Over recent years, the international driver licence environment has become increasingly complex. There have been a variety of challenges for licensing authorities across the globe growing from:
- Reliance on a licence as proof of authority and competence to drive
- Use of the licence for proof of identify
- Rise in identity theft and document fraud
- Greater personal and employment mobility
Reflecting these concerns, Austroads has undertaken a comprehensive review of the management of overseas issued driver licences on behalf of its member agencies.
One component of the review is the management of overseas issued driver licences at the point at which an overseas licence holder makes a request to transition to an Australian issued licence. This element has been fast tracked to completion. Remaining project components are scheduled for completion later in 2024 and early 2025.
Recognised Country Scheme Update
Current arrangements
Covering car and motorcycle licences, the Recognised Country Scheme (which is similar to that operating in New Zealand) has been in place for nearly 20 years. It provides for more streamlined conversion of licences from certain countries to Australian licences, in some cases without any additional testing requirements. Additionally, Australia and New Zealand are parties to international conventions, which allow visitors to drive on their overseas licences for a certain period of time.
Currently, Austroads manages two distinct administrative arrangements under its Recognised Country Scheme.
- Recognised Country status
Recognised countries (including relevant specific locations, which have distinct licensing arrangements but are not a ‘country’ e.g. Jersey) are assessed as having a driver training and assessment system broadly equivalent in content and standard to that in place in Australia. Individual applicants from those countries are exempt from undertaking a knowledge and drive/ride test when applying for an Australian car or motorcycle licence.
- Experienced Driver Recognition status
Countries which did not meet all the licence testing requirements are considered for Experienced Driver Recognition status. The experienced driver recognition category aims to recognise a person’s driving experience and age as a substitute for licensing measures aimed at novice drivers. Holders of overseas licences issued by countries in this category, who are over the age of 25, may be issued a comparable Australian licence without further training or assessment.
What is changing?
There are four changes to be implemented later in 2024 and early 2025:
- Revised arrangements for issue of a comparable Australian licence to holders of overseas car and motorcycle licences from some countries.
- New application forms for countries seeking to become part of the Recognised Country Scheme.
- Strengthened licence verification processes.
- Introduction of reviews of recognised countries undertaken every five years to ensure they continue to meet required licensing standards for inclusion in the scheme.
The development of a scheme for heavy vehicle licence recognition is still under consideration.
Revised arrangements for transfer of overseas car and motorcycle licences
Experienced Driver Recognition status
Experienced Driver Recognition status will cease on 30 April 2025. For operational reasons some jurisdictions might take longer to complete implementation of this change. Overseas licence holders will be directed to confirm arrangements with their local licensing agency.
Countries currently in this category will be encouraged to apply for Recognised Country status. After these countries are notified, there will be a period of six months for holders of a licence issued by those countries currently residing in Australia, and potentially qualifying to use this scheme, to apply to transition to an Australian licence. After this period this scheme will no longer be available.
It should be noted that for operational reasons some jurisdictions might take longer to complete implementation of this change. Overseas licence holders will be directed to confirm arrangements with their local licensing agency.
These countries will be invited to consider applying for Recognised Country status:
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China)
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Republic of Cyprus
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Republic of Serbia
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Taiwan
Recognised Country status
Arrangements for transition to an Australian licence for holders of car and motorcycle licences issued by each country currently holding Recognised Country status will remain unchanged until the completion of reassessment against the revised criteria. There is now a separation of applications for recognition of car and motorcycle licensing.
Countries which currently hold Recognised Country status will be notified about the changes to the scheme and invited to apply. From the moment of notification, they will have 12 months to submit a new application. Existing arrangements for recognised countries will continue while their applications are being processed.
Countries which are granted new or continuing Recognised Country status will be reassessed every five years to ensure they continue to meet required licensing standards for inclusion in the scheme.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Canada
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guernsey
- Ireland
- Isle of Man (for licences first issued on or after 1 April 1991)
- Italy
- Japan
- Jersey
- Luxembourg
- Malta (for licences first issued on or after 2 January 2004)
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Portugal
- Singapore
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- UK
- USA
New application forms for countries seeking to become part of the Recognised Country Scheme
New applicants and re-applying countries will use the two new application forms – for car licences and for motorcycle licences. The new forms are designed with strengthened assessment criteria, greater clarity regarding mandatory requirements and a focus on a Safe System approach.
Access the car licences form. You can view the questions contained in the form here before submitting your application.
Access the motorcycle licences form. You can view the questions contained in the form here before submitting your application.
Strengthened licence verification processes
Applicant countries will also be asked to provide a simple digital mechanism for confirming the status of any licences. This may be as simple as an email address through which Australian licensing authorities can contact overseas licence issuing authorities. This measure will speed up resolution of any questions about the status of an overseas issued licence presented during licence transition, benefitting both licence applicants and licensing customer service staff.
