Converting an Irish Driving Licence to a Canadian one

davybrown

I have my uk driving license about 7months. When i arrive in canada, will i still be able to change to a canadian one? Even with such little driving experience.

littlemiss maevie

Where can i get a letter of driving experience? I know someone who got a letter from the tax office and that worked but Ive never taxed a car in my own name. I've always been a named driver on someone elses car.
I've had a full license for over 2 years and apparantely that means I can do the theory and driven test together rather than going through the whole system, is this right?

retalivity

you get it from your local authority that issued it, the county or city council i believe

mcerc

donkey balls wrote: »

A mate of mine went over last year as he got work doing long distance truck driving,The problem he faced was having to redo some of the truck tests which would cost approx $3000CAD the way he did it was to apply to the DVLA(UK licencing authority) through his friend in the UK.
Now in order for him to do that he used his friends address and had the DVLA post out the application form and he then sent his licence to his friends address who posted it back to the DVLA,I had/have a chance to head over and was going use my mates address in the north but the DVLA wont allow this.;)

Did this work Donkey Balls?

dublintone

I arrived in Newfoundland and was told by my new company's insurance that I could do a straight swap. The person I spoke to was wrong and now I have realized that my international licence is only valid for 3 months from date if arrival. So I now have to sit the theory test and apply for the driving test and wait for that to come around too. If at all possible try and get a UK or northern Ireland licence to save you a lot of grief when you get here as Jo where is open on a Saturday or Sunday and if your working time off may not be available during the week as is the case with me.

DAVIDDOLAN

Can anybody help me with this. Are you able to get a learners permit in Canada that will allow me to drive if you are there on a 2 year working visa. I don,t have my full licence yet in Ireland but I do have my learners permit though. I will atry and get my full licence here before I go over but if I don't will I be able to do the learners permit in Canada and then try and get the full licence over there.

hungryharry

anybody know if you can swap a truck licence in alberta?

againstthetide

Nope you'll need to do the test
http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/1671.cfm

donkey balls

hungryharry wrote: »

anybody know if you can swap a truck licence in alberta?

Or try and exchange it for a UK licence not an NI and you will be grand,Although I think my mate still had to do some other tests while there but not the complete driving test.

ck24

Not sure if this has been posted here before but it looks like we should be able to swap our irish licenses for a canadian one in some province's this year, including Ontario. Deal expected to go ahead early this year according to the independent.ie

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/motoring/driving-licence-deal-with-canadian-cities-on-cards-for-2014-29876373.html

The man in red and black

donkey balls wrote: »

Or try and exchange it for a UK licence not an NI and you will be grand,Although I think my mate still had to do some other tests while there but not the complete driving test.

Not sure this would actually work unless you swapped it for a UK one a couple of years in advance. To swap a UK one for Canadian, in Ontario anyway, you needed to have had the UK one for something like two years. Can't remember the exact number but I looked into it before going out and it wasn't feasible.

GrumPy

Anyone experience with someone potentially planning on buying a car in Canada that has a full Irish license (7+)? I may never actually buy one over there, but I'd like the option at least...
Seems to be some mixed information online. I'll be in BC (Vancouver).

CBCB2

GrumPy wrote: »

Anyone experience with someone potentially planning on buying a car in Canada that has a full Irish license (7+)? I may never actually buy one over there, but I'd like the option at least...
Seems to be some mixed information online. I'll be in BC (Vancouver).

I can't help you with BC but in Ontario I had to do a theory test (it's 40 questions there's loads of online examples, I did the online practice tests and got 40 out of 40, it's grand!).

Then based on my Irish driving experience (I think you have to have 2 years), I had a letter from Donegal County Council stating what dates my provisional and full licences were issued and that I had no endorsements on my licence. So they let me skip the G2 test and go straight to the G. (If I couldn't skip you've to do the G2 and wait 2 years before you can do the G test. The G2 test is a city driving test and the G is a city and Highway driving test. If you only have G2 you're not allowed to drive on the highway).

Once I got it I was able to buy a car no problem. A point to note although legally I could drive on my Irish licence here for a year until I needed a Canadian one, I couldn't get an insurance company who would insure me if I bought a car. So I had to get a Canadian licence to get insurance.

