Canada on a Swiss Licence — No Vignette, but Quebec's Tyre Law Bites

Canada feels broadly familiar to a Swiss driver: right-hand traffic, orderly rules, mountain roads that call for the discipline you already have. The first pleasant difference is what is missing. There is no motorway vignette to buy; a few individual roads charge tolls, and the rental company will tell you how those are billed.

Licence and permit

Canada has no national rule for visitors; each province decides. Ontario lets a visitor drive on a valid licence from their own country for under 3 months, and asks for an International Driving Permit for longer visits. British Columbia allows a home licence for up to 6 months. An IDP is still worth carrying as a translation for rental desks and police; arrange it in Switzerland before you leave and keep it with your licence and passport. The Driving Permit Checker covers other countries.

Pace and distance

Each province posts its own limits. WHO gives 50 km/h as the typical urban limit and 100 km/h on highways, below the Swiss 120 km/h motorways, though some provinces allow more on freeways where signed. The distances make the limits feel slower still: towns can be hours apart, with fuel stations and phone signal thinning out, so keep the tank above half and download offline maps.

Winter tyres

Quebec requires winter tyres on Quebec-registered passenger vehicles, rentals included, from 1 December to 15 March, so a car hired there in season will have them. British Columbia requires winter-rated tyres on signed highways, mostly from 1 October to 30 April. The Swiss habit of proper tyres on alpine passes serves you well; if you rent elsewhere in the cold season, ask for them.

Alcohol

The Criminal Code sets 80 mg per 100 ml of blood (0.08%), above the Swiss 0.05%, and provinces can suspend a licence at the roadside below that line. Keep to the Swiss habit, or stricter. The emergency number is 911.

Read the provincial detail on the Canada driving guide, and estimate a penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, driving in Ontario as a visitor (under 3 months on a home licence; IDP beyond): ontario.ca
• WelcomeBC (Government of British Columbia), driving (visitors up to 6 months on their licence): welcomebc.ca
• Government of Quebec, winter tyre requirements (1 December-15 March, rentals included): quebec.ca
• Government of British Columbia, winter tire and chain-up routes (1 October-30 April on signed highways): gov.bc.ca
• Criminal Code of Canada, s. 320.14 (80 mg per 100 ml): laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Canada profile (50 km/h urban, 100 km/h highway, 0.08 g/dl): who.int
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Switzerland profile (0.05 g/dl; 120 km/h motorway): who.int