Visiting Drivers in New Zealand
For information about driving in New Zealand visit www.nzta.govt.nz.
Visiting Drivers in Australia
In many cases, overseas visitors to Australia, who wish to drive and do not hold a permanent visa, will be regarded as 'visiting drivers' and can use their valid overseas licence to drive.
Except for the Northern Territory (3 months), and New South Wales and Victoria (6 months), Australian states and territories allow visiting drivers to drive indefinitely on their overseas licence as long as it is current. It is only when a person becomes a permanent resident or Australian citizen that they are required to take out an Australian issued driver licence. Overseas licence holders staying in the Northern Territory, New South Wales or Victoria should contact the relevant licensing authority to check local requirements.
It is important to remember that visiting drivers can only drive vehicles which their overseas licence authorises them to drive and they must drive according to any conditions on their overseas licence.
While driving in Australia a visiting driver must carry their overseas licence with them at all times together with either an international driving permit OR an English translation if the overseas licence is not written in English.
If your overseas licence ceases to be valid, you may be eligible to apply for an Australian licence.
For more details about driving in Australia, contact the relevant Australian road agency.
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
Moving to Australia?
Different requirements may apply if you become resident in Australia and need to transfer your overseas licence to an Australian licence. The requirements and timeframes are set by each state and territory. If your licence was issued by a jurisdiction recognised under the Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme, you may be eligible for a more streamlined licence transfer process.