Reassessment reviews for recognised countries
Unless there are specific concerns about the operation or standards of a Recognised Country’s licensing system, each Recognised Country will undergo a reassessment review every five years. As part of the review, each country will be asked to confirm that information provided in its application remains current or has been enhanced. The reviews will be managed by Austroads on behalf of member agencies.
Austroads will continue to work with licensing authorities to support the implementation of the changes to ensure overseas licensed drivers, including those seeking to transition to an Australian licence can access the Australian road network effectively and safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
The scheme was put in place over 20 years ago and licence training and testing have significantly changed over that period. The new scheme has been revised to reflect the changes in Australia’s car and motorcycle licensing systems which were designed to improve road safety.
There are different answers to this question depending on which country issued your licence.
- If your car or motorcycle licence was issued by a Recognised Country, you will be able to apply for an Australian licence until the reassessment of your country is complete. In most cases no further training or testing will be required. To check the requirements, please contact the licensing authority in your home state or territory.
- If your car or motorcycle licence was issued by a country on the Experienced Driver Recognition list, and you are 25 years of age or older, you may be able to exchange your overseas licence for an Australian issued licence without further testing. You will be able to apply for an Australian licence until the Experienced Driver Recognition Scheme ceases on 30 April 2025. If you do not apply to transition to an Australian licence before the Experienced Driver Recognition Scheme ends, you are likely to have to undertake further training and testing before you can be issued with an Australian licence. For operational reasons some jurisdictions might take longer to complete implementation of this change. To check the requirements, please contact the licensing authority in your home state or territory.
- If your car or motorcycle licence was not issued by a Recognised Country or a country on the Experienced Driver Recognition list, there will be no changes to current arrangements. You will still be required to apply for an Australian licence shortly after you become resident in your home state or territory. To check the requirements, please contact the licensing authority in your home state or territory.
If you miss the deadline for exchanging your car or motorcycle licence issued by a Recognised Country there may be changes to the conditions required to transfer your licence, including the need to undertake further training and testing.
If you are 25 years of age or older and miss the deadline for exchanging your licence issued by a country on the Experienced Driver Recognition list, it is likely that you will have to undertake further training and testing before you can be issued with an Australian licence.
To check the requirements, please contact the licensing authority in your home state or territory.
At this time the Recognised Country Scheme only applies to car and motorcycle licences. There are no proposed changes to the arrangements for the transfer of other classes of overseas issued licences. If you have another class of overseas issued licence you wish to transfer, please contact the licensing authority in your home state or territory.
Project background
Stage 1, completed in 2019, examined the arrangements and policy settings relating to the recognition and use of overseas driver licences in Australia and New Zealand.
Stage 2 was designed to progress the recommendations from Stage 1 which addressed:
- changing demographics
- licence verification challenges
- use of consulates and other sources of verification information
- tourists and temporary visa holders
- heavy vehicle licensing issues
- overseas licence holder road safety risks
- data gaps.
The key objective of Stage 2 was to ensure overseas licence holders driving in Australia are appropriately regulated to maintain positive road safety outcomes. The Stage 2 Project developed evidence-based policy principles to enable overseas drivers, including those seeking to exchange an overseas licence for an Australian one, to be more effectively managed including:
- a maximum time period that an overseas licence holder is permitted to drive in Australia on an overseas licence
- revision of current standards used for the assessment of recognised countries to ensure their licensing regimes are comparable with those in force in Australia. (A recognised country is one whose licence training and assessment standards are assessed to be equivalent to those in Australia. Licence holders from those countries are permitted to transfer their licence for an equivalent class [C (motor car) and R (motorcycle) class only] of Australian licence without further testing)
- policy measures to reduce the opportunity for driver licence fraud through inefficient document verification processes.
In summary the recommended and agreed policy positions include:
- recognition of overseas driver licences should be restricted to a limited period before the licence holder is required to convert to a local licence
- each jurisdiction will continue to manage the administration of demerit points and graduated licensing scheme participation for overseas licence holders under current procedures
- a Safe System approach to driver training and assessment should be incorporated into criteria for granting Recognised Country status to overseas countries
- revised assessment criteria, and application and review arrangements for Recognised Countries
- the development of a comprehensive framework for the provision of educational material to overseas visitors wishing to drive in Australia
- a review of briefing materials provided for those intending to transfer from an overseas licence to an Australian equivalent
- discussions with academic researchers to promote research, collection and analysis of data considering crash risk data for overseas licence holders including tourists
- a range of measures to share information about emerging concerns in the management of overseas issued licences with domestic and international licensing partners.
Stage 3 project has now commenced to guide implementation and transition to new policy arrangements. The stage 3 project is addressing:
- recognition arrangements for overseas issued licences, including a revision of the Country Recognition scheme
- treatment of overseas issued heavy vehicle licences
- harmonisation of administration of transfers and alignment of licence classes
- the development of harmonised education and communications materials for visiting drivers and those wishing to transfer to local licences.