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Drivers with licences from overseas

If you are driving in the ACT, what you need to do will depend on:

  • whether you are just visiting or intend on living here
  • what type of licence you have, and the country of issue.

Visiting drivers

A visiting driver is a person who arrives in the ACT with no intention of becoming a resident. This includes:

  • tourists
  • business people
  • people visiting friends or relatives
  • visitors on working holiday visas
  • people studying or working temporarily in the ACT who intend to return to their home country.

What you need to do

If you are visiting the ACT, you do not need to get an ACT driver licence if you have a full licence issued by another country.

Make sure that for the length of your visit:

  • your overseas licence remains current
  • you have an international driving permit
  • your tourist or visitor status remains unchanged.

If your licence is not written in English, you must get an official translation from either:

  • an embassy or consulate
  • the Department of Immigration
  • an official NAATI certified translation.

When you drive you need to carry either:

  • your overseas driver licence and an international driving permit
  • your overseas driver licence that is written in English
  • your overseas driver licence that is not written in English, with an official English translation of the licence.

You must also:

  • follow the ACT road rules
  • follow any restrictions endorsed on your overseas driver licence
  • only drive the types of vehicles authorised on your licence.

Apply for an ACT full driver licence

Austroads has released new arrangements for the transition of overseas issued licences to Australian licences.

More information about the changes can be found on the Austroads website.

You have 3 months to get an ACT equivalent driver licence if you:

  • have taken up residency in the ACT
  • have a full driver licence from overseas.

What you need to do next will depend on whether your overseas driver licence has ‘recognition status’.

Countries with recognition status

These countries and jurisdictions hold ‘recognition status’:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Canada
  • Croatia
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Guernsey
  • Ireland
  • Isle of Man*
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Jersey
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta**
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Singapore
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America.

* For licences first issued on or after 1 April 1991

** For licences first issued on or after 2 January 2004

Licence holders with recognition status

If you hold a full driver licence issued from a country or jurisdiction with ‘recognition status’, you can apply for an ACT full licence without having to do any additional training or testing.

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring:

If your licence is not written in English, you will need to get an official translation from either:

  • an embassy or consulate
  • the Department of Immigration
  • an official NAATI certified translation.

Your ACT driver licence will be posted to you and cannot be collected from an Access Canberra Service Centre.

Access Canberra will give you a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives. This can take up to 21 business days.

Licence holders with non-recognised status

If you hold a licence from a country that does not hold ‘recognition status’, you will need to do additional training and testing before being issued an ACT driver licence.

Step 1: Take the learner course and pass the test

You need to:

  • complete the ACT Pre-learner licence course
  • pass the ACT Road Rules test at the end of the course.

You can complete the ACT Pre-Learner licence course through an ACT-based training provider.

Search online or view a list of providers on the City Services website.

Step 2: Book your appointment

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre to book your practical driving assessment with an ACT Government Licence Examiner.

You need to bring:

  • your current driver licence.
  • the certificate showing you passed the ACT Road Rules test
  • your proof of identity and residency
  • a debit card or credit card to pay the fee.

If your licence is not written in English, you will need to get an official translation from either:

  • an embassy or consulate
  • the Department of Immigration
  • an official NAATI certified translation.

Step 3: Attend your appointment

You only get one attempt at this assessment using your overseas driver licence.

You need to:

  • supply your own vehicle for the assessment
  • arrive 15 minutes before your appointment
  • bring your current driver licence
  • bring the certificate showing you passed the ACT Road Rules test
  • bring your proof of identity and residency.

If you are more than 5 minutes late to your assessment, you will need to rebook and pay again.

If your licence is not written in English, you will need to get an official translation from either:

  • an embassy or consulate
  • the Department of Immigration
  • an official NAATI certified translation.

Vehicle requirements

The vehicle needs to:

  • be registered (an unregistered vehicle permit is not acceptable)
  • be clean and roadworthy (check your tyres, brake lights and indicators)
  • have working seatbelts
  • have a working centre-mounted park brake (electric or manual handbrake)
  • be clear of loose items that may move in the cabin and become a hazard
  • display ‘L’ plates on the front and back
  • have enough fuel for a 55-minute assessment
  • have a working air-conditioning system.

If your vehicle type was listed in the ACCC’s compulsory recall for Takata alpha airbags you will need to produce a document from the manufacturer stating the airbag has been replaced.

If you need to reschedule

You need to:

  • give at least 48 hours' notice
  • pay the fee for the change.

If you give less than 48 hours’ notice you will lose your booking fee and need to pay it again in full.

If you need to cancel

You need to give at least 48 hours’ notice to receive a refund. A cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund.

If you give less than 48 hours’ notice you will lose your booking fee and you won’t receive a refund.

If you pass your practical driving examination

The ACT Government Licence Examiner will tell you if you have passed the assessment. They will also update your details on the registration register.

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring:

If your licence is not written in English, you will need to get an official translation from either:

  • an embassy or consulate
  • the Department of Immigration
  • an official NAATI certified translation.

You will be issued a full ACT driver licence equivalent to your overseas driver licence.

Your ACT driver licence will be posted to you and cannot be collected from an Access Canberra Service Centre.

Access Canberra will give you a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives. This can take up to 21 business days.

If you hold a heavy vehicle or motorbike licence overseas, there are separate requirements if you want to get the same licence in the ACT.

Read about licence classes and conditions.

Apply for an ACT learner driver licence

You will need to apply for an ACT learner licence if you are an:

  • overseas full licence holder with non-recognised status who did not pass their practical driving examination
  • overseas learner or provisional licence holder (and their equivalents).

Overseas learner licence holders may have tenure credited to their ACT learner licence, but the tenure cannot be used towards equivalent driving hours.

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring:

  • your current driver licence
  • the certificate showing you passed the ACT Road Rules test
  • your proof of identity and residency
  • a debit card or credit card to pay the fee.

If your licence is not written in English, you will need to get an official translation from either:

  • an embassy or consulate
  • the Department of Immigration
  • an official NAATI certified translation.

You will then need to follow the steps for getting your ACT provisional licence under the Graduated Licensing Scheme.

Read about getting your provisional driver licence.

Medical conditions and driving

Once you hold an ACT driver licence you must tell Access Canberra if you have a permanent or long-term illness, injury, or incapacity that might impair your driving ability.

Access Canberra may ask you to demonstrate your fitness to drive to ensure you can safely operate a vehicle. This may involve one or both:

  • a medical examination
  • a driving assessment by an occupational therapist.

Read about fitness to drive.