Overseas licence Conversions / Changeover

The need to change your overseas driving licence to a Victorian driving licence depends on whether you stay in Victoria as a temporary or permanent resident.

If you are on a temporary visa, you can drive on your overseas driver licence (it must be current and valid) for an indefinite period provided your overseas driver licence is in English (or you have an accompanying English translation or International Driving Permit).

If you are in Victoria on a permanent visa, you may drive on your overseas driver licence for:
six months from the date you first entered Australia (if the permanent visa was issued before you entered Australia), or;
six months from the date when the permanent visa was issued to you (if the permanent visa was issued to you in Australia)

If you want to continue driving in Victoria after this time you must hold a valid Victorian driver licence.

Victorian full driving licence

To obtain a full licence you must have held and provide evidence that you have held an overseas licence for at least three years from your 18th birthday. Your overseas driving licence must be current or not expired by more than five years. Any period where you have been suspended or disqualified from driving is excluded when calculating the period of time you have held a licence.

Probationary driving licence

You must be at least 18 years of age to obtain a Victorian probationary driver licence. If you have held an overseas driving licence for less than three years, an appropriate probationary period (P1 or P2) will apply, depending on your age and the amount of time your overseas driver licence has been held (you must provide evidence).

Licence translations

If your licence is in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by an English translation.
VicRoads only accepts translations completed by:

a NAATI accredited (any level) translator, or
an official translation from the country of origin, or
an appropriate consulate in Australia.

An International Driving Permit is acceptable as a translation of an overseas driver licence.

Exemptions from licence tests

If you hold a driver licence from one of the countries in the table below you are not required to undertake any tests provided your overseas driver licence is current or not expired by more than five years. However, you still need to make an appointment to changeover to a Victorian driver licence.


Austria	Belgium	Canada	Croatia
Denmark	Finland	France	Germany
Greece	Ireland	Italy	Japan
Luxembourg	Netherlands	Norway	New Zealand
Singapore	Spain	Sweden	Switzerland
UK	USA

Whether you hold your Overseas / International Licence from one of the abovementioned countries, or another country, in which case you may need to pass the practical Drive test, Melbourne Driving School will tailor a driving lesson program to suit your specific requirements.

The Melbourne Driving School are your Overseas Licence Conversion specialists, and are fully conversant with the Vicroads Driving test assessment criteria.

If you would like your Victorian Drivers Licence, or simply driving lessons to familiarize yourself with driving in Melbourne, then call 0414 771101.