How do I convert an overseas licence in Victoria?
If you are moving to Australia to live in Victoria, you need to get a Victorian driver’s licenceIf you want to drive a car or ride a motorcycle in Australia, you must have a valid licence to drive legally. There is no such thing as an ‘Australian’ driver’s licence for cars or motorcycles, you need get a licence in the state or territory you live in. If you are living in Victoria, you must get a Victorian driver’s licence (category ‘Car’) to drive a car, and/or a motorcycle licence (Category ‘R’) to ride a motorcycle.
Permanent resident or Australian citizen licence
You can drive in Victoria using your overseas licence for a maximum of six months. The six months starts from the day you first started living in Victoria, even if you leave Victoria and come back. If you live in Victoria as a permanent resident, or you are an Australian citizen (returning from overseas, but with only a valid overseas driver’s licence), you must apply for a Victorian licence before six months ends.
Finding out what category your overseas licence is to convert
Before converting your overseas driver’s licence to a Victorian driver’s licence, you need to know how Australian transport authorities (including VicRoads, the Victorian licencing authority) classify your overseas licence, according to where it was issued overseas. That is, either from ‘Recognised Countries, ‘Experienced Driver Recognition Countries’ or ‘Other Countries’.
Recognised Countries
Like all Australian transport authorities, the Victorian authority, VicRoads, recognises some overseas countries with similar driver licence standards as Australia. For those countries, called Recognised Countries (see country list below), most drivers who already have a full licence can exchange their overseas driver’s licence to a full Victorian driver’s licence.
Experienced Driver Recognition Countries
Experienced Driver Recognition status countries (see country list below) are those with driver licence testing standards that meet some but not all Australian licence testing requirements. If you are 25 or older with a driver’s licence from one of these countries, you may be able to exchange your overseas licence for a Victorian one, without driver testing.
But if you are under 25 and have a driver’s licence from an Experienced Driver Recognition Country, you will have to do theory and practical driving tests. If you pass these tests, your overseas licence will be converted, based on years of driving experience and age, to the same class of licence you would have been on if you started in Australia.
Other Countries
If you come from a non-recognised country, you must do a driving theory test and a practical driving test. If you pass both these tests, your overseas licence will be converted to a Victorian one, based on years of driving experience and age, to the class of licence you would have been on if you had started driving in Australia.
VicRoads requires that any licence or other relevant documents be in English. If not in English, you will need an approved translation, either from a NAATI accredited translator (see link below) or an appropriate consulate in Australia. You may need to pay a fee for the translation.
How to apply for a Victorian driver’s licence
If you come from a Recognised country or are 25 or older and come from an Experienced Driver Recognition Country, to apply for a Victorian driver’s licence you need to make an appointment at a VicRoads customer centre. You will need to fill in a ‘Licence or learner permit application’ form, show VicRoads your overseas licence (with approved translation if not in English), have proof of identity, have an eyesight test and pay a licence fee.
If you are under 25, from an Experienced Driver Recognition Country or from Other Countries, you will also need to do a hazard perception test and book a driving test. You may also need to do the road rules course knowledge test.
Recognised countries and jurisdictions:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man (for licences first issued on or after April 1, 1991), Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Malta (for licences first issued on or after January 2, 2004), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
Experienced Driver Recognition status countries:
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 and Taiwan.
*To exchange a Hong Kong licence without driver testing, you must be 25 or older and have held a Hong Kong licence for at least one year.
Helpful resources:
Guide to converting your overseas licence in Victoria
Convert your overseas licence in Victoria form
Driving with an overseas licence in Victoria
NAATI accredited translator
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