Driving Tests

Can International Students Drive in Manitoba on a Home Licence?

informational·how to guide·Published October 18, 2026

Can international students drive in Manitoba on a home licence?

Yes, under section 31(3) of Manitoba's Drivers and Vehicles Act, if you live in Manitoba temporarily to study full-time at a university, college or technical school. You must usually live in a Canadian province or territory, a U.S. state or a country with a reciprocal agreement, or have the registrar's written approval. You must also follow your home licensing laws, carry your valid home licence and follow its conditions.

Where these rules come from

The student and visitor rules are sections 7 and 31 of The Drivers and Vehicles Act (C.C.S.M. c. D104), current as of October 16, 2026. The licence steps and fees come from the Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) Driver's Handbook and the MPI Class Licences brochure of 18/08/2026. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Manitoba Public Insurance (mpi.mb.ca) before you drive.

Which students qualify to drive on a home licence?

You live in Manitoba temporarily to study full-time at a university, college or technical school, and you usually live in another Canadian province or territory, or in a U.S. state

You qualify, if you also meet the three conditions in the next section.

You are a full-time student who usually lives in a country, or a part of a country, that has a reciprocal agreement or arrangement with the Manitoba government under The Highway Traffic Act, s. 31.1(1)

You qualify, if you also meet the three conditions. Ask MPI if your country has such an agreement.

You are a full-time student from any other country

You need the registrar's written approval to drive, and you must follow any conditions the registrar sets on it. The three conditions also apply.

You come for a short stay, not for full-time study

The visitor rule in s. 31(1) applies instead. The table below compares the two rules.

What conditions must a student meet?

Follow your home licensing laws. You must have complied with the driver licensing laws of the place where you usually live.
Carry your home licence. You must have with you a valid out-of-province driving permit issued to you in the place where you usually live. The law says "driving permit" for what most people call a driver's licence.
Follow its limits. You must obey any conditions or restrictions on that licence.

Full-time student or short visitor: what is different?

Full-time student or short visitor: what is different?
Point	Full-time student (s. 31(3))	Short visitor (s. 31(1))
Who	A student who lives in Manitoba temporarily to study full-time at a university, college or technical school	A non-resident who does not hold a Manitoba licence
Home licence	Valid, and issued where the student usually lives	Valid, and issued where the person permanently lives
How long	While the student lives in Manitoba temporarily for full-time study	Lives or does business in Manitoba for no more than three consecutive months in any year, or is a member of NATO Forces personnel
Age and vehicle	Any conditions or restrictions on the licence apply	16 or older; only the class or type of vehicle that the licence allows

What if you become a Manitoba resident?

A different rule covers a person who becomes a resident of Manitoba. Under section 7(1) of The Drivers and Vehicles Act, a new resident with a valid out-of-province licence may drive that class of vehicle for the first three months after they become a resident, without a Manitoba licence. If you plan to stay in Manitoba after your studies, ask MPI which rule applies to you. The guide to moving to Manitoba with a driver's licence covers that route.

How to switch to a Manitoba licence from a foreign licence

1
Register with MPI and show your ID
Before the Class 5 knowledge test, register as a Manitoba Public Insurance customer and show proper identification documents. An Autopac agent is the easiest place to register.
2
Find out if you must take the tests
You must take a driver test if your licence is from outside Canada and the United States and is not exchangeable. Testing may be waived if you surrender a valid licence of an equivalent class from a reciprocal jurisdiction. The guide to foreign licences in Manitoba explains the exchange.
3
Book and pass the knowledge test
Pay for the test and book the appointment at an Autopac agent. Tell the agent your language when you book: the Class 5 knowledge test is available in English, French and more than 20 other languages. It is not an open book test, and you cannot use a phone or other electronic device.
4
Get your 5L or 5A licence and give up your home licence
After you pass the knowledge test and meet the visual and medical standards, you buy your licence. You must give your out-of-province licence to the registrar before the Manitoba licence is issued (DVA s. 31(2)). While you apply, MPI's handbook lets you drive on an out-of-country licence for the shorter of three months, until it expires, or until you get your 5L or 5A licence.
5
Drive with a supervising driver, then take the road test
With the 5L or 5A licence, you drive under the conditions of that Manitoba stage, so a supervising driver must be with you. Then you take the Class 5 road test in a vehicle that you supply.

Manitoba test and licence costs (2026)

Manitoba test and licence costs (2026)
Item	Cost or rule
Class 5 knowledge test	CAD 12 per test
Licence, after the knowledge test	CAD 20 plus base driver premium charges of up to CAD 45, plus any applicable additional driver premium
Class 5 road test	CAD 35
Road test vehicle	A vehicle in good working order, and a Vehicle Registration Certificate that shows it is registered and insured
Failed road test on a 5L or 5A licence	Wait 14 days to retake it

Who can supervise you on a 5L or 5A licence?

A supervising driver must always be with a Class 5L driver or a driver with Authorized Instruction (5A). The supervisor must have held at least a Class 5F licence for three years or more, and must be the only front-seat passenger in a Class 5 vehicle. The supervisor must also have a blood alcohol concentration under .05 and must not fail a drug screening test. The free practice question on the Class 5A Authorized Instruction restriction covers this stage.

How to prepare for the Manitoba knowledge test

The knowledge test checks traffic laws, safe driving practices and road signs, so study those parts of the MPI Driver's Handbook. Then try the free practice question on what the Class 5 knowledge test assesses. The Manitoba practice questions on this site are free and in English only.

Key takeaways

A full-time student who lives in Manitoba temporarily may drive on a valid home licence if they usually live in a Canadian province or territory, a U.S. state or a reciprocal country, or have the registrar's written approval.
Carry the valid home licence, follow the licensing laws of your home place and follow every condition on the licence.
A short visitor must be 16 or older and may live or do business in Manitoba for no more than three consecutive months in a year.
To switch, you give your home licence to the registrar before the Manitoba licence is issued, and a supervising driver must be with you at the 5L or 5A stage.
Next step: practise on the free Manitoba Class 5 practice test.

Manitoba student driving: common questions

Can I drive in Manitoba on my licence from another province while I study?

Yes, if you live in Manitoba temporarily to study full-time at a university, college or technical school, and you usually live in another Canadian province or territory. You must have followed the licensing laws there, carry your valid licence and obey its conditions. The same rule covers a full-time student who usually lives in a U.S. state.

What if my country has no reciprocal agreement with Manitoba?

You can still drive as a full-time student if you get the registrar's written approval and follow any conditions the registrar sets. You must also have followed the licensing laws of your home country, carry your valid home licence and obey its conditions. Ask Manitoba Public Insurance how to get the approval.

How long can a visitor drive in Manitoba on a home licence?

A non-resident visitor may live or do business in Manitoba for no more than three consecutive months in any year under section 31(1). The visitor must be 16 or older, hold a valid licence from the place where they permanently live, have followed the licensing law there, and drive only the class or type of vehicle that the licence allows.

Can I keep driving on my foreign licence after I apply for a Manitoba licence?

For a short time only. While you apply with an out-of-country licence, you may drive on it for the shorter of three months, until it expires, or until you get your Manitoba 5L or 5A licence. You give the foreign licence to the registrar before the Manitoba licence is issued (DVA s. 31(2)). Then you drive under the Manitoba stage rules, with a supervising driver.