Converting your overseas licence to a New Zealand Licence
Licence Conversion
Depending on what country you are from, there are different rules for you to consider when converting your licence to a New Zealand licence.
Some countries only require a theory test, while others require both a theory and a practical test. To find out about what you need to do to convert your licence visit the NZTA website.
To get confident with the road rules in New Zealand, it’s recommended that you take a practical driving training with a NZTA qualified instructor, like Eddie.
The price
1 lesson
A 60 min lesson completely tailored to your needs. More suited to those already confident on New Zealand roads who are just needing to brush up on your skills for your upcoming test.
60 min lesson | $60
Wanted to thank you again for today’s lessons, they were priceless!
— Tom, Takaka
Information from the NZTA website
If you have a valid* overseas driver licence you can convert it to a New Zealand driver licence. You can also convert the classes on your overseas licence to the equivalent classes for your New Zealand licence.
*A valid overseas driver licence means that your licence must not be suspended, disqualified or revoked in the country of issue and must be either current or expired within the last 12 months.
If you’re going to be staying in New Zealand, it’s a good idea to convert your overseas driver licence to a New Zealand driver licence.
You can only drive using an overseas driver licence for 12 months from your last date of entry into New Zealand. If you've been in New Zealand for more than 12 months, you won't be able to drive on your overseas driver licence anymore. You must have a New Zealand licence.
Theory and practical tests required for drivers from some countries
All drivers must know the road rules, what the road signs mean and how to drive safely. You can find out more in The official New Zealand road code. To prove that you are familiar with our road rules and can drive safely, some people will need to sit theory tests and practical driving tests. The tests you need to sit depend on the country your licence is from.
Some countries* require similar driving skills and have similar licensing systems to New Zealand’s. These countries are considered exempt countries:
Australia, France, Japan, South Korea, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Hong Kong*, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Finland, Italy, South Africa, United States of America.
*Hong Kong is recognised as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
If your licence is not from one of the countries above, then your licence is from a non-exempt country.
Non-exempt countries
If your licence is from a non-exempt country, you must pass a theory test and a practical driving test.
You need to make your application at a specialist overseas conversion site first, and sit your theory test. Your application will then be sent to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for your overseas driver licence to be assessed. We’ll check to make sure your driver licence is authentic and hasn’t been tampered with in any way.
Once the assessment is completed and your application has been approved, we’ll send you a New Zealand driver licence with a supervisor condition.
Once you’ve received your New Zealand driver licence, you can return to a specialist overseas conversion site and book your practical test.