Alberta is making it easier for refugees from Ukraine to get a driver’s licence in our province.

Starting April 18, the province will allow the refugees to trade their Ukraine-issued Category B and B-E license for an Alberta Class 5.

The program will be in place for one year and is aimed at helping Ukrainians more easily obtain work and care for their families.

“Establishing a driver’s licence exchange program is an additional support for the Ukraine evacuees,” says Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, parliamentary secretary for Ukrainian Refugee Settlement.

“I am proud that Alberta has joined other Canadian jurisdictions in assisting evacuees by exchanging Ukrainian Category B and BE driver’s licences for Class 5 passenger driver’s licences.”

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, over 28,000 refugees have come to our province. Nearly 5,000 have obtained an Alberta Class 5 licence, which costs almost $200 in testing fees.

“We are grateful to the Government of Alberta for making the process of obtaining an Alberta driver’s licence easier for Ukrainians,” says Oleksandr Danyleiko, Consul General of Ukraine in Edmonton.

Over 200 refugees from Ukraine have made home in Fort McMurray since the start of Russia’s invasion.