictions on home licence also apply here in B.C. If licence is a language other than English, it's best to have an International Driving Permit.

 

[Leon]

Of course the rules vary between provinces but is often so that an IDP will allow you to drive longer on your own licence than if you didn't have one. On your own license, you may be able to drive to 2-3 months after moving to Canada. With an IDP, you may get up to a year so it is helpful for people who are coming to stay for less than a year.

However, looking at the rules of drivers license exchange in BC specifically, there does not seem to be any benefit by having an IDP except maybe for translation purposes if your license is not in English. You need to get a BC license within 3 months after moving to BC. If you are a visitor, you may drive on your license for up to 6 months. If you are a student, you may drive on your license even longer as long as you meet certain requirements.

It is not true that you always would have to go through the entire driver's training program if you have had a license. If you have a license from certain countries, it may be as simple as straight exchange, see http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/moving-bc/other-country and if you are not from one of those countries, as long as your driving experience is 2 years or longer, you will get to skip through all the stages and get a full license right away by taking the tests.

If you have less than 2 years driving experience, their website does not really say but I assume they may place you in their graduated drivers license system accordingly. Might be on a case by case basis. If you have no license, you will have to start off with a written test and a learners permit and after a year, you can take a road test to get your first probationary license and in another 2 years, (cut by 6 months if you take drivers training) you can do the full test and get a full license.

 

[toby]

Thanks.

My wife has a Chinese driver's licence, and if she can drive in China, she can drive anywhere.

If we stay in Canada only (say) 5 months per year, then she could just use her Chinese licence (good for up to 6 months in Canada), and not bother with a B.C. licence, right?

If she moves to Canada for 12 months a year, and can prove she has two years of driving experience, then she can get into the accelerated program, but it is not clear what that entails exactly. The website does not say whether she would immediately get a learner's licence, and then a full licence two years later, or whether she could immediately take a road test for the full licence.

But that's down the road a bit -- given the slow pace of the Hong Kong Visa Offica.

 

[Leon]

Yes, if she is not living in Canada, just visiting, she should be able to drive on her license without a problem. If she does decide to move to BC, she needs to get her BC license within 6 months. I do not know how BC does it but in AB, you hand in your license for the government to approve it. If you have an IDP, they let you keep that but they take your original license. It takes a couple of weeks for them to approve it at which time, you are allowed to take the road test to get your license. You have to pass the written test before you can take the road test but it is up to you if you take the written test when you hand in your license or a day before you do the road test.

According to the link I gave you, BC will let somebody with a 2 year driving experience take the road test as soon as they have passed the written test but they do advise that there may be a waiting list to take the test so better book in advance. I do not know if you have to pass the written test also before you can book the road test or just before you take it.

 

[javcil]

According to the link I gave you, BC will let somebody with a 2 year driving experience take the road test as soon as they have passed the written test but they do advise that there may be a waiting list to take the test so better book in advance. I do not know if you have to pass the written test also before you can book the road test or just before you take it.

You actually have to pass the written test before they will let you book a road test.

 

[angelbrat]

When I moved to BC, a foreign National could only drive with their home Country license for 90 days not 6 months. If you are a good driver, then passing the Canadian driving test is no biggie.

I took the written test, then it only took one week to book the driving test. They were both extremely easy to pass and I come from a Country that drives on a different side of the road to Canada.

 

[toby]

I took the written test, then it only took one week to book the driving test. They were both extremely easy to pass and I come from a Country that drives on a different side of the road to Canada.

When I drove in England, when entering the roundabouts I had to constantly repeat ``keep to the left, keep to the left``. I wonder what my immediate reflex would be in a driving emergency in England. I`ll bet my long-inculcated habit of driving on the right would take over, and that would not be good! That`s where a Chinese driver would have an advantage: there is no `correct`side of the road; he or she would simply head for daylight.

 

[javcil]

When I moved to BC, a foreign National could only drive with their home Country license for 90 days not 6 months. If you are a good driver, then passing the Canadian driving test is no biggie.

A foreign national immigrant to Canada can STILL only drive on their foreign license for 90 days. However, a tourist can drive on a foreign license for 6 months. Makes no sense to me, but those are the rules I guess ...

 

[angelbrat]

That`s where a Chinese driver would have an advantage: there is no `correct`side of the road; he or she would simply head for daylight.


OMG...that made me spit my drink out laughing..... ;D

Not sure if I ever want to find out it's true.....though

 

[toby]

Oh it's true!!

If the driver beside you gets a wheel in front of your front wheel, that is licence to enter your lane and you are expected to back off or cause an accident. No one seems upset by this.

In Costa Rica, the other driver will do that to you, but if you have the audacity to do it to him, he'll have fits and blow his horn!!! Machismo, but of the passive aggressive sort; he'll never get out of the car and fight as the Italians do (they make love afterward to make up ), or shoot as some Americans do. We in England and Canada live sheltered lives.

 

[Derry]

I am told by the licence department in B.C. that anyone who has not had a Canadian driver's licence must got through the entire driver's training program, regardless of having a driver's licence in a different country.

If that is true, what is the good of getting an international driver's licence before coming to Canada? Does that allow a few months of driving in Canada, before starting the driver's examination etc?

Remember the basic purpose of IDP/IDL - it's for Visitors'; not for Residents'.

In most nations it'd allow u to drive for 3-6 months, w/out obtaining the local DL (which, as a visitor u cannot in any case), in Canada they give 3 months - while Ontario allows only for 2.

And that's about it the IDP/IDL for - Not for swapping it into a local DL.

 

[kelKel]

My boyfriend came here initailly on a work permit and swapped his German drivers license for an ontario one no problem no additional tests or examination required. It expires in 5 years. Not sure about the other provinces!

 

[Leon]

Your bf is lucky that Germany is one of the handful of countries that has a drivers license exchange agreement with Canada. It varies a little between provinces but for Ontario, those countries are the U.S.A., Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria and Belgium. If your boyfriend had been from the Netherlands or Denmark, he would have had to take the test.

If he had been from Australia or New Zealand, he would have been able to get a drivers license exchange in BC but not in ON and if he had been from France or Belgium, he would have gotten exchange in ON but not in BC.

 

[toby]

Your bf is lucky that Germany is one of the handful of countries that has a drivers license exchange agreement with Canada. It varies a little between provinces but for Ontario, those countries are the U.S.A., Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria and Belgium. If your boyfriend had been from the Netherlands or Denmark, he would have had to take the test.

If he had been from Australia or New Zealand, he would have been able to get a drivers license exchange in BC but not in ON and if he had been from France or Belgium, he would have gotten exchange in ON but not in BC.

What a smorgasbord of possibilities, Leon. Live will be more consistent and sensible on my desert island -- where I will be a benign king!!!