If you have a valid overseas car driver licence you can convert it to a New Zealand car licence (class 1).
What is a valid overseas licence
Check if your licence is from an exempt country
You must apply at a specialist overseas conversion site.
You'll need to:
You can't convert to a New Zealand licence using only an international driving permit. You must present your physical overseas driver licence.
Find a specialist overseas conversion site in your area
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.
The official New Zealand road code
If you've held your licence for less than 2 years, you'll need to pass a practical driving test. This is to prove that you're familiar with our road rules and can drive safely.
Your licence needs to clearly show an issue date that was at least 2 years ago. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to get a document from your licensing authority that includes an issue date more than 2 years ago, or you can choose to sit the practical test instead.
About the driver licence practical tests
The agent will book the test for you when you apply at a specialist overseas conversion site. If you need to change, cancel or rebook your test, you can do it online or at an agent.
Change, cancel or rebook your practical driver licence test
You'll need to pay an application fee. If you've held your licence for less than 2 years, you'll need to sit a practical test and pay a test fee for each test you sit.
If you miss your test time, fail your test or if your test is terminated, you'll need to pay another test fee when you rebook.
| Overseas conversion application fee | Full practical test fee (if you've held the licence less than 2 years)* | Total (if you pass the first time) |
| $52.10 | $59.90 | $112.00 |
*If you're converting to a New Zealand restricted licence, you pay the restricted practical test fee of $86.60 instead. If you're converting a learner licence, you don't have to pay a test fee even if you've held the licence less than 2 years.
If you need to change, cancel or rebook your test, you may need to pay a fee.
Changing a test for an overseas conversion
Changes to car licence test fees from 8 July 2024
If you applied before 8 July 2024, you won't have to pay a fee to change, cancel or rebook a test until 7 October 2024. If you haven't passed your test by then, you'll start to pay the new test fees the next time you book a test from 8 October 2024.
If your driver licence was issued in a different country to where your identification was issued, you'll need to provide evidence that your driver licence is valid.
For example, if your licence was issued in Japan, but your passport was issued in Saudi Arabia, you'll need to provide extra evidence.
Evidence of validity requirements
Once your application is completed, you'll get a New Zealand driver licence.
If you still need to pass a practical test to complete your overseas conversion, your New Zealand driver licence will have a supervisor condition on it. This New Zealand licence over-rides your overseas driver licence, and you must only drive with a supervisor next to you in the front seat until you’ve passed your practical driving test.
A supervisor is a person who:
Once you've passed your practical test, we'll send you a new New Zealand driver licence without a supervisor condition.
These are the minimum ages you must be before getting each type of driver licence:
|
Class |
Minimum age (years) |
|
Learner licence |
16 |
|
Restricted licence |
16 ½ |
|
Full licence (without an approved course certificate) |
18 |
|
Full licence (with an approved course certificate) |
17 ½ |
If you're under 18 years of age, you can only convert your overseas licence to the equivalent age-related New Zealand licence class.
If you want a motorcycle licence (class 6) as well, you'll have to sit another set of tests. If you also want a truck licence (class 2-5), you'll need to sit a different set of tests.
Converting a motorcycle licence from an exempt country
Converting a truck licence from an exempt country
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi runs an auditing programme for overseas licences that were converted to New Zealand licences.
If we find that a converted licence was fraudulent, then we'll revoke the New Zealand licence.
Download Factsheet 72: Converting to a New Zealand licence [PDF, 278 KB]
