Welcome to Manitoba! As a new resident to Manitoba, you can drive a passenger vehicle with your valid licence for up to three months.
You also have up to three months to switch your valid out of province vehicle registration (plates and insurance).
If you have never held a driver’s licence, you need to successfully complete Manitoba’s Graduated Driver Licence (GDL) program. See the get a class 5 licence page for more information.
Moving from within Canada
You may be exempt from having to obtain a Manitoba licence after three months if you are:
- A student residing in Manitoba for the purpose of full-time postsecondary studies and are a resident of Canada. See more information for students.
- A Resource Officer or Fire Ranger employed by the Department of Sustainable Development.
How to apply for a Manitoba licence
Visit any Autopac agent or MPI Service Centre.
Step 1: Bring the following to apply for your licence:
- required ID
- your valid out-of-province driver’s licence
- the $65 annual licence fee
We will set up your customer account, take your photo, and start your application for a Manitoba driver’s licence.
Step 2: Exchange your out-of-province driver’s licence for an equivalent Manitoba driver’s licence.
You must surrender your out-of-province licence to obtain the Manitoba licence. A temporary Manitoba licence will be issued to you that is valid for up to 45 days to allow for production and mailing of your photo driver’s licence. Your out-of-province licence(s) will not be returned to you.
If you are in GDL: If you have a learner licence, you will need to complete Manitoba’s knowledge test. If you live in a jurisdiction that uses a GDL system, you will receive credit toward the appropriate stage for the time you held your licence in your home jurisdiction. The temporary licence issued to you will reflect the proper GDL stage for the time credit for your driving experience.
More information
If your out-of-province licence is expired, talk to your Autopac agent or Service Centre representative for more information.
If you are bringing in a vehicle from out-of-province or registering a new or used vehicle – see registration and insurance requirements
Moving from another country
You may be exempt from having to obtain a Manitoba licence after three months if you are:
- NATO Forces personnel or a spouse/partner of NATO Forces personnel (except Denmark)
- A student residing in Manitoba for the purpose of full-time postsecondary studies and are a resident of the United States or a jurisdiction which has a reciprocal driver licensing arrangement with Manitoba. See more information for students from a reciprocal country.
- An Official Consul, foreign consular staff or a spouse/partner of the Official Consul or foreign consular staff from the countries of United States of America and Iceland
- A Resource Officer or Fire Ranger employed by the Department of Sustainable Development
The process to receive a Manitoba licence depends on whether you are moving from a country on the reciprocal country list.
Reciprocal country list
The following is a list of countries that have a reciprocal licence exchange arrangement with Manitoba. If you are from a country on this list, see moving from a reciprocal country. If you are from a country not on this list, see moving from a non-reciprocal country.
|
Jurisdiction |
Class |
|---|---|
|
Australia |
Class 5 and 6
|
|
Austria |
Class 5 |
|
Federal Republic of Germany |
Class 5 |
|
France |
Class 5 |
| Ireland | Class 5 and 6 |
|
Isle of Man |
Class 5 and 6 |
Japan | Class 5 and 6 |
|
Northern Ireland |
Class 5 and 6 |
|
Republic of South Korea |
Class 5
|
|
Switzerland |
Class 5 and 6 |
|
Taiwan |
Class 5
|
|
United Kingdom |
Class 5 and 6 |
|
United States and its territories |
Class 5 and 6, Class 1-4 (if exchanged licence indicates Commercial Driver’s Licence)
|
List of Countries Eligible for Simplified Licence Exchange
The following is a list of countries or organizations that are eligible for simplified driver’s licence exchange in Manitoba. These licenses are recognized to be the equivalent of a Manitoba Class 5 and/or Class 6 licence. If you are from a country or organization on this list, see moving from a reciprocal country. If you are from a country not on this list, see moving from a non-reciprocal country.
| Jurisdiction | Class |
| Belgium | Class 5 and 6 |
| Bulgaria | Class 5 and 6 |
| Canadian Forces Europe | Class 5 and 6 Proof of having held a valid Canadian licence within the previous four years must be provided |
| Croatia | Class 5 and 6 |
| Cyprus | Class 5 and 6 |
| Czech Republic | Class 5 and 6 |
| Denmark | Class 5 and 6 |
| Estonia | Class 5 and 6 |
| Finland | Class 5 and 6 |
| Greece | Class 5 and 6 |
| Hungary | Class 5 and 6 |
| Iceland | Class 5 and 6 |
| Italy | Class 5 and 6 |
| Latvia | Class 5 and 6 |
| Liechtenstein | Class 5 and 6 |
| Lithuania | Class 5 and 6 |
| Luxembourg | Class 5 and 6 |
| Malta | Class 5 and 6 |
| Netherlands | Class 5 and 6 |
| Norway | Class 5 and 6 |
| Poland | Class 5 and 6 |
| Portugal | Class 5 and 6 |
| Romania | Class 5 and 6 |
| Slovakia | Class 5 and 6 |
| Slovenia | Class 5 and 6 |
| Spain | Class 5 and 6 |
| Sweden | Class 5 and 6 |
| Ukraine | Class 5 (Ukrainian Category B – including BE) only |
Please note that Manitoba offers reciprocity on commercial driver’s licences for Canadian and U.S. commercial licences only.
