Singapore Expats

Converted DL and then let it expire

Discuss how you can convert your foreign drivers' licence and other topics relating to drivers' licence.
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Wd40
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Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by Wd40 » Sun, 11 Jun 2023 11:42 am

Hello guys,

Most old timers would remember I was a big motorcycle riding enthusiast in 2010 to 2013. The COE went up and I gave up riding. Also around that time my job was very unstable, so I started focussing more on making money rather than enjoying life. The years I ride motorcycle in Singapore were my happiest years.

Now again there is some semblance of stability in my work life, it has been about 10 years since I gave up riding and although COE is still crazy high, I think I will get back to riding, because there is no other way to have fun in Singapore and I love riding and driving.

Unfortunately due to my own carelessness, I let my converted SG DL expire. ](*,) It expired in 2015.

Does anybody have any experience renewing expired SG DLs? I know for PR and Citizens the DL don't expire, so I don't think there are many here in my category. But still asking anyways.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by Wd40 » Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:11 pm

Just to update here, you need to renew your license 3 years after its expiry date. If you fail to do it, you need to convert your foreign driving licence again.

My India license is very old from 2004, so the TP guys told me to get a new one. My India license will anyways expire next year, so during my next India trip I need to get it renewed.

Now I wonder what the issue date of my new India license will be, will it be the original 2004 issue date or the new issue date? If it is new 2024, then I guess I am screwed because I won't be able to convert it.

Anyways this is my own doing, so myself to blame.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by smoulder » Tue, 13 Jun 2023 2:03 am

Wd40 wrote:
Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:11 pm
Just to update here, you need to renew your license 3 years after its expiry date. If you fail to do it, you need to convert your foreign driving licence again.

My India license is very old from 2004, so the TP guys told me to get a new one. My India license will anyways expire next year, so during my next India trip I need to get it renewed.

Now I wonder what the issue date of my new India license will be, will it be the original 2004 issue date or the new issue date? If it is new 2024, then I guess I am screwed because I won't be able to convert it.

Anyways this is my own doing, so myself to blame.
I had a driving license issued in Mumbai in 1999! The old paper booklet. It expired in 2019 (20 years later.

I knew that Singapore only accepts the card license. So back in 2019, when I was in Bangalore (note, not Mumbai), I had the local RTO issue me a card. So if I recall correctly, since I applied for the license more than a month (?) before the expiry of my Mumbai license, they basically gave me a Karnataka card - the number on the license was the same as my Mumbai license and the expiry date was the same as well. I was able to sneak in to finish up the conversion of my license just days (2 or 3 days) before my Indian license expired!

Conclusion - my situation was similar but not the same. I was applying for a Singapore license for the first time, unlike you. Not sure if that makes a difference. My Indian license expiry date didn't change because I applied about 3 months before the expiry - if I understand correctly, they will give you a new 20 year license if you apply within 1 month from expiry or a little while after (I don't remember exactly how long).

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by smoulder » Tue, 13 Jun 2023 2:05 am

Best of luck and happy riding by the way. Which motorcycle are you eyeing?

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by x9200 » Tue, 13 Jun 2023 7:49 am

Do you need to re-take BTT? If yes, better check the available slots. I remember people complaining about it on this forum.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by Wd40 » Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:58 pm

smoulder wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 2:05 am
Best of luck and happy riding by the way. Which motorcycle are you eyeing?
Thanks! I will try and have my India driving license replaced with the same expiry date and try to convert it again.

I used to ride a Bajaj Pulsar and a Honda phantom both 2b bikes, in Singapore from 2010-2014. I guess, I will get something similar, if I manage to get my license converted. But frankly, I have lost interest, given all the hassles related to conversion and the crazy COE prices.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by Wd40 » Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:58 pm

x9200 wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 7:49 am
Do you need to re-take BTT? If yes, better check the available slots. I remember people complaining about it on this forum.
No BTT is taken only once in lifetime. It is always there in their records.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by smoulder » Tue, 13 Jun 2023 4:28 pm

Wd40 wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:58 pm
smoulder wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 2:05 am
Best of luck and happy riding by the way. Which motorcycle are you eyeing?
Thanks! I will try and have my India driving license replaced with the same expiry date and try to convert it again.

I used to ride a Bajaj Pulsar and a Honda phantom both 2b bikes, in Singapore from 2010-2014. I guess, I will get something similar, if I manage to get my license converted. But frankly, I have lost interest, given all the hassles related to conversion and the crazy COE prices.
I kind of like the Duke 200 in that category. Will be nice too.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by malcontent » Wed, 14 Jun 2023 7:21 pm

I made a similar mistake with my US drivers license… let it expire for too long — and what’s worse, my state will not accept a Singapore license as being of equal stature for a 1-1 conversion. So, I had to retake the stinking driving test with a live instructor. Felt really stupid as the only non-teen, and the guy who gave the test was a real stickler too — had a long laundry list of nitpicking things and barely passed me. In the end, I got my license back. I won’t make that same mistake again.

For my wife, who hasn’t lived in the US for 27 years ago (same as me), I’m glad I kept her license going all these years… just renewed it last Dec. They almost would not do it this time because of the stupid ‘Real ID’ stuff (despite being a blue state, they are not lenient to aliens). After throwing the book at them (per their own rules, she can) we finally got her’s renewed with a non-Real ID version.
It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows - Epictetus

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by smoulder » Thu, 15 Jun 2023 12:27 am

malcontent wrote:
Wed, 14 Jun 2023 7:21 pm
I made a similar mistake with my US drivers license… let it expire for too long — and what’s worse, my state will not accept a Singapore license as being of equal stature for a 1-1 conversion. So, I had to retake the stinking driving test with a live instructor. Felt really stupid as the only non-teen, and the guy who gave the test was a real stickler too — had a long laundry list of nitpicking things and barely passed me. In the end, I got my license back. I won’t make that same mistake again.

