Thursday, 23 July 2026
Australian licensing authorities have agreed to recognise driver licences issued by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea and Taiwan. These changes are not yet in effect. Each Australian state and territory will introduce them progressively over the coming months, with recognition expected to commence from late 2026.
Once in effect in a given state or territory, eligible licence holders from these jurisdictions will be able to transfer to an Australian licence without further testing. Because start dates will vary, licence holders should check when the changes take effect in their state or territory before applying.
This brings the total number of overseas jurisdictions to 40, in addition to New Zealand, which is covered under separate trans-Tasman licensing arrangements.
Drivers from locations that are not recognised can still apply for an Australian licence, although they may need to complete additional testing or meet other licensing requirements set by the relevant Australian state or territory.
These changes do not apply to temporary visitors to Australia, who will still be able to drive with a valid overseas licence, provided they comply with the conditions of their licence.
Austroads manages Australia’s overseas licence recognition process on behalf of all state and territory licensing authorities.
“Following an extensive review, Australian licensing authorities developed a robust and evidence informed assessment framework that was used to determine whether these jurisdictions met the requirements for licence recognition,” said Dr Geoff Allan, Chief Executive of Austroads.
The framework was developed by road safety and licensing experts from Australian licensing authorities and independent experts. It assesses a range of factors, including licence integrity, road safety performance, driver licensing requirements, and evidence about the safety performance of overseas drivers after they obtain an Australian licence.
Assessments draw on international road safety data, Australian crash analysis, and information provided by the jurisdiction being assessed. “Austroads remains committed to supporting road safety and maintaining the integrity of driver licensing across Australia.” concluded Geoff.
More information, visit Applying for a Licence in Australia or New Zealand.