Driving with a UK license?

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

I’m driving here with a UK license and every time I get pulled over, I show them the license and on I go without any hassles. But, I’d like to get a Taiwanese license. Where can I get this? It is weird, I drive up to the license office in Taoyuan and they refuse to convert my UK one to a ROC license.
Please…I just want to become “legal”…can I convert this without doing yet another driving test?

2

Where are you living in Taiwan? According to what we know, you apply for a Driver’s Licence at the Department of Motor Vehicles in the City or County where you live. If you can’t speak Chinese, you will need to take a Chinese friend along to help you with the details.

We hear many different stories, however in general it is a good idea to be prepared to take “another driving test.” If you fail, you can take it again one week later.

3

Thanks for the advice. I am living in Hsin Tien so I’ll give it a go and I’ll let you know what I get told for your and others reference.
Thanks again.

4

I use my UK license as well…although the police never hassle me when i show it…I believe if you do not have a Taiwanese license… yoour insurance does not cover you in an accident and you can also be held liable even if the accident is not your fault

5

Six years ago the only guy I knew in Taipei with a full UK motorbike licence was fine a large quantity of money for not having a Taiwanese motorbike licence. How we laughed. I did my motorbike test at the centre on Ba De Loo which consisted of riding around in a circle without falling over. If you had a Northern Ireland car licence (ie with a photograph) you could swap it for a Taiwanese car licence, which in turn meant you didn’t need to do the theory test for a bike. But things may have changed… In those days you didn’t need a licence for a bike under 50cc, a helmet, insurance was unavailable, and drink driving wasn’t illegal. In fact in my pre-licence days on being pulled over by the fuzz once in 93, my blootered Chinese passenger was instructed to take over control of the bike because he had a licence and I didn’t.