Driving Tests

Can International Students Drive in Newfoundland? Licence Rules

informational·how to guide·Published April 30, 2026

Can international students drive in Newfoundland and Labrador on a home licence?

It depends on whether you are a visitor or a resident. The Highway Traffic Act lets a visitor aged 16 or older drive up to 3 months on a valid licence from outside the province, and a valid International Driving Permit covers a non-resident for 90 days at most from entry. A resident has lived here 90 days or more and must exchange the licence within three months.

Where these rules come from

The exchange, legal presence and translation rules come from the Motor Registration Division (MRD): its licence application page, its identification and translation pages, and the MRD Driver's Handbook. The meaning of resident, the visitor licence rule and the vehicle registration rules come from the Highway Traffic Act, and the International Driving Permit rule comes from the Highway Traffic Driver Regulations, 1999. This guide is current as of 2026, and where the Handbook words a rule differently, the law wins. Confirm the rules with the Motor Registration Division (gov.nl.ca/motorregistration) before you drive.

Visitor or resident: which one are you?

The Driver's Handbook defines a resident as a person who has lived in the province for at least 90 days. The Highway Traffic Act is more exact: a resident lives in the province for 90 consecutive days or longer in a year, and a non-resident is any person who is not a resident. Your status decides which of the rules below apply to you. Ask the MRD which group fits your study permit and your dates.

What applies to you?

You are a visitor with a licence from another country

Section 53 of the Highway Traffic Act lets a person 16 or older with a valid licence from outside the province drive the class that the licence allows for not more than 3 months from the date of coming to the province. The MRD visitor page names only a licence from another province, so confirm your case with the MRD before you drive.

You have lived in the province for 90 days or more

You count as a resident. You must exchange your licence within three months of becoming a resident.

Your licence is from a country with no exchange agreement

You must apply for a Newfoundland and Labrador licence when you move to the province, and you take the written, vision and road tests.

What the law asks of every driver

The Highway Traffic Act bans driving a class of motor vehicle on a highway unless you hold a valid licence for that type of vehicle.
The licence must be issued to you, it must allow the class you drive, and it must not be expired or invalid.
It is illegal to hold more than one driver's licence.

International Driving Permit: how long does it last?

An International Driving Permit is a special licence, authorized by a treaty between nations, that lets tourists and other international travellers drive in other countries. In Newfoundland and Labrador, a person who holds a valid permit may drive for not more than 90 days from the date of entering the province, and only while that person is not a resident. Count the 90 days from the date you entered the province.

Exchange or tests: which route is yours?

Exchange or tests: which route is yours?
Your licence is from	What the MRD page says
Another Canadian province or territory, or the United States	Exchange with no written, vision or road test, if you meet the criteria
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, Ukraine, Denmark	Exchange for a Class 5 licence only, with no written, vision or road test, if you meet the criteria
France, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, Belgium	Exchange for Class 5 and Class 6 (motorcycle), with no written, vision or road test, if you meet the criteria
Any other country	Be at least 16, show identification documents, pass a written, vision and road test, and join the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program

Exchange criteria for the 14 listed countries

To exchange a licence from a listed country, you must be 17 years of age, you present the required identification documents, and your licence is valid and not expired, suspended, cancelled or revoked. A 16-year-old with a valid licence from a graduated licensing program is placed in Class 5, Level I. Applicants under 19 need parental consent. Confirm your country's group with the MRD before you book.

How to exchange or get a Newfoundland and Labrador licence

1
Find your route
Check the table above. A licence from a listed country, another province or the United States can be exchanged. A licence from any other country means tests and the GDL program.
2
Book an appointment
You need an appointment to exchange a licence after you move to the province.
3
Collect your documents
A person from outside Canada must give proof of legal presence in Canada. Bring original or certified copies, because photocopies are not accepted. The identification documents guide explains the lists.
4
Translate your licence if needed
A licence in any language other than English or French needs an English translation. The Registrar can also approve suitable translators.
5
Hand in your home licence
The Registrar does not issue a licence of any level or class until your licence from the other jurisdiction is delivered. On request, you can get a certified copy of the original. The Registrar may let you keep the licence only when satisfied that this is necessary.

Proof of legal presence for a student

Proof of legal presence is one primary proof and one secondary proof, or two primary proofs when one of them is primary proof of legal presence. Accepted proofs include a study or work permit (Study Permit IMM 1442 on the identification list). The list also includes a valid foreign passport that is officially translated, and a signed residential lease as proof of address. The Association for New Canadians in St. John's offers translation in over 60 languages.

If your country is not on the exchange list

A valid foreign licence can still save time. You can be exempt from the mandatory wait between Class 5I and Class 5II, but only when you surrender the foreign licence in exchange for a Class 5I permit. The Registrar may ask for more documents to validate it. If you refuse to surrender it, you complete the full GDL program, with all wait periods, before a Class 5 road test. The guide to foreign licence exchange in Newfoundland explains each route.

Key takeaways

Your status decides the rules: a person who has lived in the province at least 90 days is a resident.
A valid International Driving Permit covers a non-resident for not more than 90 days from the date of entering the province.
New residents exchange their licence within three months of becoming a resident. Licences from 14 listed countries, other provinces and the United States exchange without tests; other licences need written, vision and road tests and the GDL program.
Bring proof of legal presence, such as a study permit, as an original or certified copy, and an English translation of a licence that is not in English or French.
Next step: practise on the free Newfoundland and Labrador Class 5I practice test.

Driving in Newfoundland as an international student: common questions

Can I get a learner's permit as an international student?

Applicants must be residents of the province. If you come from outside Canada, you also show proof of legal presence in Canada when you apply for a learner's permit, and a study permit is one such proof. Applicants from countries without an exchange agreement must be at least 16 and pass the written, vision and road tests.

I have a licence from another Canadian province. Can I drive here while I study?

Yes, as a visitor. A visitor who is at least 16 and holds a valid licence from another province may drive for up to three months without a Newfoundland and Labrador licence. When you become a resident, you can exchange that licence without a written, vision or road test if you meet the criteria.

Can I drive a car that is registered in my home country?

A non-resident may drive a private passenger vehicle that is registered where that person lives, without registering it in Newfoundland and Labrador. The MRD sets a maximum of 3 months. A person who comes to take up residence may drive the vehicle for not longer than 90 days before registering it, and a resident must register it.

I am here for a full study program. What changes after 90 days?

An International Driving Permit covers a non-resident for not more than 90 days from the date of entering the province. A person who has lived in the province for 90 days counts as a resident, and a new resident must exchange the licence within three months of becoming a resident. An exchange needs an appointment, so ask the MRD early.