Interstate Visitors

• Interstate Visitors
• International Visitors - Do You Need A NSW Licence?
• International Visitors Wishing To Convert To A NSW Licence
• New Zealand

Licence holders transferring a driver licence from Interstate, who have not held a licence for at least 12 months will be issued with a provisional P1 licence at no fee. The licence holder will be eligible to graduate to a provisional P2 licence when the 12 months minimum licence tenure has been reached. Tenure gained on the Interstate licence will be taken into account.

Licence holders transferring driver licences from Interstate, who have held a licence for 12 months or more but less than 3 years will be issued with a provisional P2 driver licence at no fee. The licence holder will be eligible to graduate to an unrestricted licence when the 24 months minimum licence tenure on the provisional P2 licence has been reached. Tenure gained on the Interstate licence will be taken into account. Riders transferring Interstate rider licences they have held for 12 months or more will be issued with a no fee unrestricted rider licence as is current practice.

You'll need to:

• take your Interstate or internal territory licence to an RTA Motor Registry or agency
• provide proof of identity
• provide proof of your residential address
• complete an application form
• pass an eyesight test
• have your photo taken
• pay a licence fee if you have an expired Interstate or internal territory licence

You will then be given your NSW photo licence. As you cannot have more than one Australian licence, the RTA will provide you with a receipt for your old licence and then destroy the licence before notifying the issuing State or Territory to cancel it.

If you have a current Interstate or internal territory Learner's Licence and you now have residence in NSW, you must pass the NSW eyesight and road rules knowledge tests before you can get a NSW Learner’s Licence.

ADTA Professional Trainers can provide assistance.

If you have held your driver licence for less than 12 months you will be issued a NSW provisional P1 licence. Ifyou have held your driver licence for more than 12 months but less than 3 years a provisional P2 licence will be issued. If you have held your motorcycle rider licence for less than 12 months you will receive a NSW provisional P1 rider licence.

You must provide documentary proof of the first issue date of your overseas licence if the period for which you have held the licence is to be recognised for the issue of a NSW licence.

Before you first attend the motor registry, you may wish to obtain a letter from the driver licence issuing authority (on their letterhead) of from your relevant consulate or diplomatic office, confirming your licence details, including the first issue date. If the letter is not in English, an official translation as mentioned above, is also required.

Since it is a legal requirement that only one licence can be used for driving in Australia, before your NSW licence will be issued, you must present your overseas licence to be made invalid in Australia.

If you do not intend to stay in NSW and do not hold a permanent visa, you will be regarded as a visiting driver. If you hold a current overseas driver licence you are not required to get a NSW licence even if your stay is longer than three months. If the licence is not written in English, an International Driving Permit, or an English translation must also be carried with the licence when driving.

More information for International Visitors is available from the RTA Website

International Visitors Wishing To Convert To A NSW Licence

Holders of driving licences from a number of countries are exempted from NSW driving tests. To find out which countries are exempted, contact the RTA.

Foreign driver licence holders, subject to the usual checks, will be required to pass a road law knowledge test and a driving test, unless exempted. Only car and motorcycle licences will be recognised. Applicants must meet the age requirements of the individual jurisdictions. Full tests will be retained for heavy vehicle licences for all overseas countries except New Zealand.

Licence holders transferring a foreign driver or rider licence and who have held the licence for less than 1 year will be issued a provisional P1 driver or rider licence for the full 1 year plus 6 months period, after passing the driving/riding and knowledge tests.

Licence holders transferring a foreign driver licence who have held the licence for twelve months or more but less than 3 years will be issued a provisional P2 driver licence for the full 2 years plus 6 months period, after passing the driving and knowledge tests. They will not be required to pass a Hazard Perception Test (HPT).

Licence holders transferring a foreign motorcycle licence and who have held the licence for twelve months or more will be issued an unrestricted motorcycle rider licence, after passing the riding and knowledge tests. They will not be required to pass a HPT.
Licence holders transferring an overseas driver licence and who have held the licence for 3 years or more will be issued with an unrestricted driver licence after passing the driving and knowledge tests. The Driver Qualification Test (DQT) will not be required.

ADTA Professional Trainers can provide assistance.

If you need help in finding an ADTA Member Driving School, contact us, click here for our details.

New Zealand

A NZ licence holder must pass eyesight and knowledge tests but is exempt from a driving or riding test provided the application is for an equivalent NSW licence class. Normal age and tenure requirements still apply. The NZ licence is photocopied and returned to the holder after hole punching photo-licences in a blank area, or endorsing paper licences that a NSW licence is issued. A NZ licence holder who can provide a letter from the Land Transport Safety Authority of New Zealand stating that they have held an unrestricted licence, without cancellation, for the past 5 years continuously can be issued a 5 year licence.

Any application to convert a NZ driver photo-licence Class 5 (old NZ paper licence classes F + L) to a NSW driver licence class MC must be supported by a letter of employment from a road train or B Double operator. A satisfactory medical report is also required.

Holders of NZ learner licences must pass knowledge and eyesight tests before undertaking a driving or riding test at a motor registry (or skills riding test with an RTA approved rider training contractor if they live in a declared area). No pre-learner or pre-provisional rider training is required. If they pass the driving or riding test, the RTA issues a provisional licence. If they fail the driving or riding test, they must obtain a NSW learner licence before they can undertake another driving or riding test. Holders of NZ motorcycle learner licences living in a declared area must undertake the pre-learner and pre-provisional rider training if they fail a riding test. Normal age and tenure requirements still apply.

A holder of a NZ restricted licence will receive a NSW provisional P1 licence if the NZ licence has been held for less than 12 months. If the NZ licence is held for 12 months or more, but less than 3 years, a provisional P2 licence will be issued. Motorcycle licence holders will receive an unrestricted motorcycle licence if the NZ licence is held for 12 months or more.

ADTA Professional Trainers can provide assistance.
If you need help in finding an ADTA Member Driving School, contact us, click here for our details.