Getting your Ontario driver’s licence as a newcomer
If you’ve just moved to Ontario, how you get a licence depends on one question: does the place that issued your current licence have an exchange agreement with Ontario? If it does, you may be able to swap your licence for a full Ontario G without any road test. If it doesn’t, you go through Ontario’s graduated licensing, and a rule change on July 1, 2026 made that path longer for many experienced drivers.
First: the 60-day rule
Once you become an Ontario resident, you can drive on your valid licence from another province, state or country for 60 days. After that you need an Ontario licence. Once you have one, you must use it, not your old licence. Visitors staying less than three months can keep using their own licence.
Can you exchange your licence?
Ontario has exchange agreements with:
- Every Canadian province and territory, and the Canadian Armed Forces
- Every U.S. state (not U.S. territories)
- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, the Isle of Man, Japan, Kosovo, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Ukraine
The list changes from time to time, so confirm it on DriveTest before you go. A learner’s permit can’t be exchanged from anywhere.
If you can exchange
To get a full G licence on exchange, you need at least two years of driving experience in a full licence class within the last three years. With that, you take a vision test and get a G, without a knowledge or road test. With less experience, your licence is exchanged as a novice class (G1 or G2), and you finish graduated licensing in Ontario, with credit for the experience you have.
DriveTest can often confirm Canadian and U.S. records electronically. For other countries, and sometimes for U.S. states, you’ll need a letter of authentication from your licensing authority showing when you were first licensed.
If you can’t exchange: the July 2026 change
Drivers from countries without an agreement, including India, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, Brazil and Mexico, enter Ontario’s graduated licensing system. Since July 1, 2026:
- You can receive at most 12 months of credit for your foreign driving experience, however long you’ve actually been driving.
- You must take the G1 knowledge test and a vision test.
- With 12 months of credit, you can take the G2 road test right away.
- You must then wait at least 12 months before the G road test, and your foreign experience can’t shorten that wait.
Before July 2026, drivers with long experience could sometimes reach a full G within weeks. Now, even a driver with 20 years of experience from a non-agreement country needs at least a year on a G2. Plan around that, including for work that requires a full licence.
A realistic timeline without an exchange agreement
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Apply at DriveTest; vision and G1 knowledge tests | As soon as possible after arriving |
| G2 road test | Right away with 12 months of credited experience; otherwise after the normal G1 wait |
| G road test | At least 12 months after getting your G2 |
What to bring
- Original identity documents showing your legal name and full date of birth
- Your original, valid driver’s licence
- If you need credit for more experience than your licence shows: an official letter of authentication or driver’s abstract, issued within the last six months by your licensing authority or your country’s consulate, embassy or high commission. It must show the date you were first licensed, your licence class, status and expiry date.
- A translation from an MTO-recognized translator if your licence or letter isn’t in English or French
DriveTest keeps original supporting documents, so make copies before you go. It doesn’t accept documents from insurance companies or third-party verification websites.
Where to go
You can apply at any DriveTest centre on a walk-in basis, or at ServiceOntario at College Park in Toronto. Other ServiceOntario locations can’t issue licences to new residents. Some DriveTest centres take appointments for licence exchanges and for G1 applications with foreign experience, which guarantees service.
Preparing for the G1 knowledge test
Even experienced drivers fail the G1 because Ontario’s rules differ from home: right-of-way at four-way stops, school bus rules, demerit points and the specific restrictions on G1 and G2 drivers. Read the Official MTO Driver’s Handbook, then practise. Our free Ontario G1 practice tests link every answer to the handbook section it comes from, and our guide on how to study for a knowledge test has a study plan.
A note on car insurance
Insurers decide separately how much foreign experience to recognize, and a G2 licence usually costs more to insure than a full G. Ask insurers what documents they accept for foreign driving history, and get several quotes.
Special cases
Protected persons, refugee claimants and people from Ukraine who can’t present their original licence may be able to declare their experience and receive up to 12 months of credit. They still complete all tests, including both road tests and the waiting period between them. Details are on DriveTest’s licence exchange page.
Sources
- DriveTest, Licence exchanges and foreign licence applications
- Government of Ontario, Official MTO Driver’s Handbook
Licensing rules and the list of exchange countries can change. Always confirm your situation with DriveTest before your visit. ChowChow Labs isn’t affiliated with the Ministry of Transportation or DriveTest.