Ontario Drivers License for Irish people

Helix

Right, since i finally decided to get my arse in gear and get a drivers license over here (only took 2 1/2 years), I decided it might be helpful for other people to know the procedure. As every province has their own rules and regulations, this is only applicable to Ontario.

All the information is here http://www.drivetest.ca/en/license/OutOfCountryDrivers.aspx

To break it down at a glance though:

If you have had a full Irish driving licence for less than 1 year:
You have to follow the same route as Canadians. There's no fast tracking, you need to start from the beginning, and it can take a while.

If you have had a full Irish driving licence for between 1-2 years:
You apply for your G1 (similar to our provisional), and can then take your G2 (the midway between provisional and full) immediately. Normally there's a 12 month wait

If you have had a full Irish driving license for 2 or more years:
You have the choice of taking the G2 straight away, or going all the way to the G. Personally, I'm going with the G2 because it means I can drive on highways and I don't need a licenced driver in the car with me. Then when I'm comfortable I'll do the G test (there's no mandatory wait time, you can take it whenever you like)

So if you DO have an Irish driving licence already, you need to email your issuing body (for me it was motortax@dublincity.ie) and request a Certified Details request form. They'll email it to you and you fill it out, mail them a scan of your licence and pay a processing fee of €6 (over the phone or via the email if you like). Within 5 working days they'll mail the documents back to you.

I don't know if they'll send it to Canada, I asked for mine to be sent to my Irish address instead so it can be forwarded on to me via registered post.

I know there was confusion about this before, but this will fast track you to a full Canadian licence without having to wait the couple of years that Canadians have to.

Hope this is of help

C@non

i shipped my left had drive over to canada and i had to figure all that crap out as well.. had to leave the car at home for 2 months and do this driving test before i could drive my own car in canada!
But thanks to a letter from the motoring department i was able to skip and keep my 10 years experience!
If you are able to swap you drivers licence for a uk or NI one do it! as you can swap it directly!

i actually posted a thread last year about this.. let me see if i can find it!

her it is!!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056239532

Helix

you can get around any waiting times by getting an international drivers license, theyre a tenner and good for a year

that, with your irish license, has you good to drive here for a year, but you'll have a bastard time getting insured on it

actually, yours above doesnt mention that you dont need to do the beginner tests. if you have 2 or more years of experience in ireland, and the cert to confirm it, you can go straight to your G test. you dont need to do the g1 or g2

C@non

an internation drivers licence only lets you drive in the country for i think 34 months.. you can not get insurance with that here its only for rentals and driving other people's cars..
i had to do my G test after i skipped the G1 but i still had to do my theory test.. with out a canadian licence you can not get insurance here.
but for me thank god its in the past i am insured and all now with 10 years experience on my licence

Helix

so your driving experience in ireland counts towards your insurance over here? that should save a few bob

how much are you paying and who are you with?

ive nearly 6 years in ireland under my belt, so hoping that will take some of the sting out of things

also, what's the G test like? would it be worth skipping over the G2 and going straight to it?

C@non

Helix wrote: »

so your driving experience in ireland counts towards your insurance over here? that should save a few bob

how much are you paying and who are you with?

ive nearly 6 years in ireland under my belt, so hoping that will take some of the sting out of things

also, what's the G test like? would it be worth skipping over the G2 and going straight to it?

yes but you need to get a letter from the motor tax office.. its 6 euro i had to get it posted over to canada.. it basically states how many years you have of experience and before you apply for a drivers licence you need to make sure you tell them this or they wont be able to add it once the information is finalized.

so if you havent left yet get that letter, and if not you will need to phone them and request a letter but it saves a lot of money!

i pay 1600 a year for insurance but i have a deal with work.. but i heard that TD is good and cheap too.. but its all a rip off.

Helix

have my letter on the way, they were very helpful over it

just waiting for it to arrive then ill head to service ontario and book a test

i left in 2009, only got round to the license now after the missus has been getting fed up of being my chauffeur

retalivity

C@non wrote: »

i pay 1600 a year for insurance but i have a deal with work.. but i heard that TD is good and cheap too.. but its all a rip off.

I work for them....they were the cheapest quote i got, not counting the employee discount. insurance here is a scam though, i wont be able to afford a car that is more expensive than 6 months cover!

Helix

retalivity wrote: »

I work for them....they were the cheapest quote i got, not counting the employee discount. insurance here is a scam though, i wont be able to afford a car that is more expensive than 6 months cover!

what kinda ball park figure were they giving you?

retalivity

1300.

i dont even own a car yet though, so just stuck in that i had a 5 year old golf, probably had some bearing on it.
6 years driving experience as well

Helix

surprisingly the car has no bearing on it at all

thats a great figure, will definitely go with them

C@non

thats why i shipped my own car over
insurance is a rip off.. but a lot of people have relatives outside and they use an outside of toronto address.. so its a lot cheaper, i am rite down town so they charge me a lot and that is good for the area i live in apparently!

But Helix make sure you tell them you have this letter on the way! i can also give you a good instructor Nick is his name and his number is 416-7553337 and go up the eglinton center and do your test, he charges 180 for car and pre lesson.. bit pricy but he knows all the people who will carry out the test as when i got into the car with the examiner he straight away said ohhh no your one of his guys.. ( he was messing ) but then half way through the exam he said you know what go back your good his students always know how to drive.. and thats was it! he will sort you out! he is a small cez republic guys but he knows his **** and routes.