If you live in a jurisdiction that uses a GDL system and you have less than 15 months of non-learner driving experience, you will be placed in Manitoba’s GDL program, but receive credit toward the appropriate stage for the time you held your out-of-country licence.
Moving from a reciprocal country
If you are exchanging a valid driver’s licence from a reciprocal country, you can get an equivalent Manitoba licence without taking a knowledge or road test.
How to apply for a Manitoba licence
Step 1: Visit any Autopac agent or MPI Service Centre. Bring the following:
- required ID
- your current driver’s licence
- the $65 annual licence fee
We will set up your customer account, take your photo, and start your application for a Manitoba driver’s licence.
Step 2: Exchange your driver’s licence for an equivalent Manitoba driver’s licence.
You will need to have your licence translated if it is not in English or French.
You must surrender your original, physical out-of-country licence to obtain a Manitoba licence.
All surrendered driver’s licences will be reviewed for authenticity. If the initial licence surrendered is not your original and authentic licence, your previous licensing experience will not be accepted. You will also be required to complete the GDL program, which will delay your ability to obtain a full licence in Manitoba. Copies and/or duplicates are not considered authentic.
If you have multiple licences, then all licences must be surrendered together as any licence(s) submitted afterwards will not be considered. A temporary Manitoba licence will be issued to you that is valid for up to 45 days to allow for production and mailing of your photo driver’s licence. Your out-of-country licence(s) will not be returned to you.
If you do not hold the equivalent of a full-stage passenger vehicle licence, a temporary licence will be issued to you with the appropriate GDL stage that reflects credit time for your non-learner driving experience.
More information
If you have driving experience and claims experience, bring both documents to confirm if you are eligible for any discounts on your driver’s licence or insurance. See the required document criteria.
If your out-of-province licence is expired, talk to your Autopac agent or Service Centre representative for more information.
If you are bringing in a vehicle from out-of-province or registering a new or used vehicle see registration and insurance requirements.
Moving from a non-reciprocal country
If you move from a country that is not on the reciprocal list, you will be required to complete Manitoba’s knowledge and road tests. You should start the testing process as soon as possible to ensure that you can successfully complete the road test within the three months that you can drive with your out-of-country licence.
How to apply for a Manitoba licence
Step 1: Visit any Autopac agent or MPI Service Centre. Bring the following:
- required ID
- your current valid driver’s licence (please note: expired, mobile or digital driver’s licences from non-reciprocal countries will not be accepted)
- the $10 knowledge test fee
We will also confirm the proper class and stage of your out-of-country licence to determine if you may be exempt from GDL. You will need to have your licence translated if it is not in English or French.
If you do not present your physical licence at this time, you will need to complete the GDL program.
Please note that on the day of your road test, you will be required to surrender the original, physical out-of-country licence. Copies of out-of-country licences will not be accepted.
Step 2: Visit an MPI Service Centre to take the knowledge and vision tests. Once you have successfully completed your knowledge and vision tests, you can book your road test.
See information on the Class 5 knowledge and road tests.
Step 3: Exchange your driver’s licence and take the Class 5 road test.
The road test cannot be taken without the Manitoba licence, so please attend the Service Centre at least one hour in advance of your road test (or the day prior, if you have the first appointment of the day). This will ensure that we can issue your new licence and that you can take your road test at the scheduled time.
You will need to surrender your original, physical out-of-country licence. If you have multiple licences, then all licences must be surrendered together as any licence(s) submitted afterwards will not be considered. A temporary Manitoba licence will be issued to you that qualifies you to take the road test. We will not return your out-of-country licence(s). The annual charge for a driver’s licence is $65, which is payable at this time.
If you successfully complete the road test, we will upgrade your licence to a Class 5 Full. A temporary licence will be issued to you that is valid for up to 45 days to allow for production and mailing of your photo driver’s licence. Please bring a qualified supervising driver with you for your test in the event you are not successful, as you will require a supervising driver until you pass the road test.
Note: If you are unable to produce your out-of-country licence when taking the road test, your road test will be cancelled and you will be registered in the GDL program. This means that you must wait a minimum of nine months to book your road test.
More information
If you have driving experience and claims experience, bring both documents to an Autopac agent or MPI Service Centre to confirm if you are eligible for any discounts on your driver’s licence or insurance. See the required document criteria.
If you are registering a vehicle, see registration and insurance requirements.
If you are a foreign agricultural worker coming to Manitoba on a seasonal basis, see the temporary foreign worker page.