Before you start

Proof of Ontario residency and identity
Your existing driving licence, with a certified translation if not in English or French
A letter of experience from your previous insurer
An Ontario address

Step-by-step

1
Check whether your country exchanges directly
Ontario holds reciprocal agreements with a defined list of countries. If yours is on it, you exchange for a full G licence at a DriveTest centre. If not, you enter the graduated system — but see the next step, because experience shortens it.
OnlineWho: You
2
Bring documented proof of your driving experience even if there is no exchange agreement
Ontario credits verified foreign driving experience toward the graduated system, which can let you skip straight to a G2 road test rather than starting at G1 with a twelve-month wait. The proof must come from the licensing authority or an embassy. This single document can save a year.
In personWho: You
3
Exchange within 60 days of becoming a resident
New residents may drive on a valid foreign licence for a limited period after settling. Beyond that you need an Ontario licence, and DriveTest road test appointments book out well ahead.
In personWho: YouWithin 60 days
4
Get a letter of experience before you leave your old country
Ontario insurers will credit documented claims-free years from abroad, but only against a letter from the previous insurer stating the years and claims record. In the province with Canada's highest premiums, the difference this makes is measured in thousands.
OnlineWho: You
5
Shop the insurance market hard — it is fully private
Ontario auto insurance is expensive and quotes vary widely for identical drivers. Use a broker who quotes multiple insurers. Postcode matters a great deal here, so get a quote before committing to a neighbourhood if you will be driving.
OnlineWho: You
6
Understand what changes if you live in Gatineau
Crossing the river puts you under Quebec's system: a different licensing authority, public no-fault injury insurance, mandatory winter tyres from 1 December, and much cheaper premiums. The commute is short; the administrative move is not.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Existing driving licence, surrendered on exchange
Official proof of driving experience from the issuing authority
Passport and immigration document
Proof of Ontario address
Letter of experience from your previous insurer

Things most newcomers don’t know

Documented foreign driving experience can save you a full year in Ontario's graduated system.

If your country has no exchange agreement you enter the graduated system, and starting at G1 means twelve months before you can even take the G2 road test. But Ontario credits verified experience — a letter from your former licensing authority or embassy stating how long you have held a licence can put you straight into a G2 test. A great many newcomers never obtain that letter and lose a year of restricted driving as a result.

Source: Government of Ontario

Ontario has some of the most expensive auto insurance in Canada, and postcode drives it.

Premiums here vary enormously by where the vehicle is garaged, and the difference between neighbourhoods within the same city can be substantial. If you will be driving, getting an insurance quote for a prospective address before signing a lease is a genuinely worthwhile step — it is one of the few large recurring costs you can influence simply by choosing a different street.

Source: Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario

The river is an insurance and licensing border, not just a provincial one.

Gatineau sits under Quebec's system: public no-fault injury coverage funded through registration fees, private cover for damage only, and premiums that are a fraction of Ontario's. It also means mandatory winter tyres from 1 December and a different licensing authority. People who move across the river for cheaper rent are frequently surprised — usually pleasantly — by what happens to the car costs, and unpleasantly by the tyre requirement.

Source: Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec

Winter tyres are not mandatory in Ontario, but insurers discount for them and Ottawa earns them.

Ontario imposes no legal requirement, unlike Quebec. But insurers are required to offer a discount for winter tyres, and Ottawa's winters — deep snow, months of sub-zero temperatures, and the freeze-thaw that follows every thaw — make them a genuine safety difference rather than a marginal one. Anyone who drives across the river regularly needs them anyway, because Quebec's law applies to the vehicle wherever it is registered once it is on Quebec roads.

Source: Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario

Common mistakes to avoid

Entering the graduated system without proof of experience and losing a year.
Signing a lease before checking what insurance costs at that postcode.
Arriving without a letter of experience in Canada's most expensive insurance market.
Driving into Quebec after 1 December without winter tyres.
Letting the 60-day exchange window lapse and joining the DriveTest queue.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.