Applying for a New Zealand Licence
New Zealand recognises certain overseas country's driver licences. For information about which countries are recognised, or how to become a recognised country for New Zealand please visit www.nzta.govt.nz
Applying for an Australian Licence
You are required to obtain an Australian driver licence once you become a permanent resident or Australian citizen.
If you have received your permanent visa or citizenship and live in Australia permanently, whether you need to complete further training and testing depends on the country or jurisdiction that issued your overseas drivers licence.
After receiving your permanent visa or citizenship, please check with your local licensing authority for specific requirements and timelines on when to transfer your licence.
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
If you have received your permanent visa or citizenship and live in Australia permanently, whether you need to complete further training and testing depends on the country or jurisdiction that issued your overseas drivers licence. Driver licences from the following international jurisdictions are able to apply for an Australian driver licence without completing training and testing.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guernsey
- Ireland
- Isle of Man (for licences first issued on or after 1 April 1991)
- Italy
- Japan
- Jersey
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta (for licences first issued on or after 2 January 2004)
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Republic of Serbia
- Romania
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- UK
- USA
Frequently asked questions
No. These arrangements relate to the transfer of an overseas licence to an Australian issued licence. Separate rules apply to visitors who are driving in Australia using a valid overseas licence.
The review was undertaken to ensure Australia's overseas licence recognition arrangements remain fair, evidence based and consistent. The new framework enables Australian licensing authorities to assess overseas jurisdictions against contemporary road safety and licence integrity criteria.
No. Recognition does not provide an automatic entitlement to an Australian driver licence. Applicants must still satisfy the requirements of the Australian state or territory in which they are seeking a licence. Recognition provides a more streamlined pathway for eligible licence holders.
Yes. Drivers from jurisdictions that are not recognised can still apply for an Australian driver licence. The difference is that they may be required to complete additional testing, training or other licensing requirements determined by the Australian state or territory where they apply.
These jurisdictions were assessed against Australia's new evidence informed overseas licence recognition framework. The assessment considered both road safety outcomes and licence integrity measures. Jurisdictions that met the required standards were approved for recognition by Australian licensing authorities.
Australia's overseas licence recognition arrangements are administered on behalf of Australian licensing authorities. Assessment priorities are determined by those authorities based on operational need and public interest. Austroads may identify jurisdictions for assessment and contact them directly where further consideration of recognition is warranted.
The jurisdictions announced today were assessed as part of Australia's transition from the former Experienced Driver Recognition arrangements. Those jurisdictions were invited to provide information for assessment under the new evidence informed framework. Future assessments will be determined by Australian licensing authorities, who may identify jurisdictions for review where there is a demonstrated operational need or public interest.
The jurisdictions were assessed under Australia's new evidence informed overseas licence recognition framework. Assessments considered both road safety outcomes and licence integrity arrangements, including driver licensing standards, testing requirements and identity management processes. An independent expert panel reviewed the evidence and provided recommendations for consideration by Australian licensing authorities before recognition decisions were made.
Yes. Not all assessed jurisdictions met the requirements of the framework. Recognition decisions are based on the outcomes of the assessment process and are made against nationally agreed criteria covering both road safety performance and licence integrity arrangements. Only jurisdictions that met the required standards were recommended for recognition.
No. The Recognised Overseas Licence Scheme (ROLS) applies only to licences for light vehicles. Separate requirements apply to heavy vehicle licences.
Licence integrity refers to the systems and controls used to verify a person's identity, establish entitlement to a licence and protect against fraud, forgery and improper licence issuance.
Implementation of these changes will be managed separately by each state and territory. Information on implementation timeframes will be provided by the relevant licensing authority as it becomes available. Australian states and territories are expected to progressively implement these changes from late 2026.