Help: Getting Driver License in Taiwan. Has USA Drivers License

[fifieldt]

Made a quick map of the US states where drivers licenses can be converted. Thought I’d leave it here for future use:

[BessonGuy]

Which color means convertible?

[11173]

Green

[GoRavens]

@anon50641892

Not DMV, but general physical. Its mandatory for most cases. Example: if you want to play any sports in the US you must go through a medical physical and it requires doctor to check various parts of your body. They’ll grab your balls and ask you to cough.

This sounds like an episode of Friends, when Joey realizes his tailor is the only one who feels his balls.

I’ve never had to do that to play sports in the US, are you in the NBA?

[anon50641892]

Finally someone that can relate. Yes, that Joey episode was so funny, but this was a lot worst b/c I was actually naked when a nurse passed by. The doctor didn’t close the door. I was very young at the time so I guess it wasn’t that big a deal.

It was for middle school baseball team. Back then, you need a physical to play sports in any level.

[Mataiou]

correct, when I got TW licence by converting my HK one. Since HK-TW do not have any such agreement, I kept my HK licence. If I exchanged my Italian one instead, they would have kept it and sent back to Italy.

Funny that I got my HK licence by converting my Italian one and kept it alltogether. So now I have 3 licences, all different. The best is HK, I can drive all cars and motorbikes without any restrictions, in Italy cars and bikes up to a certain KWh limit (35 I recall), TW cars and “bikes” up to 250cc…

[GoRavens]

That’s interesting, I played high school sports back in the 80s, don’t remember that. Perhaps I blacked it out of my memory. I think the private school required a physical overall, which would have covered it.

[comfy123]

Can Americans drive on the roads in Taiwan? American’s can’t even handle a roundabout that doesn’t have traffic lights! Let alone deal with a road rage incident without their trusty gun!

Heck. All of my American friends who had to do the test go on and on about failing the “S curve…”

When I did the test (I was under 25 which is the age to transfer Australian drivers licenses but no need to go to driving school in Taiwan,) the S curve was simple… It was simply reversing backwards!

[anon50641892]

@GoRavens

I think the private school required a physical overall, which would have covered it.

Yes! Public school didn’t require physical to enroll. Only required when you play sports.

[anon50641892]

@comfy123

Can Americans drive on the roads in Taiwan? American’s can’t even handle a roundabout that doesn’t have traffic lights! Let alone deal with a road rage incident without their trusty gun!

The stereotype is that Asian females can’t drive. TW drives the same way Americans drive (on same side). Road rage happens all the time b/c of traffic and everybody thinks where they are going is much more important compared to the next person. It just people being people and also depends on person to person.

[GoRavens]

@comfy123

Can Americans drive on the roads in Taiwan? American’s can’t even handle a roundabout that doesn’t have traffic lights! Let alone deal with a road rage incident without their trusty gun!

Heck. All of my American friends who had to do the test go on and on about failing the “S curve…”

The first Taiwanese guy who cuts me off here, I’m doing this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCars/comments/x599ua/drug_money_robbery_road_rage_whatever_it_was_it/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

[comfy123]

If you look at the statistics table you will find that America is far worse that other developed countries and actually on par with Taiwan… (actually a little worse)

List of countries by traffic-related death rate

[comfy123]

[Malasang88]

@comfy123

Can Americans drive on the roads in Taiwan? American’s can’t even handle a roundabout

When’s the last time you were in the US? 1972? Roundabouts are everywhere.

[GoRavens]

It probably varies. In Massachusetts there are very few, the only ones I can think of are at Whole Foods or Wegmans. NH has some big ones. We should have more. Regular intersections can get quite dangerous cause there’s always someone running red lights and cameras are very rare.

The Italians take the cake, I saw 4 lanes of traffic inside a roundabout during Milan rush hour. It was like synchronized swimming with cars.

[Mataiou]

Yes, it’s hectic at times in Milan. But it somehow flows, since everyone wants to move.

[comfy123]

2018

Generally wherever there would normally be a roundabout in the… (UK, Australia, New Zealand etc…) America would have stop and give way signs or traffic lights….

[marasan]

@anon50641892

Need notorized document from US Consulates to verify authenticity of US license - I know how to get this

@anon50641892

Had my US license notarized at the American Institute in Taiwan. Not sure if you can get it notarized in the States first and bring the notarized document with you. They charge for like $60 for one notarized document here at the AIT. If u want to be safe and don’t want to waste time, I would just do it at AIT.

So I’m going to exchange my US license for a Taiwan one. I need to take the written test.

I was told that the US license needs to be translated and then notarized. Is this true? If not, I just take my US license to the AIT and they notarize it? Do I need to photocopy the front and back?

Edit: Yes, it needs to be done at the AIT. As for the translation, I’m not sure about that. I think maybe not.

[anon50641892]

Call the place that you plan to get the TW license and ask for supervisor. See what they say before you do anything, but if I remember correctly, I didn’t get it translated. All I did was getting it notarized but TW DOT took an hour to verify it. So maybe a translated copy would speed things up for you.

[bingobango]

@marasan

Edit: Yes, it needs to be done at the AIT. As for the translation, I’m not sure about that. I think maybe not.

no translation needed. AIT will notarize it (for the equivalent of like $50 as of 2021), and then you can exchange/do whatever based on your state’s agreement with Taiwan.