If you are willing to drive in Australia but do not possess an Australian license, you can drive with an international license. You can drive for a short time which is around three months only. After this, if you wish to drive in Australia, you need to transfer your international license. You can transfer them into any Australian state license based on the location where you are residing in Australia.
Transferring Australian licenses to overseas licenses varies from state to state. This article will discuss the significant criterion and process involved in transferring your license to an Australian License.
NSW or New South Wales.
You need to judge the category of visa you possess before driving with an international license in New South Wales. If you are visiting NSW and wish to drive a car, you can do so with your current license unless it is suspended or disqualified, and you follow all the required road rules.
Being a permanent Australian resident and having a visa under the 1958 migration act of the commonwealth, and you wish to stay in New South Wales, you won’t be considered a visitor to that state. Henceforth, you must apply for a permanent NSW license to drive within the territory. The state will allow you to drive for up to three months.
If you wish to transfer your license, you will require the following documents:
- Your identification proof.
- Knowledge of the state driving rules.
- A distinguishable medical report.
- Your international license ( must be in the English language ).
Once you have all the documents as mentioned earlier, you need to visit the nearest state driving center and submit all the pieces of information in person.
Victoria or VIC.
Driving in the state of Victoria with your overseas license depends on your visa status. The writings of your driving license must be in the English language associated with an international driving permit. If you are a temporary visa holder, you do not have to convert your international license to a Victorian license. You can also drive in the state during your stay with accurate paperwork.
You can drive subject to the following conditions if you hold a permanent Australian visa.
- Six months from the first date, you entered the state of Victoria. It is only possible if the permanent visa is registered before entering Australia.
- Six months from the date of issuance of your permanent visa. It is possible only if your visa was issued after you entered Australia.
If any of the above conditions are not satisfied, then transferring the Australian license to an overseas license is purely mandatory.
Queensland.
For Queensland, the driving rules are less strict compared to other states. If you wish to drive with an overseas license, you can, but only if the license is valid. In the following cases, you cannot drive in Queensland with an overseas license:
- Any court of Australia has termed you void or disqualified you from obtaining an Australian license.
- Your authorities have been cut out because you didn’t pay the fines.
- You had a record of driving at more than the standard speed limit.
- You are medically unfit to obtain an Australian license.
- You are a resident of Australia and have lived in the country for more than three months.
- You have failed the actual driving test for your Queensland driving license.
If you wish to continue driving in Queensland beyond the period of three months, you have to obtain a Queensland license. You can contact the closest customer service or primary road transport department to issue a Queensland license.
Western Australia ( WA )
If you are visiting for a stay in Western Australia, you can drive only those registered vehicles with your international driving license.
If your license ceases to function and you still wish to drive vehicles in Western Australia, you must obtain a license from Western Australia. The conditions of visiting drivers involve:
- Personnel of the Overseas Defense force, including their families.
- People visiting western Australia on business journeys.
- A person is working temporarily in Western Australia.
- Students and tourists.
To drive on the roads of Western Australia with your international license, you need to satisfy the following conditions:
- Carry the license with you every time and show any officer if they ask for it.
- Comply with all the rules and conditions of your license.
- Driving only those vehicles that are registered with your license.
- Hold a current license that is qualified and is not suspended.
Tasmania.
It is eligible for you to drive in Tasmania with an international license only if you have a permanent or temporary visa that has not been issued three months ago. You can drive with an international license under the following conditions:
- You must possess a running overseas license.
- You are not disqualified from the driving license authority of Tasmania.
- You are not issued a Tasmanian license.
You cannot drive with your overseas license once you are issued a Tasmanian Learner license or a permanent driving license. However, if you wish to convert your outside license entirely to a Tasmanian license, you should carry legal documents to authorize your identity and visit the nearest driving license department.
List of countries that do not require verification of the licenses.
The following countries are listed below:
- Somalia.
- United States.
- Mexico.
- Vatican City.
Final Words.
Transferring an Australian license to an overseas license is very much possible. However, it is not mandatory for some states in Australia to follow the guidelines for driving a vehicle. For transferring your license, you need to pass a driving test, a medical checkup and satisfy all the documents according to the authority. Therefore, look into all the factors before transferring your license.