Ontario License in Taiwan

So i have an Ontario License and from what i understand I can swap it for a Taiwan drivers licence under a reciprocity deal. But from what I understand, the ministry of transportation will take away my Ontario license when they give me the Taiwan one. I go to canada two times a year and stay for 6 weeks each time (pre wuhan virus of course). So my quesion is… how can I drive in Ontario legally when i go back? I still have a car in Canada and insurance and I assume the insurance company has my Canadian drivers licence information (to see if i have any violations). Has anyone from Ontario done the swap and can someone give me details about what to do when I go back to Canada? I assumed i could get my license back in Taiwan before I go back to Canada. but that seems to be wrong
Thanks

1 Like

You just go back to the DMV before travelling to Canada and swap the license back. When you return to Taiwan, you swap to the Taiwanese license again.

That’s the only way to use the reciprocal agreement. Otherwise you’d have to get a Taiwanese license separately.

Technically I don’t think this is allowed although I don’t know the specific rule. But Taiwan doesn’t cancel your Canadian license they just store it in a box on file so you can just ask the mto back home to reissue your license when you go back. They may ask you why though.

Another way is get a Taiwanese international license before you leave and use that in Canada.
Although if you didn’t cancel the Ontario license you may get asked by the cops if you get stopped why you have a Canadian license and a Taiwanese international at the same time and could make for a tricky issue.

If you want to be 100% legal ask the mto when you return what to do. They may ask you to surrender your Taiwan license to exchange it. But that sucks for only 6 weeks.

Correct.

You can use your Taiwanese license for 3 months I think but could be 6.
If it’s longer just get an international license… Really cheap and easy. You need one to rent a car though…I learned that.

I did it 3 years ago and called service Canada.

No that’s only if you’re moving back

1 Like

Never happened to me.

Are you from Ontario? Because that’s the rule. Different jurisdictions have different reciprocal agreements

1 Like

Why would Taiwan take away anyone’s license? Doesn’t make sense.

It’s part of the agreement. Taiwan sends the original back to Canada.
They don’t want multiple copies maybe? The Ontario license is filled with anti counterfeit holograms and stuff. Same rule applies in Canada. You need to surrender your licence

So is my Canadian drivers license considered “cancelled “? I mean car insurance companies in Canada need to know my driving history (based on my license ). That’s the part I don’t quite understand

I had been here for a while when I did it. I suggest calling your insurance company and/or service Ontario

Don’t. Just take the test here and have both licences. Driving is mandatory in Ontario and a huge loss.

1 Like

So, if you’re in business and have to travel a lot, good luck!

They said mine was going in a box in their office on file. I asked if I could get it back later and they said no since it is permanently stored.

Maybe they were supposed to send it back.

Service Ontario assured me they’d receive it. I asked service Ontario of I could just say I lost it and get a new one in Ontario. They assured me they would know because Taiwan will ship it

So in the end did mto cancel the license?
I guess the local DMV here made up their own rules. Why am I not surprised :wink:

I have the Taiwanese license and surrendered mine. If you ever want it back, just do the same thing in Ontario. Pretty easy

Lucky I’m not Canadian.

Actually not all the provinces have the same agreement. Some Canadians are not required to do this

I’m lucky I’m not Canadian for sure now.
Belgium has 11 provinces, three communities, three regions, four language areas. Still one country, one system for most things.

We have a Federalist system, but the provinces are still strong. Healthcare, education, labor, traffic, etc are provincial