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FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TRANSFERRING DRIVING LICENSE

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  1. #1

    Angry FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TRANSFERRING DRIVING LICENSE

    Hi all, just wanted to ask the procedure of transferring overseas license to Hong Kong one. I know the TD website lists the below:

    (a) have resided in the overseas country or place of issue for a period of not less than 6 months during which the licence was issued; or
    (b) have held the licence for 5 years or more immediately prior to the application; or
    (c) hold a passport or equivalent travel document of the country or place in which the licence was issued.

    But I'd like to know what and how the procedure is. So you go to the transport department you request to change your license, do they ask you for passport? Do they check the dates of your travel and does it have to show that you've stayed those months or years before or when the license was issued? I'm fed up with trying to get a license in HK. I've failed my road test a couple of times with mistakes I didn't even know I made. Now before you criticize me, I'd like to emphasize that I've taken many lessons with an instructor and he never pointed out any mistakes. I kept improving and improving. But on the exam day, I was marked with mistakes I couldn't even believe I made.. Like "improper use of brake" "stopping too close to an object" (when I literally stopped around 5 meters away from any traffic) and all other bullshit mistakes like "improper use of clutch" how the fuck would he know! My engine never made "VROOOOM" sound once! All this I'm talking about was my motorcycle part C test. So I'm thinking of getting a license from a country I can easily get from and am a resident of. would just appreciate help explaining what the TD requests or needs when exchanging the license.. Thanks for reading this long mess.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    South of Sweden
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    I have three licences from three countries. However, to change, I took my original residence licence ( being an Australian citizen) plus passport and HK ID, and went to the Dept of Transport in Admiralty. Depending on your nationality, a test or not will be required. For an Aussie license, I needed not to take the test. You just hand over, plus passport photo, and wait. Takes about 15 mins.

    MandM! likes this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Hong Kong
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    Same--can't remember if you need proof of address or not. Safer to bring it.

    15 minutes plus the queue--could be a couple hours. They print your license immediately. Passport, hkid, home country license, the fee, that's all.

    Pay by EPS saves time. If you pay by other method then you need to queue again in the shroff line.


  4. #4

    Thanks for the reply guys! Do they need some sorta proof like from the consulate? Or anything? Cuz I'm thinking of just asking a friend who lives in that country to make it for me. Yes it can be done... I don't have the passport for that country, I have a British passport, but I do have the ID of that country.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Sai Kung
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    4,151

    If you have a license from a country you are not a citizen of you will need to prove you were there on a valid visa giving residence such as an employment visa. The onus is on you to provide those details. They will also require proof of address in that country. It's not difficult. If you have all that you can apply for a direct issue of license (if the country the license was issued in is one of those which the HK transport department recognises for direct issue) which will also require you to provide passport, HKID and proof of address in HK.

    If that's successful they will take those details and ask you to come back a week later to pick up your license.

    imparanoic likes this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    6,452

    The TD makes it very clear what is required

    the licence was originally issued to you on any date during a period of residence of not less than 6 months in the country or place of issue (supporting documents include the relevant passport showing records of entry and departure or an official statement of travel records, and your school transcript or employer’s testimonial with employment period specified, etc.)
    imparanoic likes this.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    104

    I am also trying to do a direct transfer. Though I don’t have people that I know very well these days still living in Hong Kong. I am curious whether a mail forwarding account with a real residential HK address can be used to as correspondence address to satisfy the transport department’s proof of address requirements.


  8. #8

    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    150

    I did mine a couple months back. Just follow the checklist. So long as you have the documents, you just need to wait for a week for them to process it


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    243

    Am in the process of doing this right now, but can anyone confirm what the following sentence means in the Eligibility Criteria:

    ... have a Full Driving License which is valid or has been expired for not more than 3 years
    Does this mean:

    a) Driving license must have been valid for 3 years...
    b) Driving license must just be valid, or if expired then valid at some point within the last 3 years

    ???

    Annoyingly, what with the death of the paper counterpart in the UK, my driving license (photocard) has only been valid from late 2015 (when I last moved house in the UK), although I have held a license (i.e. passed my test) over 16 years ago. Thus if it is a) above I cannot apply....

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firemin:
    Am in the process of doing this right now, but can anyone confirm what the following sentence means in the Eligibility Criteria:



    Does this mean:

    a) Driving license must have been valid for 3 years...
    b) Driving license must just be valid, or if expired then valid at some point within the last 3 years

    ???

    Annoyingly, what with the death of the paper counterpart in the UK, my driving license (photocard) has only been valid from late 2015 (when I last moved house in the UK), although I have held a license (i.e. passed my test) over 16 years ago. Thus if it is a) above I cannot apply....
    The UK photo licence has an expiration date printed on it. You just have to apply for the HK transfer within 3 years after that date. I know this because I left the UK in 2005, so my licence was no longer valid from that date. However, my licence expiration date was in September 2014. I successfully transferred my licence to HK in February this year.

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