Taiwan Driver License: Step by step?

I know there have been various threads that talk about driver licenses. What I’m hoping to get there is a little different.

Assumptions: The person wanting the license has a license from his/her home country (if it matters, U.S.). Taiwan and said country/state have NO reciprocal agreement. So, some testing is needed to get the Taiwanese license, most likely written and driving.

Can anyone tell me please what the steps are, in order, to get a Taiwanese license?

Thanks,

Seeker4

Your assumptions are correct!

Take your license to the DMV; no reciprocal agreement means a written and practical test. Pass the test and pay your fees and you have a TW license. Don’t forget to bring a photo along. Easy as pie!

Good luck!

[quote=“citizen k”]Your assumptions are correct!

Take your license to the DMV; no reciprocal agreement means a written and practical test. Pass the test and pay your fees and you have a TW license. Don’t forget to bring a photo along. Easy as pie!

Good luck![/quote]
Thanks. What about things like:

  • Do I need an appointment or is it walk-in service?

  • Do I need to provide a car to take the test in? (heard conflicting stories here)

  • Is there an drivers manual in English (print or online) to review prior to testing?

[quote=“seeker4”]

  • Do I need an appointment or is it walk-in service?

  • Do I need to provide a car to take the test in? (heard conflicting stories here)

  • Is there an drivers manual in English (print or online) to review prior to testing?[/quote]

This was a long time ago for me, but there was walk-in service. I took my own car, but it did seem that they had cars for use (for a fee, I imagine), and I did see mention of an English manual somewhere on these boards quite a while back, though the test is pretty much common sense despite a few really weird Chinese/English translation issues that take a bit of guessing.

Sorry I can’t be of more help; maybe someone who has done it more recently will post some current information.

Good luck.

there is an english manual, though i’m not positive where you can get it from. i got mine from a friend, who got it from a friend (still here if anyone in taoyuan needs one).

i suppose if you go to the driver’s center, they must have one you can look at. shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. i honestly perused it while waiting for red lights on the way into taipei. like stated above - mostly common sense.

the cars are provided for the driving test. i’ve heard that you can’t use your own (?) - i used theirs even though i drove mone there. you can choose to test standard or auto, but if you choose the latter, you are only allowed to drive auto cars.

it’s all walk in - including all the various other tests you need to do (eye, height etc.) at the main testing center, there are people who will help you if you are lost as per what to do. bring pictures - just like everywhere else, every desk wants a handful. bring your old license from home too.

there is an online written test, but i can’t find the link right now. more trouble is the crazy driving test, which doesn’t test sweet piss all about driving ability … (rant self-deleted). some of us are lucky and pass on the first time, otherwise you’ll have to go back after the shock wears off (you have to do what?) :stuck_out_tongue:

anyways, good luck.

Found this website for you:

thb.gov.tw/english/left-licences.htm

This one’s probably even better:

163.29.36.51/tcmvd/index.jsp

The English test prep. booklet is available on loan from some DMVs, to give away or maybe on sale at others.

Xtrain (or Toasty, or anyone else), can either of the scooter or Car tests be done at Taoyuan? I was led to believe that it is possible. As I work out this way all day I don’t really want to take too much time off to do the test in Taipei if I can help it.

Cheers.

[quote=“truant”]Xtrain (or Toasty, or anyone else), can either of the scooter or Car tests be done at Taoyuan? I was led to believe that it is possible. As I work out this way all day I don’t really want to take too much time off to do the test in Taipei if I can help it.

Cheers.[/quote] Yes, they can.

You can pick up the English manual at the foreigner’s counter at the DMV; study it because some of the questions will be useful. One of the silly question was:
When someone cut you off, you are supposed to:

  1. Get angry 2) Chase after the car 3) Politely let the car pass.

The driving test is pretty difficult, specially the dreaded “S.”

I went to a driving school, paid 600NT and asked the instructor to take me through the test. Most driving schools build their driving range to match the nearest DMV test site.

[quote=“Toasty”][quote=“truant”]Xtrain (or Toasty, or anyone else), can either of the scooter or Car tests be done at Taoyuan? I was led to believe that it is possible. As I work out this way all day I don’t really want to take too much time off to do the test in Taipei if I can help it.

