{"id":554,"date":"2019-01-25T01:12:07","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T01:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev2018.darrenwhiteman.com\/autoshipper-blog\/?p=554"},"modified":"2025-09-10T13:22:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T12:22:26","slug":"how-to-obtain-a-canadian-driving-licence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-obtain-a-canadian-driving-licence","title":{"rendered":"How to Obtain a Canadian Driving Licence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\">If you&#8217;re visiting Canada for only a short space of time, you do not need to apply for a Canadian licence: if you hold a licence from the UK, from an EU country, from the USA or indeed from many other countries worldwide, you&#8217;re okay to drive for up to 60 or 90 days, depending on which Canadian state you&#8217;re in (though if your licence is in a language other than English, you may also require an International Driving Permit). We would, of course, heartily recommend you read our earlier blog post,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/driving-in-canada-a-guide-for-uk-expats-rules-laws-and-regulations\">Driving In Canada<\/a>\u00a0before you head over there, but in terms of paperwork you&#8217;ve nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n<p>This blog post is therefore aimed at those who intend to stay in the country longer, taking up temporary or permanent residence. If that&#8217;s you, then you will need to convert to a Canadian licence. Thankfully, doing so is relatively straightforward! In fact, for UK and EU drivers, the process is pretty much a rubber-stamping formality: the main thing you&#8217;ll need to be aware of are the slight variations between Canadian states as to exactly when you are required to \u2013 if you&#8217;ll pardon the pun \u2013 set these wheels in motion.<\/p>\n<h2>How Soon do I need to apply?<\/h2>\n<p>Canadian driving licences are issued by the state in which the licence holder resides, rather than by the federal government. As a result, the period after which a Canadian licence is required varies from state to state.<\/p>\n<p>For some of the most popular destination states, that period is as follows;<\/p>\n<ul class=\"blog-list\">\n<li>Alberta: 90 days<\/li>\n<li>British Columbia: 90 days<\/li>\n<li>Ontario: 60 days<\/li>\n<li>Quebec: 6 months<\/li>\n<li>Saskatchewan: 90 days<\/li>\n<li>Manitoba: Three months<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What happens when I convert my licence?<\/h2>\n<p>If you are a UK, EU or US licence holder who qualified more than two years ago, then you should be able to convert to a Class 5 Canadian licence (ie, a full driving licence for cars and motorcycles) without having to undertake any kind of written or practical driving exam at all.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a UK, EU or US licence but have held same for less than two years, then in some states you may be issued a Class 6 Canadian licence (roughly equivalent to a UK provisional licence); in others you will receive a Class 5-GDL Canadian licence, which is a full licence but means you are subject to more restrictions when it comes to things like blood alcohol levels and speed limits (GDL stands for &#8216;graduated driver&#8217;s licence&#8217;) .<\/p>\n<p>If you hold a non-UK, EU or US licence, then you may need to undertake a written and\/or practical exam before being issued with a Canadian licence. There is a good state-by-state breakdown of which nations&#8217; licences are accredited by which Canadian states at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/moving2canada.com\/drivers-license-in-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moving 2 Canada<\/a>\u00a0website.<\/p>\n<h2>How do I convert my UK licence to Canadian licence?<\/h2>\n<p>Again, as licences are issued at the state rather than federal level, this procedure does vary depending on which state you&#8217;re in. But in all cases, you will need to; provide valid official ID and your existing licence, fill out some forms and pay an application fee.<\/p>\n<p>Some states will also ask to see proof of your driving record, so it&#8217;s a good idea to ask your insurers about providing a copy of your driving history before you head off. Other requirements that vary by state include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"blog-list\">\n<li>In Ontario, you will need to undertake an eye test<\/li>\n<li>In British Columbia, you will be asked to sit a basic road safety test<\/li>\n<li>In Quebec, you will need to provide proof of permission to reside in Canada, and proof of residency in the state.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Again, for brevity&#8217;s sake we have listed only some of the most popular states that foreign nationals head for: for complete details of all requirements in every state, you will need to check in with that state&#8217;s transportation department. These can be found here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.transportation.alberta.ca\/543.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alberta<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.icbc.com\/driver-licensing\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">British Columbia<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mpi.mb.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manitoba<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www2.gnb.ca\/content\/gnb\/en\/services\/services_renderer.200566.Driver_s_Licences.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Brunswick<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.servicenl.gov.nl.ca\/drivers\/DriversandVehicles\/driverlicensing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Newfoundland and Labrador<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dot.gov.nt.ca\/DMV\/Licences-GICs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Northwest Territories<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gov.ns.ca\/snsmr\/rmv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nova Scotia<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gov.nu.ca\/edt\/faq\/where-can-i-get-drivers-licence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nunavut<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/driving-and-roads\/driving-and-roads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ontario<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gov.pe.ca\/egovernment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prince Edward Island<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Quebec<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sgi.sk.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saskatchewan<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hpw.gov.yk.ca\/mv\/secure_dl.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yukon<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Any questions?<\/h2>\n<p>As converting a UK to a Canadian licence is fairly straightforward, we&#8217;re hoping this quick guide will have answered most Autoshippers customers&#8217; questions! But for further information, there&#8217;s a very helpful guide on the Canadian government&#8217;s own website, which also contains a wealth of information on topics such as insurance and your responsibilities if you&#8217;re involved in accident, and which which you can find\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/immigration-refugees-citizenship\/services\/new-immigrants\/new-life-canada\/driving.html#licences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you are shipping a car to Canada, we offer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/\">car shipping<\/a>\u00a0direct from the UK. Get your free quote today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re visiting Canada for only a short space of time, you do not need to apply for a Canadian licence: if you hold a licence from the UK, from an EU country, from the USA or indeed from many other countries worldwide, you&#8217;re okay to drive for up to 60 or 90 days, depending [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[101,106,28,32,56,39],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Obtain a Canadian Driving Licence - Autoshippers Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-obtain-a-canadian-driving-licence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Obtain a Canadian Driving Licence - 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