Update April 2020 | Convert Overseas licence in Melbourne

New rules will be applied from 29th October 2019 for overseas licence holder wish to drive in Victoria:

General update: Due to Corona virus, VicRoads suspending drive test and allowing people to drive on overseas licence if they were not supposed to drive only because of 6 months expired reason! Note: This is only a temporary exemption, not considered your individual circumstances! For current update, please visit VicRoads or call on 131171

Regardless of your visa status (student visa, temporary visa, bridging visa, work visa, permanent residence visa, etc.), you are allowed to drive in Victoria state, Australia maximum 6 months from the day of your first entry into Australia if you arrive on or after 29 October 2019. If you arrive earier then your 6 months time starts from 29th October 2019!

If you cannot manage to convert your overseas licence within this time, you need to get a learner permit card that means you need to have a full licenced supervisor with you when you drive and have 'L' plate display. However, after you pass the drive test, you may still be issued a full licence if you are not under 22 years of age and you held your overseas licence for more than 3 years (reimposed).

If you are not under 21 years of age, you don’t have to do 120 hours record on the logbook!

VicRoads removed separate-appointment-requirements for the non-recognised overseas licence verification requirements!!! The verification will be done when you visit VicRoads in person for your other appointments like: Learner permit test or Hazard test or Drive test!

Overseas licence conversion in Melbourne, follow the 2 steps below:

Step 1: Check if your licence issuing country is in the "Click/ tap Recognized countries and jurisdictions list" or not. Call VicRoads on 131171 to book an "Overseas licence changeover appointment". Also highly recomendeed that you book a refresher lesson (optional). However if your country name is not in the list, follow the step 2 below:

Step 2: "Book a driving lesson customised for overseas licence holders(60 minutes $49) with us. We will teach you in our car how to apply Victorian road rules for 60 minutes and also guide you on how to prepare and book a Learner permit test, Hazard Test and a Drive test. Once you pass all the tests, VicRoads may consider your overseas license to issue a Victorian drivers licence.

We will provide the car and instructor for the training. End of the lesson, instructor can guide in details on what else to be done directly in person.

The complete help you need in most quick and cheapest way to convert your overseas licence from any country in the world into an Australian car drivers licence is here! If you live in the state of Victoria, you will need to get in touch with VicRoads for administration purposes and one of the Melbourne driving schools like us when you need professional driving lessons!

Divided into 2 categories based on the country of origin the licence from (recognized country & non-recognized country), VicRoads decide whether you need to just pay the fee and convert the licence or you require to go through exams before you can convert your licence.

Please read all the information on this page as this might help you a lot. Tips on this page cover issues that you might discover once you are stuck halfway. We get to know all the issues as we have worked closely with overseas licencing offices and VicRoads for over a decade. After all, we don’t want you to struggle when you want to convert your driver’s licence!

Non-recognised licence conversion

If your licence issuing country name is not listed in the "Recognized countries and jurisdictions" list, or your licence issuing country name is listed on "driver experience recognized" country list but you are under 25 years of age" you will require to go through a Learner permit knowledge test (computer based), Hazard perception test (computer based) and a practical on the road "Car drive and skills test" known as drive test! On the same day you pass the drive test, they might consider your overseas licence and issue you a full driver’s licence similar to what they will issue to someone having a licence from a recognized country.

You may feel that it’s too much information and you are not sure where to go, whom to ask and all of that! We are here to help you from the beginning to end. Even before you take the knowledge test, you can book a lesson with us so that we can guide you through everything!

New rules affects and solutions

If you fail your drive test on your overseas licence, you will not be able to drive by yourself until you pass the drive test regardless of which Visa you are on! You can minimize this risk by considering our licence guarantee package!

Use automatic car for drive test

A full licence is unrestricted, means even though you taken drive test in an automatic car, you are legally allowed to drive both automatic and manual car on the road! The benefit is that it’s cheaper and easier to pass the drive test in an automatic car!

Lessons for overseas drivers

Just book an hour lesson ($49, manual $55, pay on the day) so that can give you an estimate on the total number of lesson you may require (total cost) as well as a timeframe to complete all the formalities to drive in Melbourne, Victoria!

Recognized driver experience & countries

If your licence is from a "Recognized countries and jurisdiction", this means you are exempt by VicRoads from any theory or practical exam.

List of "Recognized countries and jurisdictions"

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia

Canada (1)

Croatia

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Guernsey

Herzegovina

Holland

Ireland

Isle of Man (2)

Italy

Japan

Jersey

Luxembourg

Malta (3)

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Portugal

Singapore

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

USA

(1) Licences from Ontario Canada must be surrendered and returned to the licensing authority
(2) For licences first issued on or after 1 April 1991
(3) For licences first issued on or after 2 Jan 2004

List of "driver experience recognized" countries

Also, if your licence is from a country listed in the "driver experience recognized" list and your age is 25 or more, means you are exempt by VicRoads from any theory or practical exam.

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Cyprus (4)

Estonia

Hong Kong (5)

Hungary

Latvia

Lithuania

Poland

Romania

Serbia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Slovakia

Taiwan

(4) Must be accompanied by one of the following: a Cypriot Passport or Cyprus Identity card or letter of verification from the Cyprus High Commission of Canberra.
(5) Must be held for 12 months. The Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

If you are exempt from exam based on the "Recognized countries and jurisdictions" or "driver experience recognized countries for the minimum age of 25", you need to make an appointment with VicRoads by calling on 131171 and on the day of your appointment bring all the required documents requested by them. Sometime VicRoads require verification of your licence and it may take few days. Your photo will be taken too.

Documents to present by overseas licensee

Below is a general guide of the kinds of documents required by VicRoads each time you go to VicRoads branch, regardless of which country your licence was obtained in. If you have already presented these documents once, remember to bring them again when you go there the next time:

Overseas Passport, evidence of Visa status, address proof letter with your name and a Victorian residential address, credit/debit card, original overseas licence (not international driving permit), verification (for some countries and states, check with VicRoads), English translation by a NATTI approved translator (if your licence is not in English) & amendment from the relevant authority (check with VicRoads) if detail doesn’t match exactly between your passport and drivers licence.

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