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DRIVERS LICENSE

The following procedures apply to these countries only: (Australia, Canada,  Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, UK, or the USA, ). 

If you are from (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, or the US states of only Oklahoma, Missouri or New Mexico) the procedure for getting a license is much easier, just go to exchanging your license portion of this page.

The Basics

If you decide that public transportation is not for you and you decide to chance the traffic of Taiwan streets then you will need to know more about drivers licenses. Basically the legal driving age is 18, the most important thing you need to have if you decide to drive in Taiwan is an International Driver's License (IDL). This allows you to drive legally for the first 30 days after you arrive in Taiwan without applying for a ROC driving license.  The acceptation the exception of the following countries:

Italy, Vatican, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Amman, Nigeria, Japan, Paraguay, Ecuador, U.S. (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida).  

If you wish to continue driving legally after this 30 day period you must go down to the nearest Motor Vehicles Office and have your license (IDL) endorsed with a sticker. The procedure to extend your IDL is actually quite simple but can be a hassle if you are planning on staying for a long period. If you have heard the rumor that you can drive a 50cc scooter without a license it's not true.  You will still need at least a current IDL to drive a 50cc scooter, car, or truck.

If you want to get an official ROC license you must first have an ARC (Alien Residence Card). The main advantages of having  an R.O.C. license are that you can actually own your vehicle as well as purchase insurance. The procedure to get a R.O.C license is a little more involved but being able to legally own your vehicle and buy insurance is a big advantage. 

If you didn't bring any kind of license with you, you can still get a license but you do require an ARC card. You will then have to start with a learner's permit for 3 months, or go to a driving school to shorten this period to 35 days. The the same procedure to get an R.O.C license applies which includes a written test and a road test. 

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PROCEDURE TO EXTEND AN IDL

As mentioned before this must be done within 30 days of your arrival in Taiwan or your last IDL extension. You must take your International Drivers License, your passport and one recent passport picture to the nearest Motor Vehicles Office. As long as your passport indicates that you have not overstayed they will give you a sticker to put on your IDL. This sticker will allow you to drive a car, truck or 50cc scooter in Taiwan for another 30 days. Keep in mind that if even if you leave and return to Taiwan this 30 day expiry date still applies. It is also a good idea to bring along your local driver's license because they also ask for this sometimes. There is no charge for this service. NOTE: If you want to ride a 100cc or more you must take both a written and road test, there additional costs for this type of license.

PROCEDURE TO GET AN R.O.C LICENSE

In order to get a R.O.C license you must have an A.R.C. if you don't have one you will just have to do with the extending your IDL, if you do have an A.R.C. then read on. Go down to your nearest Motor Vehicles Office ensuring that you take your 1) A.R.C. 2) International Driver's License and or local license 3) passport 4) two photos. (NOTE: If your license is not in English, you have to get it translated into English by a government recognized translation company). They will give you a written test, (don't worry it's in English) and a road test. They will also give what is called a physical, but all it involves is measuring your weight, height, testing your vision, and writing down what color your eyes and hair are, that's it. Not all branches provide this service so you may have to take the proper form and get it completed at a recognized hospital or clinic. NOTE: If you want to ride a 80cc or more you must take an extra test, there  are additional costs for this type of license.

EXCHANGING YOUR LICENSE

The procedure to get a license can be very easy if you have a IDL or a drivers license from your own country and fall into one of the categories below. Simply take your license to your nearest Motor Vehicle Branch and exchange it for a R.O.C. license. You will receive whatever driving privileges you had in your country and you don't even have to take a written test or a road test. 

A. Those who have a valid international driver's license issued in one of the following countries may be issued an ROC driver's license without testing:

Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Burkina Faso, Bahamas, Honduras, Panama, St. Lucia, St. Christopher and Nevis, Belize, Tonga, Nauru, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Gambia, Libya, Swaziland, Malawi, Guinee-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Angola, Liberia, Central African Republic, Haiti, Costa Rico, Solomon Islands, Salvador, Bolivia, United States (Virginia, New Mexico).

B. Those with valid driver’s license issued in the following countries may be issued an ROC driver’s license without testing:

Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Darussaalam, Uruguay, Bahamas, Honduras, Panama, St. Lucia, St. Christopher and Nevis, Belize, Bolivia, Solomon Islands, Granada, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Nauru, Nicaragua, France, Hungary, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Zaire, Niger, Libya, Swaziland, Malawi, Guinee-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritius, Angola, Liberia, Central African Republic, Haiti, Costa Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Denmark, Jordan, Dominican Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Gambia, United States (Missouri).  

One recent change to this policy is that you   If you don't have this letter of verification, you will not be able to exchange your license at the Motor Vehicles Office. 

You must take your 1) International Drivers License or local license 2) passport 3) two recent passport pictures 4) stamped letter of verification, to the nearest Motor Vehicles Office. As long as your passport indicates that you have not overstayed you will be given a physical, but all this involves is measuring your weight, height, testing your vision, and writing down what color your eyes and hair are, that's it. Not all branches provide this service so you may have to take the proper form and get it completed at a recognized hospital or clinic. NOTE: If you want to ride a 80cc or more you must take an extra test, there  are additional costs for this type of license.

