# Getting an Ontario driving licence.



## krisnw (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi im moving to Ontario in May and im looking to change my driving licence over to the Ontario licence, on their site they ask for you to get this,

present written authentication of their foreign driving experience from the originating licensing agency, or from the Embassy, Consulate or High Commissioner’s office representing the jurisdiction, in order to get credit for their driving experience. 

What do they want? Has anybody got their Ontario licence?
sorry if this is a stupid question.
Thanks


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

krisnw said:


> Hi im moving to Ontario in May and im looking to change my driving licence over to the Ontario licence, on their site they ask for you to get this,
> 
> present written authentication of their foreign driving experience from the originating licensing agency, or from the Embassy, Consulate or High Commissioner’s office representing the jurisdiction, in order to get credit for their driving experience.
> 
> ...


If you have a UK license then all you have to do is turn up at a Service Ontario office and exchange it for an Ontario one. There is no test or authentication documentation required.
I suspect you were reading the section not applying to UK licenses.


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## oopsbuddy (Feb 15, 2011)

I read someone's comment that a UK licence can be exchanged, but not an Irish one ~ is this correct? If so it seems ironic that Irish and UK licences are interchangeable between each other!


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

oopsbuddy said:


> I read someone's comment that a UK licence can be exchanged, but not an Irish one ~ is this correct? If so it seems ironic that Irish and UK licences are interchangeable between each other!


Yes, I believe that's true. Go figure, eh?


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## oopsbuddy (Feb 15, 2011)

Auld Yin said:


> Yes, I believe that's true. Go figure, eh?


I lived in the UK for a number of years and exchanged my Irish licence for a UK one. A few years after I returned to Ireland I went to exchange it back and was advised not to do so, as the UK one was a valid European licence, AND it stayed valid until I was 70 (I think?) unlike an Irish one which had to be renewed every so often, ...so I still have the UK one!!  I should be OK so!


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## CraigM (Jun 10, 2010)

I've just been looking into this too. So you have to actually exchange your licence? Can't you retain your UK one?
I have just received my TWP and will be spending 75% of my time in Canada, but the rest in the UK. I guess I'm concerned about giving up my UK licence considering I'll still be there quite a bit.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

CraigM said:


> I've just been looking into this too. So you have to actually exchange your licence? Can't you retain your UK one?
> I have just received my TWP and will be spending 75% of my time in Canada, but the rest in the UK. I guess I'm concerned about giving up my UK licence considering I'll still be there quite a bit.


You must exchange it within 90 days of "landing" in Canada.


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## RobMc (Feb 14, 2011)

I was going to exchange my Irish license for a UK one, then on arrival in ON - exchange this for a Ontario license...


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

RobMc said:


> I was going to exchange my Irish license for a UK one, then on arrival in ON - exchange this for a Ontario license...


I can think of no reason preventing you from doing this. However I believe you may be required to have held your UK license for a certain length of time. You should check the Ontario Government website for more information.


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## JimJams (Jan 11, 2010)

CraigM said:


> I've just been looking into this too. So you have to actually exchange your licence? Can't you retain your UK one?
> I have just received my TWP and will be spending 75% of my time in Canada, but the rest in the UK. I guess I'm concerned about giving up my UK licence considering I'll still be there quite a bit.


Can you not just exchange your UK one, then when you get back to UK just apply for another license (think you can do it via the web)...

Assume they don't inform the DVLA that you have done this, right?


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