Exchanging UK driving licence for Taiwan driving licence
About the licence exchange agreement
The UK and Taiwan have entered into an arrangement that will enable the exchange of driving licences issued by the respective Licensing Authorities. This means holders of a valid UK driving licence who are currently resident in Taiwan will be able to exchange their licence for a Taiwan one, and vice versa for holders of Taiwan driving licences in the UK. The arrangement will come into effect from 1 January 2022, when applications will open.
An exchanged Taiwan driving licence will last for 6 years from the date of issue. In line with the standard requirements of UK legislation your existing UK licence must be returned to the DVLA by Taiwanese authorities to enable the exchange of licences. You will be able to drive in the UK for up to 12 months each time you enter the UK as a visitor, using your exchanged Taiwan licence. If you return to the UK more permanently you may apply to the DVLA to exchange your Taiwan licence back for your UK licence.
The new arrangement provides you with another option whereby you can drive in Taiwan, in addition to the existing options of obtaining an International Driving Permit (IDP) in the UK and getting that endorsed locally, or of taking a local driving test to obtain a Taiwan driving licence. You may wish to compare each option to decide which route is more appropriate to your personal needs and circumstances (please see the Frequently Asked Questions section for further advice).
Full details of the Licence Exchange Arrangement are detailed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that underpins this arrangement.
Eligibility
Foreign nationals in Taiwan with a valid UK driving licence and a permit issued by Taiwanese authorities to stay or reside in Taiwan for more than 6 months, e.g. an ARC. An application can only be submitted after you have entered Taiwan.
How to apply
- Application submission: you, or someone applying on your behalf, should visit a local Motor Vehicles Office in Taiwan to submit the following required documents for the licence exchange. Any person applying on your behalf will need to bring their own ID.
- NT$200 application fee
- passport (original and photocopy)
- valid UK driving licence issued by the DVLA (original and photocopy of both sides)
- if the driving licence has been lost, stolen or damaged, please provide instead a “Certificate of Entitlement” issued by the DVLA within six months prior to the date of application
- permit by Taiwanese authorities to stay or reside in Taiwan for more than 6 months, e.g. Alien Resident Certificate or Alien Permanent Resident Certificate
- 3x one-inch passport-style ID photos in colour with a plain background, showing clear facial features and no headgear, taken within the past two years
- “Check Code” issued by the DVLA via GOV.UK (please generate a check code yourself using our online service, and print out the licence information summary which includes the check code. You will need to enter your driving licence number, National Insurance number and registered postcode. The process will take about 5 minutes to complete.)
- health certificate for driving licence issued by a Taiwan public hospital, after performing a simple physical health check (Note: Motor Vehicle Offices are typically close to hospitals that offer walk-in health checks for this purpose.)
- Taiwan Certificate of Entry and Exit Dates (see guidance on National Immigration Agency)
2. Verification process: the Motor Vehicles Office will send your UK driving licence, supporting documentation and DVLA “check code” to Taiwan’s Directorate General of Highways (DGH), who will liaise with the Taipei Representative Office in the UK (TRO) to verify the validity of the UK driving licence. The verification process typically takes at least 5-7 working days.
3. Collection: once the documentation has been verified, the local Motor Vehicles Office will inform you of the result and issue a Taiwan driving licence for collection. Your UK licence will be returned to the DVLA for you as required by UK legislation.
Note: you can still drive in the UK for up to 12 months whenever you return to the UK as a visitor, using your exchanged Taiwan driving licence. The 12 month period starts each time you enter the UK.
For more information, please contact info@bcctaipei.com or visit HERE