Out of Province/Country Licence

If you are coming into Alberta from another province or country and have a licence you can obtain an Alberta Drivers licence.

Depending on if you are from a reciprocal or non-reciprocal jurisdiction, you will have to go through a different process to obtain an Alberta Licence.

Click here for more information.

1. Reciprocal Licencing Jurisdictions If you possess a licence from any of the jurisdictions below, you will be able to by-pass the Alberta written test and road test, and simply exchange your licence for an Albertan licence. PLEASE NOTE:you will not be getting this licence back (ie: you will need to surrender your previous licence to obtain a new Alberta licence). If the licence is in a language other than English, the licence must be translated by a certified translator. Alberta has reciprocal licencing agreements with:

  • All Canadian Provinces
  • United States of America
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Germany (Deutschland)
  • Isle of Man
  • Japan
  • Netherlands
  • Northern Ireland
  • Republic of Korea
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan (Republic of China)
  • United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain

What will you need?

  • Your licence from your previous jurisdiction. This licence must have an “issue date” or “date first licenced” on it. If it is not on the licence, you will need your previous jurisdiction to fax a confirmation letter stating this information. The date must be more than two years ago or you will need to take part in the GDL programme (link).
  • Proof that you are entitled to be in Canada: We will require your passport and Permanent Residency Card, Citizenship or Work Visa. If you are a Canadian Citizen, we will require your birth certificate or Canadian Passport.
  • Secondary Identification: We will require one more piece of non-photo identification such as: Credit Card, Debit Card, SIN or Marriage Certificate.
  • Proof of Residency: We will require proof that you live in Alberta. This is something that has been mailed to you such as a bill, property tax statement, rental agreement, or bank statement. This must be in your name.

2. Non-Reciprocal Jurisdiction

If you have a licence from a country that is not on the “Reciprocal Jurisdictions” list above, you will need to go through a few more steps.

Step 1: Learners Exam

We know you have drivers experience in the country you have come from, however, you are required to take a written Learners Exam in order to get your drivers licence here in Alberta. See information about the Learners Exam and how to prepare here.

Step 2: Surrender your previous drivers licence

Once you have passed the Learners Exam, you will be asked to surrender your drivers licence from your previous country. PLEASE NOTE: you will not be getting this licence back. When you surrender your licence, you make an application to be exempted from the Graduated Drivers Licene Programme (GDL) so you are exempt from the GDL waiting time. You will have to wait 2-3 weeks for this application to be processed. Once you pass your class seven learners exam, you will receive your Class 7 learners licence (please note, with a class seven you are not able to drive by yourself). Once you have your Class 7 Licence and your out of country licence has been approved you can  book your road test here on line.

*Please remember to bring in all identification required when coming in to receive your Learners Licence.

Step 3: Advanced road test
You are now eligible to take the Advanced Class 5 Road Test

Step 4: Receive your Class 5 Advanced Licence

Once you have passed your Advanced Class 5 road test, you can return to Richmond Road Registry to exchange your Class 5 GDL to a full Class 5. Congratulations!

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How do you get an alberta licence?

this service must be done in store
Once you have declared the steps you need to take in order to  exchange your Out of Province/Country licence you will need to bring in the following:

  • Your Out of Province/Country Licence
  • A translation if your licence is not in English
  • Passport or Birth Certificate
  • Provide proof of Alberta residency and legal presence