Driving licence in Taiwan

Driver licences are categorized pursuant to the Road Traffic Security Rules in Taiwan (道路交通安全規則):

1. An ordinary driver licence for a small vehicle (Chinese: 小型車普通駕駛執照) is good for a vehicle with up to 9 seats including the driver and a gross weight up to 3500 kg. A light trailer, i.e. with a gross weight up to 750 kg may be towed. A holder of this licence may also drive a light motorcycle, i.e. up to 50 cm³ or 5 horsepowers.
2. An ordinary driver licence for a heavy truck (Chinese: 大貨車普通駕駛執照) is good for a heavier truck as well as a vehicle that may be driven with a small vehicle license. A light trailer may be towed.
3. An ordinary driver licence for a bus (Chinese: 大客車普通駕駛執照) is good for a bus with more than 9 seats including the driver as well as a vehicle that may be driven with a heavy truck licence. A light trailer may be towed.
4. An ordinary driver licence for a combination vehicle (Chinese: 聯結車普通駕駛執照) is good to tow a heavy trailer, i.e. with a gross weight of more than 750 kg, as well as a vehicle that may be driven with a bus licence.
5. A professional driver licence for a small vehicle (Chinese: 小型車職業駕駛執照) is good for occupational purposes to drive a vehicle that may be driven with an ordinary small vehicle licence, especially a taxi.
6. A professional driver licence for a heavy truck (Chinese: 大貨車職業駕駛執照) is good for occupational purposes to drive a vehicle that may be driven with an ordinary heavy truck licence.
7. A professional driver licence for a bus (Chinese: 大客車職業駕駛執照) is good for occupational purposes to drive a vehicle that may be driven with an ordinary bus licence.
8. A professional driver licence for a combination vehicle (Chinese: 聯結車職業駕駛執照) is good for occupational purposes to drive a vehicle that may be driven with an ordinary combination vehicle licence.
9. An International Driving Permit (Chinese: 國際駕駛執照) multilingually translates a Taiwanese licence and is good abroad where honoured. As the Republic of China has lost diplomatic relations with most countries since the 1970s, certain countries do not honour international driving permits from Taiwan.
10. A driver licence for a light motorcycle (Chinese: 輕型機器腳踏車駕駛執照) is good for a light motorcycle, i.e. up to 50 cm³ or 5 hp (4 kW), but not any more powerful one considered more risky to drive.
11. A driver licence for a heavy motorcycle (Chinese: 重型機器腳踏車駕駛執照) is also good for a heavy motorcycle, but no new licence of this type is issued since a separate licence for an ultra-heavy motorcycle (see below) is issued.
12. A driver licence for an ordinary heavy motorcycle (Chinese: 普通重型機器腳踏車駕駛執照) is good for a motorcycle up to 250 cm³ or 40 hp (30 kW).
13. A driver licence for an ultra-heavy motorcycle (Chinese: 大型重型機器腳踏車駕駛執照) is also good for a more powerful motorcycle.

The minimum age pursuant to Article 60 is normally 18, but one must be at least 20 to get a professional licence or a licence for an ultra-heavy motorcycle. A professional licence must be converted to an ordinary one upon 60 years old, but a professional small vehicle driver may keep the licence until 65 years old when passing annual physical examinations. Since driving job is not open to foreigners, foreigners cannot get professional driver licences.