Driving

When I moved to Canada, I didn’t have any idea about the driver’s license process and I found out it was quite different from my home country, Brazil, even though the Brazilian driver’s license process has changed from the time I had my first license to today.

In Brazil, you can start the driver’s license process at the age of 18 years old. After you turn 18, you must take a physical, mental and medical exam. The next step is to complete 45 hours of theoretical driving classes and legislation and take a test to be approved. After this approval, you have a maximum of one year to take practical driving courses, with minimum 20-hour classes, at a licensed driving school, and pass it to be licensed. If you are approved, you get a one-year temporary driver’s license. The temporary license gives you the right to drive anywhere and anytime, but you must keep zero alcohol in your blood and follow all rules during this period. You can apply online to get a full license after this one year if you don’t have any infractions during this period, and you don’t need any other test or class to get a full license.

The process in Canada starts earlier, but takes longer than in Brazil. By the age of 16 you can take a driver’s license test and eye exam, and if you pass both exams, you get a G1 driver’s license. The G1 already gives you the right to drive with some restrictions. You must have an at least 4 years’ fully licensed person in the front seat wearing a seatbelt and maintain zero alcohol blood level. The passenger can have a maximum 0.05 blood alcohol level if older than 21. Also, you can’t drive on highways or between 12 am and 5 am. If you decide to take driving classes at a certified school, you can take a G2 road test within 8 months; otherwise, you can only take the G2 test 1 year after getting the G1. The G2 gives you the right to drive on all roads any time of the day by yourself or carrying a maximum of 3 passengers. You still will have to maintain zero alcohol blood level, and if you are younger than 19 years old, you can’t drive between 12 am and 5 am for a period of 6 months. One year after getting the G2 you can take another road test, but this time including driving on highways to get a full G license. The process between the G1 and the full G must be completed in a maximum of 5 years.

Comparing both processes, the Brazilian one has more bureaucracy and a shorter period to be completed. One person can be fully licensed in about one year from getting the first driver’s license and the Canadian process takes longer, at least two years after getting the G1 to full G, but you can say that it is possible to be fully licensed in Canada younger than in Brazil, because the Brazilian process allows you to be fully licensed only after 19 years old and the Canadian process allows you to be fully licensed by the age of 18.

A foreign-trained driver immigrant in Canada can drive with a valid international driver’s license for 3 months. But to get a full G driver’s license can take a much shorter period. If you have one year of driving experience outside Canada, you can declare it in the application form and apply for a G2 road test after passing the G1 knowledge test and following the same rules above to get a full G. If you have 24 months or more of international driving experience, you can take the G1 test and right after passing it, you can apply for a full G test. If you pass, you are fully licensed. That was my case. I got my full G driver’s license in about 30 days from when I started the process and I found it very easy to complete.