Switching My Canadian (Ontario) Drivers Lisence To a UK Drivers License?

Question

I am currently living in the United Kingdom and I have a Canadian Ontario drivers lisence (G2) and I was wondering If I could exchange it for a UK license. What would I recieve and can I do this? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi,

Canada is what is known as a "designated country" for driving licence purposes!

If you are a visitor to GB you can drive on your Canadian licence for 12 months from the date you entered GB, as long as you have a full, valid licence for the category of vehicle you wish to drive here.



If you are resident in GB you can drive on your full, valid driving licence from Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man or a designated country for up to 12 months from the day you become resident in GB. You can exchange your licence for a British one within five years of becoming resident, but if you haven't exchanged your licence for a British one before the end of the first 12 months of becoming resident, you will need to stop driving and apply for a provisional licence and take the Theory and Practical Tests.

The following link explains how to exchange your Canadian licence http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dri...

Canadian licences are only exchangable for automatic transmission only when exchanging for a British licence. This can only be upgraded to manual upon presentation of confirmation, from the relevant licensing authority, of a manual test being passed or a manual test is passed in GB. Your exchanged licence would cover you as a provisional licence if you then wanted to learn in a manual car and take your Practical Test.

The DirectGov has a very useful "interactive tool" which helps you check the proceedure - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/Motori...

Answer 2

I believe you will need to start from fresh. Complete the UK theory test and then the practical. A foreign license is only valid for 12 months in the UK so start getting lessons now.