TECO is useless. They never answer the phone and send one-line email replies. So, I am wondering if I can wait until I am in Taiwan and get my license notarized there (or whatever the process is) to get my Taiwanese DL, or do I have to go to TECO here? I have one from a US state with reciprocity.
Also, I have a motorcycle license, does anyone know if that reciprocity transfers as well? I emailed AIT and still waiting to hear back.
THANK YOU!
You know that they send the licence back to its original jurisdiction to be cancelled right?
Not an issue, but thank you for the heads up.
Not always, depends on reciprocity agreement.
have no clue for the US, but to convert a foreign licence into TW one the foreign licence has to be authenticated by either the competent TECO for that jurisdiction or the diplomatic post of that jurisdiction in TW.
So most likely you can authenticate your US licence at the AIT, but again dunno how it works for the US if a federal authority (like AIT) can authenticate a state issued document.
99% they won’t give you the big bike licence (yellow and red plate, i.e. above 300cc), maybe they will give u the regular bike one (white plates above 50cc). To have a direct issuance of big bike licence you need to have like a certification from the issuing authority of the foreign licence that you had a certain number of hours of training on the eligible type of bike (no one does this). So you can get a big bike licence by taking a (seemingly easy) exam after 1 year you hold the TW regular bike licence.
CA driver’s license:
California is one of the states that has an agreement with Taiwan for reciprocity.
I had to notarize my license first with AIT in Kaohsiung (US$50) and then take the document to the MVO to get my Taiwan license. I did not need to take a written test or the behind the wheel test. It’s been a while but I think there was the MVO processing fee as well. And I think I had to bring a small photo for the Taiwan license. Even though I can drive stick, they only gave me the standard license.
As for the motorcycle license, I did not have one in the US so I had to take the regular steps of written test and practical test to get my white plate license. I would need to take a special class and take the heavy bike test for yellow or red if I decide to later on.
EDIT: I was able to keep my valid CA driver’s license.
Not really adding to what is already here, but more confirming it with my experience.
Take license to AIT, fill out affidavit and pay $50, take sealed and signed affidavit + license + ARC to your local drivers license place, once you find the right person they do everything for you, pay whatever the fee is, then license is issued.
Honestly, minus the AIT part, it was one of the least painful Taiwan paperwork experiences I’ve had. Better than getting my scooter license. I also got to keep my American license.
Edit: AIT will just direct you to this link: Driving in Taiwan - American Institute in Taiwan. I’d imagine they’ll issue you a “heavy” motorcycle license if you ask for that too in addition to your car license.
standard licence is stick and automatic, the only automatic one is restricted and you have an annotation.
Not always. Depends on the jurisdiction.
So Ontarians are getting screwed?
No idea about Ontario 
But I exchanged a Victorian (Australian) car licence in Taiwan and it wasn’t taken from me.
And I later exchanged a Taiwanese motorcycle licence in Victoria and the Taiwanese one wasn’t taken from me.
I had an old friend (Taiwanese) who had exchanged his car licence in Ireland and if I remember right it wasn’t taken from him either.
We’re getting screwed. What a shitty deal we have in Ontario.
HK too has no arrangement to surrender the licence if ocnverted with TW, Italy has instead like Ontario
It’s changed. There’s no more driver’s license reciprocity between California and Taiwan.
What about Arizona? Will they take my license? It has a super long expiration date so I don’t want to lose it
Just search this PDF for “surrender”: https://ws.thb.gov.tw/Download.ashx?u=LzAwMS91cGxvYWQvT2xkRmlsZS9yZXNvdXJjZS91cGxvYWQvRG93bmxvYWQvQjU2NDJFMjQtMzQxMC00RkY3LTk2NTctMUVCNjJFRDNDQjY3LnBkZg%3D%3D&n=Tm9ydGggQW1lcmljYS5wZGY%3D&icon=..pdf
For Arizona, it seems you can keep your license.
Thank you!!!
Nm I get it now
Yes. You can do it at an AIT. You’ll just need to make an appointment online first at state.gov, and then show up with your US license (and a photocopy of the front and back), a US passport (or local ID), and $50 USD.
I can’t help you with your question about the motorcycle license, though.
Same, took me about 3-4 exchanges to get the answer I want 
If you are in a reciprocal state, get a DMV abstract (or driving record), then translate both your license and your abstract. The best bet is to send them both along with an authentication form without the translation, and it’s only $15 per document, $30 total, with an SASE. To have them certify both of the documents and their translations are $60, but I was informed in writing that if you have a certified translation later, you don’t need to have it re-authenticated later, so that saves you a bit of money 
you can certify your own translations in front of a notary if you are fluent enough, otherwise you’ll need to find an interpreter that’s willing to notarize. US notaries are about $5-10, some places are free (I know AAA offices in most states are free for sure; heard something about banks but never tried it), and they are walk-in.
Taiwan is expensive; $50 USD at AIT, and my mom paid $1,000 TWD ($31.34 USD) for a sworn declaration, needs an appointment, needs documentation for certain things (e.g. I can just simply say that my father passed away in the US in your sworn statement, but in Taiwan they wanted his death certificate), and they have a bigger failure to communicate than even TECO (if you’re in the New Taipei area, avoid Wu Xiuqing in Yonghe District; she effectively said “this looks too complicated, so go find someone else if you want it done”… Mengleng Zhan in Banqiao near the train station was more willing to help).
The rest? I haven’t gotten that far yet and I even had a question of my own (coming soon) 
.