Photo: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you move to NSW from another Australian state or territory, or from New Zealand, you must get a NSW licence within 3 months. Australian citizens and permanent residents with an overseas licence also have 3 months. Temporary visa holders who arrived on or after 1 July 2023 have 6 months. This guide covers who needs to transfer, which NSW licence stage you get, whether you must sit the tests, and what to bring to a service centre.
How long can you drive in NSW on your current licence?
| You are | Drive on your current licence for | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Moving from another Australian state or territory | Up to 3 months | Get a NSW licence within the 3 months |
| A New Zealand licence holder (permanent or temporary resident) | Up to 3 months | Get a NSW licence within the 3 months |
| An Australian permanent resident with an overseas licence | Up to 3 months from arrival | Get a NSW licence within the 3 months |
| An Australian citizen returning with an overseas licence | Up to 3 months from arrival | Get a NSW licence within the 3 months |
| On a temporary visa, arrived on or after 1 July 2023, staying more than 6 months | Up to 6 months | Get a NSW licence within the 6 months |
| A tourist or short-term visitor | Up to 6 months while you remain a temporary visitor | No NSW licence needed |
While you drive on an overseas licence, carry it with you. If it is not in English, also carry an English translation or an International Driving Permit.
When a temporary visa holder loses the right to drive
The Road User Handbook says your right to drive on an overseas licence is withdrawn if:
- you have lived in NSW for 6 months or more without transferring
- your licence is suspended or disqualified in Australia or another country
- you go over the demerit point limit for your equivalent licence
- you commit certain speeding, alcohol or drug driving offences.
Which NSW licence will you get?
NSW matches your experience to its licence stages. You must be at least 16 for a learner licence and 17 for a provisional licence.
| Licence you hold | NSW equivalent |
|---|---|
| Current learner licence | Learner licence |
| Held for less than 12 months | Provisional P1 |
| Held for more than 12 months but less than 3 years | Provisional P2 |
| Held for more than 3 years | Full (unrestricted) |
Your time on P1 or P2 then follows the NSW rules: from P1 to P2 to a full NSW licence.
Transferring an interstate licence to NSW
- Complete a Licence Application form.
- Gather your proof of identity.
- Check that your interstate licence shows its first issue date. If it does not, a service centre can get it from the other state (this can take several days), or you can get a letter from your old licensing authority confirming your details.
- Visit a service centre with your licence, form and ID. You will do an eyesight test and have your photo taken.
- Pay the licence fee. The NSW fees page lists an interstate licence transfer at $34 (from 1 July 2026). The interstate page also says NSW will match your existing expiry date for no fee, up to 10 years. Confirm the amount with Service NSW when you apply.
- Drive on the temporary paper licence until your card arrives by post.
Your interstate licence is cancelled, because you can only hold one Australian licence at a time.
Interstate learners
You get a NSW learner licence. Transport for NSW says you may be able to sit the Hazard Perception Test and Driving Test without being issued a NSW learner licence first. Phone 13 22 13 to discuss your case. Test details: NSW Hazard Perception Test and NSW Driving Test.
Expired interstate licence
- Expired 5 years or less: you can get the NSW equivalent. Fees may apply.
- Expired more than 5 years: you must sit the licence tests.
Converting an overseas licence to NSW
Do you need to sit the tests?
You do not need the knowledge test or Driving Test for a NSW car (class C) licence if your licence comes from one of these recognised places, as of November 2026:
- Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada (any state), Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece
- Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man (licences issued since 1 April 1991), Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg
- Malta (licences issued or renewed since 2 January 2004), Netherlands, New Zealand (not paper licences), Norway, Portugal
- Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America (any state).
To use the exemption, your licence must be current or expired within the last 5 years, and it must not be a learner licence.
If your country is not on the list, you will need to pass the Driver Knowledge Test and the Driving Test. See NSW Driver Knowledge Test.
Recent changes
- From 1 February 2026, Hong Kong (SAR) was added to the non-recognised list. China is also non-recognised. All Chinese and Hong Kong licence holders must pass the DKT and the practical test.
- From 1 February 2026, Experienced Driver Status from certain countries stopped operating in NSW.
- Transport for NSW warns that buying a Hong Kong licence online is fraud and can be prosecuted under NSW law.
When the exemption does not apply
- Licences from an external territory of a listed country need the tests.
- If you failed a driving test before 20 May 2002, you must retake and pass it.
- Transport for NSW can still require a test if it is not satisfied your licence is valid.
Held an Australian licence before?
If you hold an overseas licence and your old Australian licence expired within the last 5 years (and can be verified), you do not need to sit the tests.
Overseas learners
You must pass a knowledge test to get a NSW learner licence. Until then, if you keep learning on your overseas learner licence, you must follow NSW learner conditions: a supervisor with a full Australian class C licence, zero alcohol, L plates front and back, no towing, and no mobile phone use at all, including hands-free.
What to bring
- a completed Licence Application form
- proof of identity
- proof of permanent residency (if you are a permanent resident)
- English translations of any documents in another language.
Submit your application in person at a service centre and complete any tests you need.
Visiting on L or P plates from interstate or overseas
A provisional driver from elsewhere must follow their own licence conditions (for example a night or passenger ban) plus the NSW road rules. Keep below both the posted limit and the speed limit that applies to your licence at home. Demerit points apply to offences in NSW. More: driving interstate on L or P plates.
Medical conditions and older drivers
- When you apply for a NSW licence, you must declare any medical condition or disability that could affect your driving, and pass an eyesight test.
- Some conditions, such as epilepsy or cardiovascular conditions, need regular medical assessments.
- If a disability has a serious effect on driving, you may need a driving test, and conditions can be added to your licence (for example, automatic only).
- From age 75, car licence holders need a medical assessment every year.
- From 85, an older driver assessment is also needed every 2 years, unless you choose a modified (local area) licence.
Common questions
I moved from Victoria on my green Ps. What do I get in NSW?
It depends on how long you have held a licence. Less than 12 months converts to P1. More than 12 months but less than 3 years converts to P2. NSW P rules then apply, including the high performance car ban.
Can I drive in NSW on my UK licence?
Yes, for a limited time: 3 months if you are a citizen or permanent resident, or 6 months on a temporary visa. The UK is a recognised country, so you can usually convert without tests.
Do I need an International Driving Permit in NSW?
Only if your licence is not in English. Then you must carry an English translation or an International Driving Permit with your licence.
Can I keep my overseas licence after I get a NSW one?
Once you hold a NSW licence, your interstate or overseas licence is no longer valid for driving in Australia. You can only drive on one licence in Australia.
I am 26 with a Chinese licence held for 5 years. What do I need to do?
China is non-recognised, so you must pass the DKT and the Driving Test. With more than 3 years of experience, the equivalent licence is a full licence.
Can my overseas licence be used to supervise a learner?
No. NSW supervisors need a full Australian licence. See supervising a learner driver in NSW.
Back to the main guide: learning to drive in NSW.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Moving your interstate or NZ licence” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Interstate drivers and riders” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Moving your overseas licence” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Check your licence eligibility” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Knowledge and driving test exemptions” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Visiting from overseas or interstate” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Learner and provisional licence holders” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Your licence from age 70” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Driver and rider licence fees” (nsw.gov.au)