Best of luck!

Helix

im not doing anything at all til the letter arrives, should be here in a couple of weeks. tbh im not keep on hitting the roads til the weather is cleared up and theres no ice/snow

ill check that guy out though for sure, cheers

C@non

no problem!

Helix

just one more quickie, did you have to do the knowledge test as well? is it much different from ours back home (different signs aside)?

cormthechippie

Helix wrote: »

just one more quickie, did you have to do the knowledge test as well? is it much different from ours back home (different signs aside)?

might as well throw in my two cents.. moved here last september.. living at yonge/steeles in toronto. just bought a car two weeks ago, 2004 Honda Civic. best insurance quote i was able to get was $490 per month. i'm 26 and have held a full irish licence since i was 17. insurance is ridiculous. they even gave me a discount as i had three years no claims..

did my G test at beginning of december, piece of cake really. i would strongly recommend taking a pre test lesson tho, but not with the dick i took mine with at North York Driving School. the most racist, arrogant man i've come across.. and the irony was, that he was a feckin' immigrant too.

did my G1, which i understand to be the theory test and it's mandatory. check out this link: http://find-a-driving-school.ca/free-g1-practice-tests/g1-practice-test-road-signs/

didn't bother take my G2, took a gamble and went straight for the G test and passed it. if, however i had have failed the G test, i would have had to take the G2 before i could take the G again.

insurance is ridiculous though. i'm gonna move as soon as possible, probably to Richmond Hill where it should whack a good chunk off of it.

Helix

i got a quote from td of $158 a week, and the lads i work with were saying that was on the pricey side. they advised me to shop around and i should be able to get it down to about $120, which'll drop again when im married

g1 is a driving test as well as the theory test i think, if i understood the missus correctly

cormthechippie

Helix wrote: »

i got a quote from td of $158 a week, and the lads i work with were saying that was on the pricey side. they advised me to shop around and i should be able to get it down to about $120, which'll drop again when im married

g1 is a driving test as well as the theory test i think, if i understood the missus correctly

they really have ye buy the short and curlys. the G1 is a knowledge test only.. it's the same as doing your theory test at home and then being issued a learner permit to practice driving.

JONJO THE MISER

$5,000 for insurance thats just plain crazy, no way ill be buying a car over there.

cormthechippie

the equivalent of fully comp ranged from $8000 to $15,000 per year. unaffordable. i just got a new job where i needed a car so had to bite the bullet and buy one and also i drive to the states two or three times a month.

you can hire a car for a week from budget for $240 including all taxes etc and you automatically have free insurance is you book it with a TD Green Visa card..

Helix

sorry my above post said $158 a week, that was per month

Helix

cormthechippie wrote: »

the G1 is a knowledge test only

asked the missus there (shes canadian) and she says there's a g1 exit test, so there's a driving test there. i know irish people with the letter from the license crowd dont have to do that, but it's there

*edit*

turns out i had this arseways. the g1 exit test, is the g2 test, and the g2 exit test is the g test. so irish people do the g1 written test, get their g1 license there and then, and then can apply immediately for the g2 exit test, which is the g test. awkward bastards confusing me like that :P

hickeydermot

I have a 2 year provisional.

I have 2 years driving experience.

I wonder where that will leave me?

Would I have to go through both G1 and G2?

Helix

you could give it a go, but i think youd need a 2 year full to skip all the way to the g test

you could probably go straight to the g2 test though, instead of needing to wait 12 months

montreal2011

The car sharing services are worth a look.

http://www.autoshare.com/

This is just an example one, but I think they can be the best option if you live in the city.

Kimia

I use Zipcar and it is amazing. $100 a month does me fine and that includes insurance/petrol, the whole lot. No need to do a test, I can use my irish license (plus my driving record from ireland which I needed to apply).

Highly recommended!!

AnchorBaby

C@non wrote: »

you need to get a letter from the motor tax office.. its 6 euro i had to get it posted over to canada...

My friend from Sligo didn't have to pay anything for his local Motor Tax office to write up a letter for the MTO and then post it to Toronto so seems the cost depends on the county.

When somebody with an Irish driver's license for 2+ years goes into the DriveTest location, did the people there require any issueing fees or a fee to take the G1 test besides the $40.00 for G road test? Do poeple have to book a the test or could one just show up with the test and they would let that person take the G road test?

Does the MTO keep your Irish driver's license while you are in Ontario?

Just confused on the cost and time from getting an Ontario driver's license all from start to finish.

eavansara

Are there provinces/area where the insurance is cheaper? This seems nightmarish, I thought Ireland was bad. But is it just in the city itself?

Thanks!

Helix

no, that's pretty much a canada wide thing

Helix

AnchorBaby wrote: »

M
When somebody with an Irish driver's license for 2+ years goes into the DriveTest location, did the people there require any issueing fees or a fee to take the G1 test besides the $40.00 for G road test? Do poeple have to book a the test or could one just show up with the test and they would let that person take the G road test?

it's $85 for the whole lot... g1 test, full g test and your license

retalivity

Helix wrote: »

no, that's pretty much a canada wide thing

Im pretty sure getting insurance in the GTA is more expensive than places outside.
im being quoted 2200 a year....3grand if i was in toronto