Cheers.[/quote] Yes, they can.[/quote]
OK great. Now where is this den of suffering? Do I have to book?

from what my friends told me when i wanted to do it, you will actually save a lot of time going to taipei. the questions are on computer and in english. i have no idea about this in taoyuan (toasty?)

also, i have heard horror stories about trying to pass the test out here. i know a guy who failed 5 times out here before they passed him. i have yet to hear of a foreigner who didn’t pass on the first/second time in taipei. this is not to say it’s impossible (to fail) :slight_smile:

from the time i left my house till i got back, i spent about 3 hours. well worth it (especially since i passed the first time).

good luck t

[quote=“xtrain_01”]from what my friends told me when I wanted to do it, you will actually save a lot of time going to Taipei. the questions are on computer and in English. I have no idea about this in Taoyuan (toasty?)

also, I have heard horror stories about trying to pass the test out here. I know a guy who failed 5 times out here before they passed him. I have yet to hear of a foreigner who didn’t pass on the first/second time in Taipei. this is not to say it’s impossible (to fail) :slight_smile:

from the time I left my house till I got back, i spent about 3 hours. well worth it (especially since i passed the first time).

good luck t[/quote]

I actually didn’t find the Taipei office any more helpful or useful than the Taoyuan office. The Taoyuan office is a heck of a lot less busy. I went to Taipei and did the written part and then proceeded to do the driving part and failed (##@@&%^ s-curve forward and back). I went to Taoyuan and wondered why I bothered going to Taipei. They are much the same. Going to one is as good as going to the other, IMO.

Now, I’m not sure about the computer test as I actually did it in Taipei, but I’d be willing to bet it’s the same program and it would be available out here as well.

Truant, you may also want to check out whether there are any reciprocal agreements between your country and Taiwan. You may be able to skip doing the tests and simply exchange your license for a local one.

You’ll want an interpreter to help you during the road test as the examiners speak no English, neither in Taipei nor in Taoyuan.

that i’ll believe. the arse i got wouldn’t even speak mandarin to me - used taiwanese. i played along for the most part, and he was good enuf to let me thru, though i did bump the curb in the reverse “s”. so you may want a taiwanese translator.

as for the rest, then you could look at doing everything in taoyuan. maybe things have changed enuf to make it worthwhile. the horror stories are still making the rounds though …

that I’ll believe. the arse I got wouldn’t even speak Mandarin to me - used Taiwanese. i played along for the most part, and he was good enough to let me through, though I did bump the curb in the reverse “s”. so you may want a Taiwanese translator.

as for the rest, then you could look at doing everything in Taoyuan. maybe things have changed enough to make it worthwhile. the horror stories are still making the rounds though …[/quote]

You got off so lucky with the bump the curve thing. That’s what killed me. 10 years accident free in my country, but bump the curb on the reverse s and, well, you suck.

I didn’t have a problem with a guy who insisted on speaking Taiwanese. But, hey, wish I could have ran into the guy you did. Turn off those damn sensors for me too!

[quote=“truant”]Xtrain (or Toasty, or anyone else), can either of the scooter or Car tests be done at Taoyuan? I was led to believe that it is possible. As I work out this way all day I don’t really want to take too much time off to do the test in Taipei if I can help it.

Cheers.[/quote]

Do it in Taipei…I drove up from Yangmei in the morning, got there around ten, and was home with license in hand before one.

The horror stories in Taoyuan are not merely urban legend…But if you are a glutton for punishment PM me and I’ll give your directions to the most disorganized DMV you’ll ever see.

the foreigner who went b4 me … failed. had to do the long walk back to the office. he yelled and swore his head off the whole way. didn’t speak a lick of chinese.

i did, and was polite about the whole process. i think it helped. also, one of the guys there told me (afterwards) that you may brush the curb when doing the reverse “s”, but not in any way that causes you to have to: 1) go up the curb to continue or 2) drive forwards a little, then start reversing again. if you can continue on in reverse without having to do either of these you are fine.

even if it’s not the case, what do i care? :smiley: 14 years of safe driving back home as well, with an intro by young drivers of canada. highly recommend a course like that b4 driving here - learning advance avoidance techniques etc. are invaluable.

Not meaning to stir the pot, but I just did not find the Taoyuan DMV to be any worse than the one in Taipei I visited. I just found the Taoyuan office to be much more convenient, less busy and the staff were actually quite friendly and eager to yak the ear off of a foreigner who can speak some Chinese. Maybe the place has improved recently. Maybe I ran into some kind hearted people; I don’t know. But I found the Taoyuan DMV to be just as useable as the branch in Taipei I went to.

[quote=“xtrain_01”]14 years of safe driving back home as well, with an intro by young drivers of canada. highly recommend a course like that b4 driving here - learning advance avoidance techniques etc. are invaluable.[/quote]I think good driver training in a western country is a great help. Of course sometimes you have to be a little more “assertive” here to keep safe. But the whole traffic awareness thing & the good habits that driver training instills are extremely useful when driving here, to protect oneself & others.