CONVERT YOUR LICENCE WITH EASE
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
YOU NEED A LICENCE
If you intend to purchase your own car after your immigration to Australia, you will need to have a licence to drive. An international drivers licence is acceptable for the first few weeks of your stay, but you will need to contact the nearest state or territory transport department to be able to get your driver's licence.
3 MONTH GRACE PERIOD
Please note: If you are a permanent resident visa holder and have a current driver's licence from another country, in English or with an official translation, in most states and territories you are allowed to drive for your first three months after arrival. (In Western Australia, the three month period begins when you are granted your permanent residency visa, not when you arrive in Australia.
PLEASE NOTE: As of 1 July 2023, NSW Overseas Licence Holders with temporary visas such as to study or work in Australia must convert their overseas licence to an NSW licence within SIX MONTHS of their arrival if they wish to continue driving.
THE TEST
In Australia, drivers' licences are issued by state and territory governments. You may be required to pass a knowledge test, a practical driving test and an eyesight test.
THE CONVERSION PROCESS
FIRSTLY, LET'S RECOGNISE YOUR LICENCE TYPE
Recognised Foreign Licensing Authority A licence (any age)
Recognised Foreign Licensing Authority B licence (over 25)
Unrecognised licence (over 25)
Unrecognised or Recognised Foreign Licensing Authority B licence (under 25)
FOR NSW
Drivers who hold an international license can drive on NSW roads for some time. After this period has lapsed, drivers will need to fulfil some requirements in order to attain a NSW drivers licence.
For drivers who are looking to convert their licence or gain some insight on the conditions that each overseas licence type is restricted by, please go through the steps detailed below.
STEP 1:IDENTIFY YOUR LICENCE TYPE & ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS
STEP 2: IDENTIFY IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR EXEMPTION FROM NSW TESTING PROCEDURES
Some licence holders can be exempted from NSW testing requirements.
In order to find out if you are eligible, first check that you fulfill these prerequisites:
Hold a car licence from a recognised country or jurisdiction
Your licence is not a Learner Licence
Your licence is current or expired within the last 5 years
CLASS A
If you fulfill the above conditions and your licence is from the countries/jurisdictions below, you are exempt from needing to pass a driver knowledge or driving test :
- AUSTRIA
- BELGIUM
- BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
- CANADA (ANY STATE)
- CROATIA
- DENMARK
- FINLAND
- FRANCE
- GERMANY
- GREECE
- GUERNSEY
- IRELAND
- ISLE OF MAN (LICENCES ISSUED SINCE 1 APRIL 1991)
- ITALY
- JAPAN
- JERSEY
- LUXEMBOURG
- MALTA (LICENCES ISSUED OR RENEWED SINCE 2 JANUARY 2004)
- NETHERLANDS
- NEW ZEALAND (EXCEPT FOR PAPER LICENCES)
- NORWAY
- PORTUGAL
- SINGAPORE
- SPAIN
- SWEDEN
- SWITZERLAND
- UNITED KINGDOM
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (ANY STATE).
CLASS B
You do not have to pass knowledge or driving tests for a NSW car (class C) or rider (class R) licence if:
you are 25 years or older, and
your current licence comes from a licensing authority in one of the following places:
- BULGARIA
- CYPRUS
- CZECH REPUBLIC
- ESTONIA
- HONG KONG – FOR LICENCES HELD FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS
- HUNGARY
- AUSTRIA
- LATVIA
- LITHUANIA
- POLAND
- REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
- ROMANIA
- SLOVAKIA
- SLOVENIA
- SOUTH AFRICA
- SOUTH KOREA (REPUBLIC OF KOREA)
- TAIWAN
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you hold a licence issued by a licensing authority on list B but are under 25 you must pass the relevant knowledge and driving tests.
If you hold a licence issued by a country or jurisdiction that is not listed, you will need to pass knowledge and driving tests when applying for an equivalent NSW licence.
Exemptions do not apply if….
You hold a licence from an external territory of a place on list A or list B, you must pass knowledge and driving/riding tests
A Hong Kong licence has been issued for less than 12 months
You failed a NSW knowledge test before 17 January 2005, you must re-sit and pass the relevant knowledge test
You failed a driving or riding test before 20 May 2002, you must re-take and pass the relevant driving or riding test
You hold a licence issued by a licensing authority on list B, and you failed a knowledge test and/or driving test before 18 February 2013 you must re-take and pass the relevant test.
STEP 3: PASS REQUIRED TESTS