Can you drive in New South Wales using a foreign licence?

Driving in NSW with a foreign licence is allowed if you meet all the following conditions below:

• You are a temporary overseas visitor (tourists, people with working visa, people on a temporary business trip, people visiting friends or relatives)
• Your foreign licence or driver permit is current and valid
• Your foreign licence is in English, otherwise, you must carry an English translation of your licence or your International Driving Permit
• You have not been given a suspension or disqualification to drive in NSW or somewhere else

What are the licensing rules in NSW for temporary foreign visitors?

A temporary foreign visitor will be qualified to apply for a NSW driver licence upon residing for a continuous period of 6 months in Australia immediately prior to licence application. Take note that your most recent date of arrival in Australia must be declared in the licence application form.

The licences will have the letter code ‘Q’ marked in the conditions area on front of the licence, and the text ‘Evidence of permanent resident status not provided to Roads and Maritime Services (replacing Roads and Traffic Authority)’ on the back of the licence.

Licences with a ‘Q’ mark will be valid for a period of only 12 months, this also applies to Learner, P1, P2, and unrestricted licences.

Make sure you've used this site to learn the traffic signs and other road rules so that you can drive safely in Australia. Ignorance of the rules is no defence in court, and you can still be fined for not adhering to the rules even if you are on a foreign licence.

Who is exempted to these licensing rules?

• Those transferring an Australian interstate licence into a NSW licence or those who have already been issued with a NSW licence
• New Zealand driver licence holders or New Zealand citizens
• Temporary foreign visitors who are applying for a NSW learner licence

Renewal or application for NSW driver licence are not required for Australian citizens who are not permanently residing in Australia. They are allowed to drive in NSW as an international visitor provided that they have a current foreign licence.

If you are a New Zealand licence holder, you will be required to acquire a NSW driver licence within 3 months of residing in NSW or you should stop driving. This applies to both permanent and temporary residents from New Zealand.

New Zealand citizens or New Zealand driver licence holder's exemptions

Exemption applies to customers who present a New Zealand driver licence or New Zealand passport to the Roads and Marines Services.

You are exempted from all the temporary overseas visitor licensing arrangements and you may be issued with a licence of normal validity period. Your licence will not be under the Q condition and you will be required to adhere to the 6 months waiting period.

You will not be regarded as a visitor if you intend to reside in NSW holding a permanent visa under the Commonwealth Migration Act 1958 or if you are already a permanent resident of Australia. On a current foreign licence you will be allowed to drive for a maximum period of 3 months after your arrival in Australia.

Being a New Zealand licence holder, you will be required to acquire a NSW driver licence within 3 months of residing in NSW or you should stop driving. This applies to both permanent and temporary residents from New Zealand.

How to convert your foreign licence to a NSW licence?

You should be at least 17 years old to be allowed to acquire a NSW driver licence.

• Go to a Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) registry
• Provide proof of identity - you will have to provide two proof of identity documents (one from List 1 and one from List 2)
• Provide a further document as proof of your NSW address if your List 1 and List 2 documents of identity does not show your address.
• Present your foreign driver licence. If your foreign licence is not written in English you will need to provide an official translation only from the following:
  1. NSW Community Relations Commissions For a Multi-Cultural NSW
  2. Department of Immigration and Citizenship (the free translation service is only provided to eligible people)
  3. Translation from the Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea verified through relevant South Korean driver licence authority (applicable for South Korean driver licences only).

If you cannot provide your foreign licence: You will have to provide a licence status and details confirmation letter from the overseas licence issuing authority or from a relevant consulate or diplomatic office (based on gathered information from the overseas licence issuing authority).

• Pass the eyesight test
• Have your picture be taken
• Pay for the licence fee
• Take and pass the knowledge test and the driving test for the required licence class. See below for exemptions from the knowledge or practical driving test:
  1. You own an Australian driver licence which have expired for not more than 5 years and is verifiable through the issuing authority
  2. You hold a current foreign licence or at least one that has expired for not more than 5 years from a country identified as having commensurable licensing standards to Australia (see licences from recognised countries)
  3. You hold a current New Zealand driver licence (learner licence or paper licence are considered invalid)

If you pass the driving test you will be issued one of the following licenses below:

• P1 licence will be issued to you if you have held your overseas driver licence for no more than 12 months.
• P2 licence will be issued to you if you have held your overseas driver licence for more than 12 months.
• Unrestricted licence will be issued to you if you have held your overseas driver licence for more than 3 years.

If you fail the driving test you will have to get a learner licence to get another shot at a driving test.