For my wife, who hasn’t lived in the US for 27 years ago (same as me), I’m glad I kept her license going all these years… just renewed it last Dec. They almost would not do it this time because of the stupid ‘Real ID’ stuff (despite being a blue state, they are not lenient to aliens). After throwing the book at them (per their own rules, she can) we finally got her’s renewed with a non-Real ID version.
One of my coworkers had to retake the driving test because he had too many demerit points. It seems that instructors who conduct the tests are usually like what you described.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by durga21 » Sun, 06 Aug 2023 4:33 pm

Wd40 wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:58 pm
smoulder wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 2:05 am
Best of luck and happy riding by the way. Which motorcycle are you eyeing?
Thanks! I will try and have my India driving license replaced with the same expiry date and try to convert it again.

I used to ride a Bajaj Pulsar and a Honda phantom both 2b bikes, in Singapore from 2010-2014. I guess, I will get something similar, if I manage to get my license converted. But frankly, I have lost interest, given all the hassles related to conversion and the crazy COE prices.
I am also an Indian. I also agree with you, because of the price of coe, I am not doing it either. I am also in a lot of trouble. :???:

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by malcontent » Sun, 06 Aug 2023 11:41 pm

There are certain things you just don’t want to neglect, and DL is one of them — just keep it going… even if you don’t own a car, even if you aren’t driving. Same thing with credit, you want to keep some kind of credit going, at least a credit card. And for expats, this applies to the country of your passport as well — keep things active and current while you’re gone to make for an easier transition back, should the need arise. It’s just the smart thing to do.
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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by Wd40 » Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:14 am

malcontent wrote:
Sun, 06 Aug 2023 11:41 pm
There are certain things you just don’t want to neglect, and DL is one of them — just keep it going… even if you don’t own a car, even if you aren’t driving. Same thing with credit, you want to keep some kind of credit going, at least a credit card. And for expats, this applies to the country of your passport as well — keep things active and current while you’re gone to make for an easier transition back, should the need arise. It’s just the smart thing to do.
I am usually good at keeping a tab on things. I have never missed any payments, never paid any late, never delayed any rent payments etc I see how silly some people can be with even very very critical things like they forget to renew their passport and realize their passport has expired after reaching the airport, while ideally you need to renew you passport 6 months before expiry. I know people who overstay their visas, book flights wrongly etc.

So there are different levels of negligent people and I would call myself pretty much a very well planned and organised person. But even I neglected renewing my SG DL, just because I thought I will never ever ride or drive in SG again. ](*,)

I guess I am very good with things which are near term and certain. But I am not good in planning for things which are more long term and which are needed more like a backup. I read Bill Bernstein's book and in that he talks about deep risk and shallow risk. He says as humans we are ingrained to worry about near term dangers, just by way of evolution, but not so much about long term risks, which can actually impact us very badly.

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by malcontent » Mon, 07 Aug 2023 1:19 am

It happens to the best of us. I once neglected to renew my EP and was fined for overstaying.

I now keep a note on my phone of any upcoming expiry dates, be it for passports, EP, REP, DL, etc… and also put a calendar entry with a reminder whenever I need to take action, whether to cancel a subscription or renew a passport within 6 months of expiry.
It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows - Epictetus

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Re: Converted DL and then let it expire

Post by Wd40 » Fri, 26 Jan 2024 9:27 am

smoulder wrote:
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 2:03 am
Wd40 wrote:
Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:11 pm
Just to update here, you need to renew your license 3 years after its expiry date. If you fail to do it, you need to convert your foreign driving licence again.

My India license is very old from 2004, so the TP guys told me to get a new one. My India license will anyways expire next year, so during my next India trip I need to get it renewed.

Now I wonder what the issue date of my new India license will be, will it be the original 2004 issue date or the new issue date? If it is new 2024, then I guess I am screwed because I won't be able to convert it.

Anyways this is my own doing, so myself to blame.
I had a driving license issued in Mumbai in 1999! The old paper booklet. It expired in 2019 (20 years later.

I knew that Singapore only accepts the card license. So back in 2019, when I was in Bangalore (note, not Mumbai), I had the local RTO issue me a card. So if I recall correctly, since I applied for the license more than a month (?) before the expiry of my Mumbai license, they basically gave me a Karnataka card - the number on the license was the same as my Mumbai license and the expiry date was the same as well. I was able to sneak in to finish up the conversion of my license just days (2 or 3 days) before my Indian license expired!

Conclusion - my situation was similar but not the same. I was applying for a Singapore license for the first time, unlike you. Not sure if that makes a difference. My Indian license expiry date didn't change because I applied about 3 months before the expiry - if I understand correctly, they will give you a new 20 year license if you apply within 1 month from expiry or a little while after (I don't remember exactly how long).
Just to update here. During my trip to India in December, I managed to get my driving license renewed in Bangalore. It was still valid for 6 months, so kind of early renewal. I believe you are allowed to renew 1 yr in advance.

They renewed it for 10 more years.

Thank God, the date of issue remains the original issue date 20 years ago, 2004. This is very very important. The date of issue should be prior to your 1st arrival date in Singapore, if you want to convert your license.

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