I'm sure the process is roughly similar in BC. But if you plan on getting a car without converting your licence definitely look into the insurance first.

Also be prepared for it to be much higher than Ireland. They only good thing is they expect you to pay monthly so there's no annual fee expectation.

fergusb

GrumPy wrote: »

Anyone experience with someone potentially planning on buying a car in Canada that has a full Irish license (7+)? I may never actually buy one over there, but I'd like the option at least...
Seems to be some mixed information online. I'll be in BC (Vancouver).

As CBCB2 mentions the process in BC is similar to Ontario. Since you've had an Irish license for over 2 years. You first need to sit the theory test. Which is straight forward (some slightly confusing questions). At this point you must forfeit your Irish license. You then need to sit you "Class 5" test. Standard enough road test. Assuming you pass you get your Class 5 license. Which is the full license. (Class 7, is the novice license which you have for 2 years. but is skipped by having the irish license).

Remember you will lose your irish license getting a Canadian one. And legally you cannot drive on an Irish license after 3 months in BC.

In terms of buying a car, insurance is high, and its all controlled by 1 company (ICBC). Depending what you plan to use the car for makes a big difference. Personally I don't use it for commuting, so for weekends I rent a car. And I am also a member of 2 car co-ops (car2go and Modo). Which are brilliant for day trips and shorter. Definitely not as handy as owning but I reckon cheaper in my experience.

CBCB2

I didn't have to give up my Irish licence to get my Canadian one. I have both. But I do think this may have been an oversight as the girl who sorted my application wasn't sure what she was doing!!

Jonty

GrumPy wrote: »

Anyone experience with someone potentially planning on buying a car in Canada that has a full Irish license (7+)? I may never actually buy one over there, but I'd like the option at least...
Seems to be some mixed information online. I'll be in BC (Vancouver).

To buy a car you need a Canadian Licence. The car registration is tied to the license number

The man in red and black

CBCB2 wrote: »

I didn't have to give up my Irish licence to get my Canadian one. I have both. But I do think this may have been an oversight as the girl who sorted my application wasn't sure what she was doing!!

I also have both, based in Ontario. They never mentioned needing to surrender the Irish licence

GrumPy

GrumPy wrote: »

Anyone experience with someone potentially planning on buying a car in Canada that has a full Irish license (7+)? I may never actually buy one over there, but I'd like the option at least...
Seems to be some mixed information online. I'll be in BC (Vancouver).

I bought one, insurance will be about 170 a month depending on the car you get unless you provide proof of your Driving record. You'll pay tax on top of the purchase whether it's second hand or not. Your license won't be a straight swap but you can do the theory test and Driving test all in one go without the waiting period. I'm in Vancouver since June

Jonty

Jonty wrote: »

To buy a car you need a Canadian Licence. The car registration is tied to the license number

Not true! I didn't need one and I've a Subaru Impreza in the driveway

Son

Sacramento wrote: »

Not true! I didn't need one and I've a Subaru Impreza in the driveway

Edit: Sorry,misread your post.

So you can do the theory test and practical in one day? Do you know the waiting times?

Also can you tell me who your insured with? I was going to apply for the test straight away but if you can get insured on an Irish licence then I may do that depending on the cost ie: I presume its a good bit cheaper on canadian licence

Thanks

CBCB2

Son wrote: »

Edit: Sorry,misread your post.

So you can do the theory test and practical in one day? Do you know the waiting times?

Also can you tell me who your insured with?

Thanks

I'd to go to the driving centre and give in my documentation and then book the theory test. I went later in the day so couldn't get any appointments that day, but I got it within the week. If you were there first thing in the morning you might touch lucky and get an appointment for that day. It depends how busy the centre is.

They tell you the results straight away and you can book your driving test that day. The centre I went to it was a 2 week wait.

I took a few lessons first it was $110 for a 2 hour lesson and $55 for an hour. I did one 2 hour and one hour, plus an hour before the test. A two hour lesson and the hour before the test would have been enough I'd say.

I did mine in the instructors car, so you have to leave it to them to book the test because they book it based on their availability as well as yours. But it was within 2 weeks from when I called them to ask them to book it. You have to provide a credit card to book the test.

