Foreign-issued International Driving Licenses/Permits

[grandfeller]

Excellent and thorough information on that page, sulavaca. Thanks.

[headhonchoII]

Suvlaca , Irish citizens can get an ROC license by reciprocality now.

[sulavaca]

Suvlaca , Irish citizens can get an ROC license by reciprocality now.

That's good to know. I'll do some revision on that point. Thanks.

[janfetw]

I have Swiss license, European license and an International license. I checked the website here for converting foreign licenses and it was totally confusing. Having got my International license in Germany specifically for my stay in Taiwan, I discovered later it was no longer valid as I no longer had an address in Germany. I applied for it originally so that I could hire cars in Taiwan as I understood that it would have a Chinese translation. However upon receiving it the only translations were into a few European languages and Russian. You call that an International license!

So I visited the main vehicle office here and explained what I had and asked them what was needed to drive legally here. Eventually 5 women got involved, super friendly and helpful as are all Taiwanese but none of them had a clue. In the end after much sign language and pidgin English I came to understand that I could take a short driving test on a closed circuit nearby and there was no need for a written exam!

Has anyone heard of that? Seems very strange as anyone with a license can clearly drive but a written exam to test your knowledge of the Taiwanese road signs would seem most logical.

Anyway I intend to return to that vehicle office next week with all my licenses, a few passport photos and my ID and hope that it will be enough to get something to validate my driving here in future. I will let you know the result in due course...

[Elegua]

What can we do with an old expired Taiwan license? Can I renew? Way back when I actually ended up taking the road test and I'd hate to have to go through that again....Incidentally they gave me my old ARC number back even though I've been on the outside 6 years.

[Belgian Pie]

I have Swiss license, European license and an International license. I checked the website here for converting foreign licenses and it was totally confusing. Having got my International license in Germany specifically for my stay in Taiwan, I discovered later it was no longer valid as I no longer had an address in Germany. I applied for it originally so that I could hire cars in Taiwan as I understood that it would have a Chinese translation. However upon receiving it the only translations were into a few European languages and Russian. You call that an International license!

...

How can you get an international license in Germany without having a German license? It's supposed to go together.
As for now, the 'European' license is not really European yet. So, you can have a German-European license and than the international license is linked to that.

Normally they request a translation in Chinese and it should be notarized by TECO Germany, but as for the IDL the English language translation would do for Taiwan as long as it's valid and stamped here. But, an IDL is not valid in the country of residency! Catch 22?

[cranky laowai]

What can we do with an old expired Taiwan license? Can I renew? Way back when I actually ended up taking the road test and I'd hate to have to go through that again.

A couple of years ago I renewed a scooter license that had expired about a year before that. I doubt there's any difference with car licenses. I don't remember the exact procedure now; but it wasn't a lot of trouble. (Certainly less hassle than going through the testing procedure!)

[Elegua]

What can we do with an old expired Taiwan license? Can I renew? Way back when I actually ended up taking the road test and I'd hate to have to go through that again.

A couple of years ago I renewed a scooter license that had expired about a year before that. I doubt there's any difference with car licenses. I don't remember the exact procedure now; but it wasn't a lot of trouble. (Certainly less hassle than going through the testing procedure!)

Thanks!

[tokki1]

Wow...must be a different Taiwan I'm living in.

A friend of a friend told me that he has no license and has even gone through litigation numerous times and the issue of having a license has never come up.

Who knew? Bah...he's a maniac anyway~

[ceevee369]

Going back ten pages and still can't find the answer on the confusing conditions from TMVSO to get my Belgian issues license / permit changed to a TW local one.
Transferring into Taiwan's driver license

T

ransferring into Taiwan's driver license

Requirements:

A.R.C card. (over one year residence period)
Three 1-inch photos.
A registration form with the qualified physical examination.
A valid passport and original driver's license.
Your foreign driving license must be authenticated overseas by an embassy or consulate of the Taiwan, or Representative Office, Liaison Office or other office duly authorized by the Taiwan Ministry Of Foreign Affairs or be authenticated in Taiwan by your country's embassy, consulate or other office which is duly authorized by Taiwan Ministry Of Foreign Affairs.
Fee:NT$200
TOP
The permit of International driver's license

Requirements:

Valid international driving license.
Passport or A.R.C card.
One identical bust taken within the past six months one inch glossy printing paper black and white or color photos, no composite photos, full face front view with a plain white background and no wearing hat or headgear except for religious reasons, without dark glasses or glasses with tinted lenses unless it is for medical reasons.
NOTES:
A foreigners holding a valid international driving license issued by our
reciprocating countries can drive in Taiwan for thirty days without applying for a
international driving permit.
The maximum period of validity for a driving permit of international driving license is one year.
The expiry date of the driving permit depends on the expiry date of the original
international driving license and A.R.C ,whichever expires first.

On 1, the culprit is they changed the condition of an ARC which is 1 year old. Aside that, the Belgian Trade office takes a bleeding nose approach that thet are no longer authorized to (let) authenticate my original driving license. (however, I have an International one but that does not count they say...)

On 2, the Belgian International 1 has a 3 years validity period, but the "whichever expires first" in the above is contradictory and the confusion about license / permit does not makes it easier.
Calling them? Yep. done - no one speaks a word English...

Anyone got an advice - aside keeping driving around with my original Belgian , Filipino and International one - as not to apply for the local one?