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ROAD TEST

Now I've got you worried " A road test in Taiwan" Not to worry, it's not actually a "road test", it's more of a "track-test". The motor vehicle branches have set up a driving courses at their office buildings, so in reality you never have to  go on the streets of Taiwan. Most branches will even rent you a vehicle to take the test in, a scooter costs NT 20 and a car for NT 70. The passing score for the road test is 70%. It takes about a total of two hours to go through the whole procedure (written and road test). The major cities in Taiwan allow the written and road tests to be taken on a walk-in basis throughout the day. your nearest Motor Vehicle Office first. If you really don't want to take a road test you can still obtain a local license for just a 50cc by taking the written test.

WRITTEN TEST

The written tests are in English and are taken on a computer. They are actually quite easy, however understanding some of the recorded English is difficult at times. If you drove back in your own country then you should have no problem passing this test. The passing score for the written test is 85 %. If you fail the test you must wait another 7 days before taking it again, and pay another fee. So you may want to study up on some of the road signs before taking the test. You can prepare yourself beforehand by borrowing a road manual from your nearest Motor Vehicle Office or taking a look at a sample of the written test on line. 

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COSTS

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MOTOR VEHICLE BRANCHES

                                                                                                                   Taichung City Motor Vehicle Branch

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TRAFFIC RULES & FINES

This is one area that actually makes me laugh to myself as I think about it. Are there any traffic rules in Taiwan? This is a question most people wonder about, actually there are, however most people ignore them. Therefore I will touch on a few of my own traffic rules of survival.

1. First rule to remember is that there are no rules. But, keep in mind, the police are really starting to crack down and enforcing the laws and fines in Taiwan.

2. The bigger vehicle has the right of way. Large trucks over buses, buses over blue trucks, etc. The motorcycle is at the bottom of the right-of-way chain.

3. You may have heard that you can drive a 50cc scooter without a license but this is not true.  You do need an up to date IDL.

4. You must wear a motorcycle helmet (without holes..i.e. bicycle and skating helmets), this is one law that the police do enforce. There is a NT 1500 fine for each person who is not wearing one. 

5. Contrary to traffic rules in North America, you can not turn right on a red light whether you stop or not.

6. Pay special attention to the blue trucks and taxis, these guys are on the road all day and tend to think that this is their territory and can do anything they want.

7. Don't get too pissed off and give people the finger freely. "Road rage" here can be very ugly especially if you're a foreigner. This rule especially applies to those black BMW's you see on the road because a lot of the time these are owned by gangsters and they won't hesitate a second to stop and take exception to your objections.

8. If you are driving a motorcycle, you can't make a left hand turn at major intersections.( 2 POINT TURN) You must first go through the green light and wait on the other side of the intersection until the other light turns green. This law is enforced more in Taipei than other cities, however the police have started to enforce it in Taichung as well.

9. If you are new to Taiwan and have decided to ride a motorcycle, I'll give you my view on driving in Taiwan. If you ever have snow skied just think of driving in Taiwan as the same. The people in front of you are the downhill skiers, they have the right of way, no matter what they do. Don't worry to much about the people behind you because they are also worried about the people in front of them. The only difference from snow skiing is if a person merges from one run onto a new run they must yield to the people on the run they are entering. People don't do this in Taiwan when going onto another road, they just go directly onto the new run without looking. So again just think of them as downhill skiers and give then the right away. The main hazards that you have to look out for are the little blue trucks, taxis, and people opening their car doors. This makes sense to me I hope it does for you as well. "Have a good run"

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ACCIDENTS

If you are unfortunate enough to get involved in an accident you should be aware that if the person who hit you has a license he or she has insurance. In Taiwan anyone who has a license  has mandatory third party injury insurance. However things work a little different here in Taiwan, usually fender benders are resolved on the spot with a some kind of roadside cash settlement. So if the other person is at fault, you can collect, and if you are at fault, then you'll have to come up with some money. If neither of you are willing to claim who is at fault you may have to call in the police, see useful numbers for the number to call in your area. If you worried that you don't have a license and therefore being responsible regardless of who was at fault, don't worry, responsibility for the accident is determined by the police based on what happened. However, keep in mind that you will probably get a ticket for driving without a license which is around NT 6000 so you will have to decide whether it is worth it getting the police involved or just settling with the person.

• Another point to remember is if you feel the other person is at fault, and you have all the proper documentation in place, license, insurance , etc.

• DON'T MOVE ANYTHING.

• Wait for the police, this is especially true with taxi drivers. As soon as you move anything their attitude immediately changes, so it is best to wait for the police. If you don't have the proper documentation you may be better off taking a settlement depending on the damage involved.

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Created by English in Taiwan.
Copyright © 1999 [English in Taiwan]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 十月 06, 2006 .