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christmas
Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 49
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 Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:57 pm Post subject: Problems converting a Canadian drivers license to Omani |
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If anyone has advice on this I can sure use it.
I recently went to apply for an Omani drivers license with my newly renewed Ontario license and was turned down. I got it in 1981 but it doesn't show it on the license and so wasn't accepted as a renewal. How do I go about proving that I just got the damn thing renewed. i don't have the old one cause I cut the thing up before finding out it was needed.
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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Get a new one sent to you from home 
Meanwhile enjoy the local taxi services- much more fun. No hassle! |
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1st Sgt Welsh
Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| CANDLES wrote: |
| Get a new one sent to you from home |
I wouldn't be so sure that you can. The Canadians are apparently a bit funny about that sort of thing. One of my Canadian friends had to go back home to renew his drivers' license as he couldn't do it from abroad  . |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Give an excuse ....can't find it or waterlogged so need a replacement. |
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stanggg
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 37
Location: Buraimi Oman
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| I had a similar experience. You have to wait a year before you can get the Omani license. I drove on my USA license for a year and then switched it. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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You drove on a US license? You didn't change it to an Omani license? I don't believe that is any more legal than our OP driving for a year on his Canadian license.
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| You can get an Omani licence within a week. 4 photos, letter from employer, and licence from your country. All this was like 3 years ago when I was there. Perhaps things have changed. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:07 am Post subject: |
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Did you read the original post Candles?
VS |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, my friend I did.
I was merely answering your (surprised) question that person had driven for 1 year on an USA licence. What I was saying was that he/she didn't need to wait for such a long time when a week would have been sufficient. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:55 am Post subject: |
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So it was my post that you misread...
My question was not about how to convert a US license to an Omani license as I've done it twice, but the fact that someone drove for a year with a US license... which when I was there was illegal. No one - other than other Gulf Arabs - could legally drive with their national license.
VS |
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1st Sgt Welsh
Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:22 am Post subject: |
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| My understanding is that when you first arrive in the country, you have a 'grace period' where you can use your foreign license for up to three months. Any longer than that and you should have an Omani license. I know people who are residing here and are still illegally using their license from their home country. Sad to say, but, in the cases that I'm aware of, it often just seems a case of laziness to me as they can't be bothered to get the paperwork sorted out and go to the police station to get a new license processed. Dread to think what would happen if they get into a serious accident. I seriously doubt their insurance would cover it and I'm sure the cops would have one or two things to say about it.... |
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EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013
Posts: 988
Location: Cape Town
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:49 am Post subject: |
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Oh Man me has had no probems whatsoever driving in Muscrat and even riding camels in IBRI Oh Man with an international drivers license for years....my IDL is valid for all GCC countries!.....  |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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No, I didn't mis-read.
Anyway people have been driving around with foreign driving licences and no-one bats an eyelid! |
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1st Sgt Welsh
Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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| EFL Educator wrote: |
| Oh Man me has had no probems whatsoever driving in Muscrat and even riding camels in IBRI Oh Man with an international drivers license for years....my IDL is valid for all GCC countries!..... |
My Australian license is valid as well, but, like I said, I believe it is only supposed to be used for the first three months. After that, if you are a resident, you are expected to get the national license. There was a similar rule when I was living in Vietnam. I'm not an expert on the legal distinctions between international and national licenses, but, my understanding is that the international license is designed mainly for tourists and that it is main advantage is that it is more widely recognized than many national licenses. However, if you are living here, I'm not sure that it is a substitute for an Omani license, but, like I said, I'm no expert.
| CANDLES wrote: |
Anyway people have been driving around with foreign driving licences and no-one bats an eyelid! |
I know it's common and, as I already mentioned, I know people who are doing it. The same went on when I was living in Vietnam, South Africa and Europe. But that's not to say that it is necessarily a good idea. Speaking for myself, I don't want to be caught out driving illegally. This is mainly because I'd be worried about being involved in a serious collision, particularly if I'm at fault. I don't want any additional insurance or legal problems, especially if these can easily be avoided by spending an hour or two down at the local police station beforehand. Getting your home license transferred into a domestic license is a breeze here compared to a lot of places, at least for Western expats. If others want to take the chance of not doing it then that's up to them. Good luck to them if they get involved in a bad accident, but, of course, I wouldn't wish that on anybody. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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First Sgt Welsh is the one who is correct. The fact that people flaunt the law is not terribly intelligent... nor terribly surprising. And BTW... the Omani rule puts International Driving Licenses in the same position. Both are illegal for those with residence visas. They can be used for a short period, as I recall about a month when I was there. If one gets caught in an accident or traffic stop, one can attempt to plead ignorance and try to talk ones way out.
One problem is that if you get stopped for a traffic violation, they confiscate whatever license you are using. Then you have to go to the police to try to get it back based on your declaration of ignorance of the law. Good luck on getting them to return the illegal items.
VS |
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