I found the prelessons worth it, there's just a few rules that you wouldn't know otherwise. Like you're not supposed to indicate when you move on to the otherside of the road passed a parked car. Plus it took me a wee while to actually stop at a stop sign and not roll it. For the getting on and off the highway it was good to practice that too.

Just so you know if they tick off on a sheet if you do something right as well as if you do it wrong. So it's not like the Irish test. I found that weird as I was getting paniced because I thought I was doing well but I couldn't figure out why the buck beside me was writing an essay. Turns out he was checking off that I completed everything!!

hegarty147

hey guys that driving history record how do you apply for that ?. I can see nothing on the cork county council website

donkey balls

hegarty147 wrote: »

hey guys that driving history record how do you apply for that ?. I can see nothing on the cork county council website

What you are looking for is a certificate of entitlement which anyone use to be able to get of the local motor tax office took about 5 days at a cost of €5,It has every detail regarding the different licences held and any points/endorsements on the licence.
You will have to apply through the NDLS were the price has jumped up to €15.

hegarty147

donkey balls wrote: »

What you are looking for is a certificate of entitlement which anyone use to be able to get of the local motor tax office took about 5 days at a cost of €5,It has every detail regarding the different licences held and any points/endorsements on the licence.
You will have to apply through the NDLS were the price has jumped up to €15.

Hi so since I am in Canada do you know how I can apply now ?...Can I just get my mother to go in ?

donkey balls

hegarty147 wrote: »

Hi so since I am in Canada do you know how I can apply now ?...Can I just get my mother to go in ?

From memory the person applying has to bring their licence in to the office and the staff take the details of the licence along with a copy of it,You should check out NDLS.IE by the way they seemingly are making a mess of the issuing of the licences,There is a thread in the learning to drive section about people having to wait 2/3 months to get their licence issued.

hegarty147

donkey balls wrote: »

From memory the person applying has to bring their licence in to the office and the staff take the details of the licence along with a copy of it,You should check out NDLS.IE by the way they seemingly are making a mess of the issuing of the licences,There is a thread in the learning to drive section about people having to wait 2/3 months to get their licence issued.

crap I wont be home till xmas. I have heard of people just calling them and them sending out letters to their addresses at home bt maybe that changed with the NDLS took over. I actually got a driver history letter from the cork motor tax officer last may before I came to Canada but I found out yesterday that it has to be dated within six months

hegarty147

thanks I found it


I can just email them
http://www.ndls.ie/en/Driving-Licence/driving-abroad.html#DriverStatement

donkey balls

Was just about to say that you can e mail them I cannot remember if the paper has some form of a water mark on it or not,If it doesn't you could always get it sent to the Irish address and have a family member scan it and e mail it to you.

The man in red and black

hegarty147 wrote: »

Hi so since I am in Canada do you know how I can apply now ?...Can I just get my mother to go in ?

Surely an Irish Mammy can sort anything!

Son

CBCB2 wrote: »

I'd to go to the driving centre and give in my documentation and then book the theory test. I went later in the day so couldn't get any appointments that day, but I got it within the week. If you were there first thing in the morning you might touch lucky and get an appointment for that day. It depends how busy the centre is.

They tell you the results straight away and you can book your driving test that day. The centre I went to it was a 2 week wait.

I took a few lessons first it was $110 for a 2 hour lesson and $55 for an hour. I did one 2 hour and one hour, plus an hour before the test. A two hour lesson and the hour before the test would have been enough I'd say.

I did mine in the instructors car, so you have to leave it to them to book the test because they book it based on their availability as well as yours. But it was within 2 weeks from when I called them to ask them to book it. You have to provide a credit card to book the test.

I found the prelessons worth it, there's just a few rules that you wouldn't know otherwise. Like you're not supposed to indicate when you move on to the otherside of the road passed a parked car. Plus it took me a wee while to actually stop at a stop sign and not roll it. For the getting on and off the highway it was good to practice that too.

Just so you know if they tick off on a sheet if you do something right as well as if you do it wrong. So it's not like the Irish test. I found that weird as I was getting paniced because I thought I was doing well but I couldn't figure out why the buck beside me was writing an essay. Turns out he was checking off that I completed everything!!

Thanks for that,I will apply for it when I get there