Easily get your Taiwan Drivers License

When it comes to driving in Taiwan, most Wai Guo Ren seemingly do it as carefree as a taxi driver applying their brakes. Just like in your home country though, driving without a license is all fine and dandy, until it’s not.

Uh oh.

When the proverbial turd hits the fan and you need insurance to bail you out, or fault to be assigned to someone other than yourself, having no license means you are SOL.

The good news is that if you have a few hours to spare, you can easily attain a driver’s license in Taiwan. Let’s break down how to get a license for a car or motorcycle up to 250cc.

For starters, you need to have an ARC to go for your driving license. If you are a tourist, an International Driving Permit and home driver’s license will also do the trick.

Now that you have your ARC, start getting those reps in by taking the online practice test. You can find that here: https://tpcmv.thb.gov.tw/english/ServicesEng/LicenseEng/LicenseTest

Once you are comfortable with the practice test, you are ready for the real thing. Figure out where the closest “Motor Vehicles Supervision Station” is that offers the driving course and test. For me, it was the office located in Banqiao District, New Taipei City. In Taipei City, it is the Shilin Motor Vehicles Supervision Station.

It is recommended that you call the Motor Vehicle Station in advance before you take your written test (performed on a computer) to make sure there is sufficient space on the day you plan to go. You can find their contact information here: https://tmvso.thb.gov.tw/en/catalog?node=d87b3269-27bd-4174-9339-f5aaa2e6f2f6

The computer testing area

If for any reason you have trouble reaching the office via phone or email, the Banqiao office has an English speaking desk in building C that is very helpful and accommodating. They can help answer any question you may have regarding the process.

Building C

What to bring on test day:

• An ARC with more than 6 months remaining before expiration.
• 3x 1-inch photos taken within the past 6 months, clearly showing your face (You can get this at one of the photo booths scattered around the city)

What to do on test day:

• Complete a quick health check where they test your vision, get your height and weight. This takes less than 10 minutes.
• Register for the “driving course”. Watch scared-straight videos of what NOT to do on a motorcycle. This takes around 2 hours.
• Do the “written test” on a computer. This part takes about 30 minutes.
• Finally, the fun part! You get to take the road test which lasts just a few minutes.

How much does it all cost?

Around 600NTD for the Registration fee, License fee, and Health check.

The famous straight line test!

Any words of advice?

• Actually study for the written test. It is not very difficult, I passed on the first try but I probably would not have passed had I not taken a few practice tests.
• Before jumping into the driving test, watch other people do it first. Most people tend to struggle with the part of the test where you need to drive in a straight line (painfully slow) for 7 seconds. I watched others fail for forgetting to use a signal or not looking before turning. Watching their mistakes helped me correct mine and I was able to pass on my first attempt.

Need practice driving?

The driving course is open during lunch time (around 12-1) for practice.

That's it!

In conclusion, I found the process to be straightforward and easy. I am extremely thankful that the written test was available in English and that the office even had assistance in English to answer any of my questions leading up to the test.

The license is valid for 5 years and costs only 600 NTD, significantly less than the 6,000+ NTD ticket you get for driving without a license. A small price to pay for legal compliance and peace of mind. Plus, now I can ride on SKRT and enjoy the best of what Taiwan has to offer.

Like us on Instagram @skrtscootersharing