Effective December 2, 2024, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) will be rolling out a simplified driver’s licence exchange process for new Manitobans with licences issued by 26 European countries.
Individuals who hold valid licences from the following countries can now exchange them for a Manitoba Class 5F (passenger vehicle) or Class 6F (motorcycle) licence, without the need for further knowledge or road testing:
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Commercial class licences from these countries are not eligible to be exchanged in Manitoba for equivalent commercial classes.
“Each of these countries implemented harmonized driver training and testing standards that align with Manitoba’s requirements, which prioritize the safety of all road users,” said Maria Campos, MPI’s Vice President & Chief Customer and Product Officer. “MPI is proud to expand its licence exchange options and make the transition to our province easier for newcomers from these countries who choose to make Manitoba home.”
Manitoba is the second province in Canada to offer a licence exchange option for these countries, following Saskatchewan’s decision to extend passenger and motorcycle licence equivalency to these countries in 2023.
With this decision, Manitoba now offers reciprocity or licence exchange agreements with 41 jurisdictions. A full reciprocal country list is available at mpi.mb.ca.
All newcomers and visitors to Manitoba can drive on their foreign passenger vehicle or motorcycle licence for up to three months before they require a new Manitoba licence.
After this period, reciprocity or licence exchange agreements allow those with the required documentation to receive a Manitoba driver’s licence of an equivalent class without further knowledge or road testing. Eligible individuals are required to visit an Autopac broker or an MPI Service Centre (if vision testing is required) to start the process. Customers will be required to provide documents to establish their identity and their valid driver’s licence from the reciprocal country and/or a translated copy or English version of their driver’s record. All exchanged licences will be reviewed to ensure they are genuine and valid.
For more information about exchanging a driver’s licence, customers can visit a broker, an MPI Service Centre or call MPI’s Contact Centre at 204-985-7000 or toll-free at 1-800-665-2410.
