I think it was too new and they didn’t know what to do. It was probably one of the first Taiwan licenses for them 
doesn’t help that it looks very 3rd worldly
Anyone been lucky with exchanging their UK licence for a Taiwanese one yet?
Update!
The UK government has just posted the procedure for how to exchange a UK driving licence for a Taiwanese one.
Applications will be accepted starting from 1st Jan 2022.
Sadly it is an exchange, so you have to hand over your UK licence and it’s sent back to the DVLA in the UK, but you can switch back at a later date, if you need to.
You can drive in the UK on your Taiwanese licence if you go back to visit.
The information given is quite detailed, and also covers the other options available (getting an International Permit or taking a local test).
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Does the UK > Taiwan driving licence exchange also cover motorcycle entitlements if you have passed the tests in the UK?
How long does it take in Taiwan to exchange your U.K. licence for a Taiwanese one? Do you need to do a health check for it?
Interestingly, so did Taiwan when controlled by Japan. At some point a bit later they just changed it to today’s system.
Luckily, I guess not many Taiwanese who go to UK will try to drive. If they do they are in for a rude awakening when applying Taiwanese traffic norms like never stopping at pedestrian crossings and cutting in traffic. Road rage incoming.
Taiwanese drivers almost always drive automatics, as far as I know, whereas in the UK it’s much more common to drive manual cars (or stick, as our absolutely non-neanderthalic American friends would say). So if you learn to drive an automatic here, do they still change it for a straight-up full license in the UK?
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They do a health test where they shoot you down a tiny narrow road at 100km an hour and, at various intervals, half a dozen grandmas reverse their scooters (each loaded with two kids and a dog) out in front of you at the last minute. If your heart doesn’t stop once, you’re good to go!
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You would only be able to drive auto in the Uk if that is all you are licensed to drive here I guess. All the blue vans, mini buses, trucks etc are manuals so quite a few are licensed to drive them. The average car is an auto like you say.
Interesting, I didn’t know all those were manuals!
To answer my own question, you can exchange a UK licence for a Taiwanese one by popping into any Driving Licence Office in Taipei (and other cities I assume). You just need:
- Your passport
- Your A(P)RC (unsure if there are validity requirements for an ARC)
- Your British driving licence
- Three 1" passport-style photos
- A 'share your driving licence’ code generated by gov.uk to give the TW gov access to your full driving licence record (this avoids the need to get your driving licence notarised, I believe).
You DO need to undergo a health check. This takes 5 minutes and costs NT$300. I recommend going to this driving licence office
because you can walk over to Pojen Hospital for the health check. It’s a 2 minute walk away. At the hospital, they check your eyesight, height, weight, grip strength, hearing, and ask if you have any ongoing medical conditions. I suppose you can do this before you go to apply for your licence, but they told me I can just bring the results when I go back to pick up my TW licence.
After I applied for the driving licence, they said they’ll call when it’s ready for pick up. They said expect to wait 1–2 weeks. When I go back, they said to bring the health check and also provide them again with my passport, A(P)RC, 1" photos, and UK driving licence. I believe it’s $200. (I read that online but forgot to double check.)
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No, the UK will only give you a manual driving licence if you have passed a test in a manual car. But if you pass the test in a manual car, you can drive both automatics and manuals.
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That’s the same in Taiwan you have an automatic or manual driving licence, I did the manual one when I took my test here so I wouldn’t be limited to automatic cars.
My wife did her UK test in a manual car also to give more options, exchange wasn’t available back then.
Would be interesting to know if anyone had the motorcycle entitlement form the UK exchanged for a heavy motorcycle licence here?
Or is it easier just to do the week long course. The one near me was 1 hour a day for a week and less than 10K
Drove an automatic for the first time in Taiwan. So easy, like driving a go-kart.
And yet it’s not. If you drive in the mountains with a heavier automatic vehicle it’s not obvious. And if your battery gets empty you can not just push it to start.
I’d love to know this too.
When I arrived here, I was able to get a Car License issued by showing my Thai License (which I got by showing my UK License) - In Thailand I had both Full Car and Full Big Bike Licenses
However, I was only able to get a Car License and a Scooter License, they would not issues Big Bike License - I did not (yet) try directly with my UK License…
IF anyone has had success getting a Big Bike License simply by producing there "home Country’ Or Other Licenses, would be very interested to know
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The UK car license also covers 50cc scooters, does that mean if I exchange my car license I will be able to ride a scooter in Taiwan?
Picked up my Taiwanese licence. Seems to expire when I’m 65 years old. Also picked up a 3-year IDP for when I visit home.
No mention of being able to drive a 50 CC scooter on my licence and I didn’t ask.
Can check you have the right sort of licence. The letters on the front of the licence are A for manual and automatic, and B for automatic only.