Does anyone have experience of exchanging a driving licence for a Taiwanese one when the licence is not from your home country?
My home country doesn’t have reciprocal status with Taiwan, so I exchanged my home driving license with a country that does in the hope that I can now do a straight swap for a Taiwanese driving license. I know that I still have to get the new license authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before attempting the exchange, but I’m hoping it will be straightforward.
When I exchanged a drivers license in Germany the original was withheld. I am not sure they do this in Taiwan too. So ask them if you can keep your original license.
Why you would go through all this trouble? Doing a license from scratch is pretty easy in Taiwan if you already have a license.
Theory is multiple choice questions in English. Driving test is a car handling test in a closed off area (this might have changed recently).
So far it hasn’t been any trouble. It was just a case of sending some documents via post. I’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case with the next part!
I took my South African drivers licence to the South African liaison office in Taipei, had the copy certified by them and then took my original + cert copy to the Shilin traffic department.
Did a “medical” you pay 150nt, squat down, do a simple eye and hearing test.
Went upstairs, paid another 150nt and then got my Taiwanese drivers licence and kept my South African licence too. It was so simple and easy.
Take your ARC and PASSPORT in just in case. I can’t remember what they wanted.
I know in some countries you have to have taken the test in the place you hold the drivers license your exchanging. For example Chinese people used to get a HK licence then exchange for a U.K. one. Now you need to show proof you sat the test in HK before you can exchange. Also in other countries I think you need to have held the licence you are exchanging for a predisposed amount of time. Check the legislation on exchanging a previously exchanged licence it my be different.
This is the information I’m trying to find out. I know that some countries have this law (UK and Hong Kong), but I’m not sure if Taiwan has the same law.
I’ve read the requirements on the Ministry of Transport website, and while it mentions driving licenses from an applicant’s home country, I can’t find anything about exchanging a license from non home country or having to physically pass the test in that country.
I’m sure I’ll find out when I apply but just wanted to find out if anyone else had gone through this.
Last year I was looking into doing it the way you are now, as I have had friends take the HK test so they could get the U.K. licence. but I couldn’t get a straight answer, the wife spend about a week phoning various government departments. We was told it’s fine if you sit your test in HK can change to TW licence. When asked about an exchanged licence no one would commit to anything or point to anything legislation one way or another.
In the end I just sat the test 10000nt including 4 weeks worth of lessons 1hour a day just fitted in on my way home from work. It was easier and cheaper than getting all my documents legalised and going through the process your going through now.
Did my motorcycle test two weeks later, I think that was about 200nt because I did the car first I didn’t need to do the computer test again.
Just have to wait a bit so I can get my heavy bike licence, there don’t seam to be any other way around it, even though I have had my car and bike licence for over 20 years (no heavy motorcycles in my country we just call them motorbikes).
I would love to have a motorbike license. But I already don’t feel safe driving in Taiwan surrounded by a metal cage. I won’t let them kill me on a motorbike. I have kids.
When I did my bike licence (to long ago for me to remember) I was told to ride like everyone on the road is an idiot and trying to kill you, that way your not surprised when they do. I have been riding like that for the last 20+ years but Taiwan still manages to throw in the odd surprise to keep you on your toes.
