Introduction
Australia allows residents from certain countries to convert their driver’s licenses from their home countries to an Australian license. However, changes are set to take effect from 2025, which may impact this process. With Australia’s new guidelines for overseas license holders, the conversion process will become more streamlined but with stricter criteria to enhance road safety and uniformity across Australian states. Read more to explore driver license news updates.
What is current oversea license conversion?
Recognised Country Status
Under the current Recognised Country Scheme, residents with a license from countries classified as “Recognised Country Status” can convert their licenses to an Australian driver’s license without needing to take any tests. Recognised countries include the USA, the UK, Canada, Germany, Finland, Japan, Singapore, and others.
Experienced Driver Recognition Status
If your country falls under the “Experienced Driver Recognition” category, eligibility for license conversion may depend on additional factors.
For example, if you’re over 25 years old, you may be granted an equivalent Australian driver’s license without further assessments. However, drivers under 25 may need to undergo testing.
Some countries in this category are Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and South Africa.
What is the new driver license conversion rules?
Starting from 30 April 2025, the Experienced Driver Recognition status will be ceased in most states in Australia. As a result, overseas license holders from countries in this category will likely need to complete training and testing to obtain an Australian driver’s license.
If you are international students from one of these countries, it’s advisable to convert your driver’s license before 30 April 2025 to avoid the additional training and testing requirements.
Exceptions for Visitor Visa Holders
Visitor visa holders are not affected by this change. It means that they are still able to drive in Australia with a valid driver license from their home country.
Conclusion
If you are currently in Australia and holding a driver license from Experienced Driver Recognition Status, convert your license into comparable Australian as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, contact our team at hello@soledu.net or 07 3003 1899.