New Brunswick driver’s licence exchange for newcomers
Deadline: New Brunswick says a person licensed elsewhere who takes up residence must obtain a New Brunswick licence as soon as they take up residence. Some temporary foreign residents with qualifying work or study permits may instead use a valid home-country licence for up to six months from landing.
Can you keep driving on your foreign licence?
New Brunswick says a person licensed elsewhere who takes up residence must obtain a New Brunswick licence as soon as they take up residence. Some temporary foreign residents with qualifying work or study permits may instead use a valid home-country licence for up to six months from landing.
If your licence is from a reciprocal jurisdiction
Canada and U.S. licences can generally be exchanged class-for-class without testing. New Brunswick also publishes a foreign reciprocity list whose eligible licences can be exchanged without the normal knowledge and road tests.
If your country is not reciprocal
Foreign residents from countries outside the reciprocal list must complete a full driver-licence examination including vision, written and road testing.
How previous driving experience is treated
Bring the original foreign licence and supporting records. The Motor Vehicle Branch determines the class and any testing based on the licence, status and documentation.
Student and temporary-resident exceptions
Students who move to New Brunswick do not need to exchange while they remain in school, but the exchange requirement starts when they take up permanent residence or become gainfully employed.
Why this matters before buying car insurance
New Brunswick uses private auto insurers. Get your New Brunswick licensing path resolved and keep official foreign driving records before requesting quotes so insurers can assess your history consistently.
Do not assume that simply holding a foreign licence means an insurer will automatically credit every year of overseas driving. Keep the original driver abstract, licence history, claims history and translations that can prove the record.
Documents to prepare
Foreign applicants need the original licence, official translation when not in English or French, proof of identity, two proofs of New Brunswick residency and proof of legal presence in Canada.
Useful long-tail guides
Primary government source
New Brunswick — Driver’s licences for new residents →
Source confidence: high. Licensing rules can change and individual results depend on licence class, expiry, immigration status and supporting documents. Confirm the final path with the licensing authority before your foreign-licence driving period ends.
Compare across Canada
Newcomer Driver’s Licence Checker →
2026 Canada Driver’s Licence Exchange Reference →
All provinces and territories →