Skip to content
An ACT Government Website
Accessibility
Contact us ACT Digital Account
Accessibility Contact us ACT Digital Account

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 which country issued it.

Visiting the ACT and driving with an overseas licence

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’re just visiting the ACT, you don’t need an ACT driver licence if you have a full licence issued by another country. Just 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.

When driving you need to carry:

Both your licence and permit need to be with you when you are driving.

You must:

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

Getting a full ACT driver licence

To get a full ACT driver licence, your options depend on:

  • if you want to use your prior driving experience towards getting an ACT licence, and
  • if your licence was issued by a mutual recognition country.

Driver licences from some countries are recognised in Australia. This is called mutual recognition. If your overseas licence is from a mutual recognition country it will be included on the:

If you have taken up residency in the ACT and have a full driver licence from another country, you have 3 months to get an ACT equivalent driver licence.

If you started living in the ACT between 1 April 2022 and 25 January 2023 you can continue to drive on your driver licence:

  • if it was issued by an approved country, for 12 months from the date your permanent visa was issued.
  • if it was issued by a non-approved country, for 3 months from the date your permanent visa was issued.

Holders of a full driver licence from an approved country

These countries are ‘approved’. This means that if you hold a full driver licence issued from one of them, then you can apply for a full ACT licence without doing any tests or assessments.

They are:

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

Holders of a full driver licence from experienced driver recognised countries

If you:

  • are aged 25 years or older
  • hold a full licence from one of the experienced driver recognised countries

then you can apply for a full ACT licence without doing any tests or assessments.

They are:

  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Estonia
  • Hong Kong (you need to have held your licence for at least 12 months)
  • Hungary
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Poland
  • Republic of Korea
  • Romania
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Taiwan.

Applying for the ACT full driver licence

If you meet the criteria for mutual recognition you don’t need to do any tests or assessments.

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring with you:

Your ACT driver licence will be mailed to your nominated postal address. You’ll be issued a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives, which can take up to 21 business days.

Non-approved countries or non-experienced drivers

If you don’t meet the criteria for mutual recognition, to get an ACT full licence you must complete the following steps.

Step 1: Take the learner course and pass the test

You must complete the ACT Pre-learner licence course and 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 in the Yellow Pages for ‘pre-learner licence courses' 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.

Bring with you:

Step 3: Attend your appointment

You’ll need to:

  • supply your own vehicle to complete the assessment in - check your vehicle will be accepted
  • arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. If you’re more than 5 minutes late to your assessment, you’ll need to rebook and pay again. If you need to:
    • reschedule, you need to give at least 48 hours' notice and pay the fee for the change. Less than 48 hours’ notice will forfeit your booking fee and you’ll need to pay it again in full.
    • cancel, you need to give at least 48 hours’ notice to receive a refund. A cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund. Less than 48 hours’ notice will forfeit your booking fee and you won’t receive a refund.
  • bring your current driver licence. If your licence isn’t written in English you will need to get an official translation from either:
  • bring the certificate showing you passed the ACT Road Rules test
  • bring your proof of identity and residency

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

Accepted vehicles

The vehicle you use for the practical driving assessment 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
  • must have a working air-conditioning system.

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

If you pass

The ACT Government Licence Examiner will tell you if you’ve passed the assessment and they will update your details on the registration register.

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring:

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

Access Canberra will give you a temporary licence which you can use until your physical card arrives, which 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.

If you don’t pass

You may only take the assessment one time using your overseas driver licence.

If you don’t pass the assessment the Examiner will tell you why and also email you an assessment report that details why you’re ‘not yet competent’.

This will help you practice the competencies you didn’t get right the first time.

If you don’t pass you will need to apply for an ACT learner licence.

What you need to do

Visit an Access Canberra Service Centre and bring:

You’ll 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

If 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.