Before you arrive in Canada, it’s recommended that you get a copy of your driving history from your home country’s licensing authority and/or insurance provider. Having the appropriate documentation (including the actual licence itself) ready when you arrive will help when you’re applying for a driving license in Canada. Documentation should be in English or French.

You may drive on your non-Alberta license during your first 90 days in the province. After this, you’ll need an Alberta driving license. License types include:

• Class 7: Learner’s license for cars and mopeds.
• Class 6: Permits operation of a motorcycle or moped by yourself, and also serves as a learner permit for all class 5 motor vehicles.
• Class 5: Full driver license for two-axle vehicles (e.g. cars) and mopeds.
• Class 5-GDL: This is the ‘Graduated Driver’s License’ for those who have passed a road test but have less than two years of driving experience. It carries stricter penalties and restrictions, including the requirement of maintaining a 0% blood alcohol level.

Those with licenses from the following countries will be able to exchange their existing license for an Alberta driving license without sitting a knowledge or road test.

• Australia (Class 5 and 6)
• Austria (Class 5)
• Belgium (Class 5)
• France (Class 5)
• Germany (Class 5)
• Isle of Man (Class 5 and 6)
• Japan (Class 5)
• Netherlands (Class 5)
• Republic of Korea (Class 5)
• Switzerland (Class 5 and 6)
• Taiwan (Class 5)
• United Kingdom (Northern Ireland – Class 5, and 6)
• United Kingdom (England, Scotland & Wales – Class 5)
• United States (Class 5, 6, and 7)

You must surrender your existing license in order to receive an Alberta driving license in Canada. In order to receive a full Class 5 license, and not a Class 5-GDL license, you must provide proof that you have more than two years of driving experience.

If your license is not from one of the countries listed above, you must pass a knowledge test to receive a Class 7 license, and then sit a road test to get a Class 5 license. If you do not have two years of driving experience, you will receive a Class 5-GDL license, and then sit a road test once two years of experience has been accumulated in order to receive a full Class 5 license. 

New arrivals may drive on their foreign license for up to 90 days after arrival. After this point, only a driving license in Canada issued by British Columbia may be used.

You can exchange your foreign license for a B.C. driving license right away if your license is from one of the countries which the province has an agreement with. These countries are:

• Austria, Australia, France, Germany, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea (not motorcycles), Switzerland, Taiwan (for passenger vehicles only, not motorcycles), United Kingdom, USA.

Holders of licenses from these countries will need to bring identification (including permanent resident card, or work/study permit). They will need to surrender their existing license, and answer some basic questions about road safety in order to get a B.C. driving license.

Those with more than two years of driving experience will get a full, ‘Class 5’ license right away. Those with less than two years of experience will receive a ‘Class 7’ novice license, and may then apply for a full ‘Class 5’ license when they have accumulated two years of experience. Foreign experience will be credited towards the two-year total.

If your country is not listed above, then you will need to sit a full knowledge and road test in order to receive your driving license in Canada. The first step is to sit the knowledge test at any ICBC office, and answer at least 40 of the 50 questions correctly.  Then, you will need to sit your road test(s). If you already have more than two years of driving experience, you can apply for a full ‘Class 5’ licence. If not, then you’ll need to apply for a ‘Class 7’ novice licence. Read the official guidelines on getting a B.C. driving license here.

Holders of driver licenses from the countries below may exchange their foreign license for a Manitoba driving license without sitting a written or road test:

• Australia (Classes 5 and 6 only)
• Austria (Class 5)
• France (Class 5)
• Germany (Class 5)
• Ireland (Classes 5 and 6)
• Isle of Man (Classes 5 and 6)
• Northern Ireland (Classes 5 and 6)
• South Korea (Class 5)
• Switzerland (Class 5 and 6)
• Taiwan (Class 5)
• United Kingdom (Classes 5 and 6)
• USA (Classes 5 and 6)

Holders of driver licenses from other countries will be required to sit a written and/or road test.Read the official guidelines on obtaining a Manitoba driving license.

Read the official guidelines on getting a New Brunswick driving license.

Read the official guidelines on getting a Newfoundland driving license.

Read the official guidelines on getting a Nova Scotia driving license.