If you have a valid overseas truck licence from an exempt country you may be able to convert it to a New Zealand truck licence (class 2-5).
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'll need to pass a theory test, and a practical test if you've held the licence for less than 2 years OR if your licence is from Croatia, Hong Kong or South Korea.
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'll need to sit a theory test to prove that you're familiar with our road rules.
To prepare for the test, you can read our road rules in the New Zealand road code.
The official New Zealand road code
You'll also need to sit a practical driving test to prove that you can safely drive heavy vehicles if:
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 driving tests
You can book the practical test once you've passed your theory test. You can book it at a driver licensing agent or online.
Change, cancel or rebook your practical driver licence test(external link)
You'll need to pay an application fee of $29.50 and a theory test fee of $45.70.
If you need to sit a practical test, you also need to pay a one-off practical test fee of $59.90. You pay the fee when you book the test for the first time. There's no fee to change, cancel or rebook your test.
If your overseas licence is the equivalent of a New Zealand learner licence, you'll pay the overseas conversion learner licence application fee of $27.10.
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 you’ve passed your theory test, you’ll get a New Zealand driver licence.
If you 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:
The minimum age to get a New Zealand truck licence is 18.
When you get a New Zealand truck licence, that will also let you drive cars (class 1).
If you also want to convert a motorcycle licence, you may need to sit a different set of tests.
Converting a motorcycle 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]
