ROC Drivers license

I have been riding my motorcycle without a license and now I really need one cuz there are so many cops. The thing is that I had a international riding license and tried to plastify it. I got all the plastic in the picture and its all wrinckled since the plastifier got stuck in a paper jam (sh**) Is there a way to get a new license? I cant read chinese and its hard for me to take a test.

The test is actually pretty easy. Here’s Here’s the website for Taipei - it has an English version with practice tests. They’ve translated a limited number of questions which come up randomly every time you do the p[ractice test. All the questions I got in my real test were from these practice tests so I got 100%. After that as long as you can do a u-turn without driving outside the lines and can stop at a red light, you can get a liscence easy. My advice - just drive slow and watch where you put your feet (you can’t put your feet out of the lines either). The address: http://www.tcmvd.gov.tw/en_default1.htm

Bri

I am wanting to change my International drivers license to a Taiwan one. I have read that if your international license is from Australia, you need to to a written test plus a driving test. The driving test wouldn’t be a problem, but the written test … does it come in English, and where can I obtain the manual?

Test is in English. Some info from http://www.tcmvd.gov.tw/en_default1.htm

Yes it’s in English but the info on the government site is not nearly enough to pass the written test on the computer. Who should enlist the help of a private driving school - I did and I aced the test.

there are practice tests available on the website. one for the automobile licence and one for motorcycles. the actual test questions at the DMV are the same questions! if you take it online a few times you’ll pass no problem.

The test questions at the DMV are not the same as the online test - I took the test 2 weeks ago and it is not even close to being the same. You need to understand the laws about penalties and fines and many other restrictions. I practiced at a driving school using their computer and a DMV CD rom, that was the smartest thing that I ever did.
The online test is very easy, but the real thing is not the same and the quality of the English on the DMV Computer is terrible, at least if you are taking the test in Taichung.

I tested in Taipei within the last month -for the motorcycle license-, and the questions were exactly the same, with about 10% or so new ones I hadn’t seen.
Fortunately, the questions are so laughably simple on this test that you can guess with about 80% accuracy… (haven’t taken the automobile test, so I’m not sure).

I have to agree with bassman, the questions on the website (of the Taipeh DMV, I haven’t seen any others so far) may be the same as used in the tests in Taipeh, but they differ for sure from what other places use. Chiayi seems to have a similar set of questions as Taichung - which both seem to be “a tiny bit” more extensive than the set used in Taipeh.
Btw, beside a bad sound quality and sometimes slightly strange English, there are clear mistakes in the test: During the “training period” on the computer before the real test, I noticed a question (#17?) where the chinese text said “right turns not allowed” while the english voice said that one must not turn left - great…

I took the same in Taichung. I had practiced at the driving center using the CD-ROM which has 500 questions on it. The test uses 40 from these 500 I was told. I agree that some of the questions are just plain screwy with a lot of emphasis on the exact punishments meted out to errant drivers. I got 34/40. Passed - only just!
Incidentally, the driving test was a total fix (thankfully!) with marks inside the cars so you can know exactly when to turn on some of the trickier parts of the course. At my driving school you could pay extra and take the test there instead of at the main center up in DongHai (north Taichung).

I have heard that everyone has to take the driving test nowadays even if you have an international driving license. Is that true?

One more thing. The rule book I was given was all in Chinese. It was one HELL of a read. :cry:

No. Although, one might think it is… Look at the Taipeh DMV’s website, they have tables with a number of countries listing whether people from there may change their international license to a local one and even whether the international license from that country is accepted for driving in Taiwan!
I find the european section very funny, because Taiwan still has not noticed that some of the european countries formed some kind of community a while ago. (But they are still calling the Humboldt University in Berlin the “Berlin University” - more than 50 years after the name change, so please be patient…)
Afaik, an EU citizen may freely choose his/her place of living within the EU countries. So perhaps a German (only driving with int. lic. permitted) could move to France (driving w/ int. lic. and changing of local french into local taiwanese license permitted), apply for (perhaps renew) a locally issued driving license and passport there, come to Taiwan with those two documents and get a local license…
Though, if you read what is necessary in the process to switch the license, it seems easier to just take the exam…

Is it possible to pass the writting test even if one didn’t read the manual (but at least took the online sample test) or the driving test without taking a class? I have a foreign “local license” and I am thinking about taking the tests without going through any classes (no time, have to work). BTW, will be taking the English automobile test in Taipei.

The driving test is a joke! Its unrealistic, but I do admit…it sure tests your skills! And the government allows this (marking in the car)?! Why do people have to spend so much money just to take classes for a license? I know in some countries, you can BUY the license with this price (…with a fake name and as much copies as you want too!he!he!). Somehow, I can’t help but feel that the government is cheating the people…by giving impossible tests that can only be passed by taking a class…

At least have the classes teach handbrake turns or something…hey, never know…might come in handy!

My six year licence has expired. When I go back, and assuming I will have an ARC, is it just a matter of getting a new one, or do I have to go through the whole rigmarole again ?

Roamer - I would put money on you failing the written test without first checking out the “Highway Code” (whatever it’s called). How are going to know all those facts and figures like the punishment for knocking over a traffic policeman? The choices to these kinds of questions are often quite similar.

Many of the seemingly easy questions are actually tricky unless u have studied the manual or have done practice tests using the CD-ROM at the driving school. Remember, you can only get six questions wrong out of 40. I’ve not seen the on-line practice questions but I bet it’s nowhere near enough to be able to pass the test. BTW, I took the test in Taichung so it maybe slightly different down here.

You’d better do at least a bit of practice on the course before you do the test. It would be oh-so-easy to botch the reverse ‘S’ thing especially when there are about fifty people gawking at you from the side.

My advice is to take the necessary time off, pay a driving school to do the test on their course (marks in the car etc), practice with the CD-ROM and get it over with. You’ll end up spending more time and effort if u go it alone IMHO.
Good luck whichever road u decide to take. :slight_smile:

dang…I live in Chung Li. The driving schools here don’t offer anything on CDROM. I asked and they said they only have audio tapes for people who are illiterate (mandarin only of course)=P. Actually, I am driving already! I just hope I am one of those lucky people who has been driving for 10 years and never gets caught by police…

I guess Taipei’s driving schools offer such CD ROMS or some sort of material? Otherwise how do foreigners past the writing tests at all?

No problem, pay your money and take your new license. Even if the old one is expired, it’s ok as long as you have a valid ARC… and cash. 8)

boy, i.ve never had it so hard. when i arrived here in 96 from Saudia Arabia i had already heard all about the problems. your state gives taiwaneese a hard time they give you one. one of my guys from Texas failed the driven test 3 times. me i just turned in my Saudia Arabian driving permit, no test of any kind. here your 6 year Taiwan license sir. :laughing:

But how did your Texas friend pass the writing test?

Roamer - I drove for quite a while without a license but I was nuts to do that!
There’s another thread around here about an unfortunate young woman who hit a scooter as she was pulling out of a parking space. It seems from her account that the guy was totally at fault but she was in all kinds of trouble cuz she didn’t have a license.
I striongly recommend u find a way to get the license. Couldn’t one of the driving schools get hold of the CDROM for u? BTW, I practiced the test with the CDROM at the school. I couldn’t take it home (I asked!) and in fact I was only allowed to do two tests at a time.

Also, even with the CDROM, u still need to go thru the rule book. Well, I did anyway! It would be a pity if u had to go thru the hassle of a resit just because u hadn’t bothered to read (or have someone help u read) the “Highway Code” thingamebob.