I Just Converted My Licence Do I Have to Wait to Do It Again

If you take a valid* overseas driver licence you can convert it to a New Zealand driver licence. You tin can likewise convert the classes on your overseas licence to the equivalent classes for your New Zealand licence.

*A valid overseas driver licence ways that your licence must not be suspended, disqualified or revoked in the country of event and must be either electric current or expired inside the final 12 months.

If you're going to be staying in New Zealand, it's a good idea to convert your overseas driver licence to a New Zealand commuter licence.

You lot can only drive using an overseas commuter licence for 12 months from your concluding engagement of entry into New Zealand. If yous've been in New Zealand for more than 12 months, you lot won't be able to bulldoze on your overseas driver licence anymore. You must have a New Zealand licence.

How to catechumen to a New Zealand licence

Yous must apply at a specialist overseas conversion site.

You'll need to:

• make full out an awarding grade [PDF, 214 KB]
• present evidence of your identity
• prove your eyesight meets the required standard
• provide a medical document (if required)
• present your overseas driver licence (and a translation if it is not in English language)
• let the agent take your photo and signature
• pay the application fee
• provide loftier-quality, colour photocopies of all the original documents you've provided, as listed above (including whatever translations).

You may also need to pass theory and practical tests. If you do, you lot'll also have to pay the exam fees.

Yous can't catechumen to a New Zealand licence using only an international driving permit. You must present your concrete overseas driver licence.

Find a specialist overseas conversion site in your area

Theory and practical tests required for drivers from some countries

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 route lawmaking.

To testify that you are familiar with our route rules and can drive safely, some people will need to sit theory tests and practical driving tests. The tests y'all demand to sit depend on the country your licence is from.

Some countries* require like driving skills and have similar licensing systems to New Zealand's. These countries are considered exempt countries:

Australia	France	Nippon	South korea
Austria	Deutschland	Luxembourg	Espana
Kingdom of belgium	Greece	Netherlands	Sweden
Canada	Hong Kong*	Norway	Switzerland
Denmark	Ireland	Portugal	United Kingdom
Finland	Italian republic	South Africa	Usa of America

*Hong Kong is recognised as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

If your licence is not from 1 of the countries above, and so your licence is from a non-exempt country.

Not-exempt countries

If your licence is from a non-exempt country, you must pass a theory test and a practical driving test.

Find out all about the driver licence theory tests
Discover out all about the driver licence practical tests

You need to make your application at a specialist overseas conversion site first, and sit your theory test. Your application volition then exist sent to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for your overseas driver licence to exist assessed. We'll cheque to make sure your commuter licence is authentic and hasn't been tampered with in any mode.

In one case the assessment is completed and your application has been canonical, nosotros'll send you a New Zealand driver licence with a supervisor condition.

Once you've received your New Zealand driver licence, you can return to a specialist overseas conversion site and book your applied exam. If you're paying past debit or credit card, you can telephone call us on 0800 822 422 to book your exam.

Once you've passed your test, we'll send you a New Zealand driver licence without a supervisor condition.

What information technology costs

Not-exempt country - full licence	Cost
Overseas conversion application fee	$52.x
Theory test fee	$45.70
Practical test fee	$59.90
Total	$157.70

If y'all miss your test time or your test if failed or terminated, you must pay some other fee when you lot rebook.

Learner or restricted

If you're converting to a car or motorcycle learner licence, you don't have to pay a practical test fee.

If you're converting to a restricted licence, you'll need to pay the restricted practical exam fee of $86.threescore instead of $59.90.

Exempt countries

Motorcar or motorcycle licence

If you lot're converting a car or motorcycle licence (New Zealand form ane or 6) from an exempt land, you don't have to sit any theory tests.

If you've held your licence for more than ii years, yous won't have to sit whatsoever practical driving tests either providing your licence conspicuously shows an consequence date that was more two years agone. If it doesn't, you'll demand to get documentation from your licensing authority to confirm you've held it more than two years, or you can choose to sit the practical exam instead.

Exempt country - auto or motorcycle licence	Cost
Overseas conversion application fee	$52.ten
Total	$52.10
If you've held your overseas licence for less than 2 years, y'all'll also need to sit a practical test and pay a test fee of $59.ninety for a full licence or $86.60 for a restricted licence.

Truck licence

If yous're converting a truck licence from an exempt land (New Zealand classes ii-5), you lot'll have to pass a theory test.

If you lot've held your licence for more than than 2 years, yous won't accept to sit down a practical driving examination (unless your licence is from Hong Kong or South korea, in which instance yous must laissez passer a applied driving test).

Exempt country - truck licence	Price
Overseas conversion application fee	$52.10
Theory examination fee	$45.seventy
Total	$97.fourscore
If you lot've held your licence for less than ii years, or your licence is from Hong Kong or Republic of korea, you lot'll also need to pass a practical test and pay a test fee of $59.90.

If you lot miss your test time or your examination if failed or terminated, you lot must pay some other fee when you rebook.

Booking your test

If you need to sit tests, y'all can volume them as presently equally you lot've fabricated an awarding at a specialised overseas conversion site.

Detect out all about the driver licence theory tests
Discover out all nearly the driver licence practical tests

Application assessed

Your application will so exist sent to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for your overseas commuter licence to exist assessed. We'll check to make sure your driver licence is authentic and hasn't been tampered with in any way. We'll contact y'all if there are whatsoever issues with your driver licence.

Awarding completed

Once your application is completed and you've passed whatsoever theory tests that were required, nosotros'll transport yous a New Zealand driver licence.

If you all the same need to pass a applied test to complete your overseas conversion, your New Zealand driver licence will have a supervisor status on it.

Driving in New Zealand while converting your licence

You can only drive in New Zealand for 12 months from your final date of entry into New Zealand.

If yous're required to pass a applied examination to complete your overseas conversion, nosotros'll consequence you with a New Zealand licence with a supervisor condition on it. Once yous've been issued with that licence, y'all can't drive on your overseas licence anymore. You must have a supervisor with you lot at all times while driving.

One time y'all've passed your practical examination, we'll send you a new New Zealand commuter licence without a supervisor condition.

Supervisor status

A supervisor is a person who:

• holds a current full New Zealand commuter licence for the grade of vehicle

• has held their total New Zealand driver licence (or an equivalent overseas driver licence) for at to the lowest degree ii years, and

• doesn't have a supervisor status on their New Zealand licence.

Driving in New Zealand while converting a motorcycle licence

If you're converting a motorcycle licence and need to pass a practical exam, you won't be given a supervisor status; you'll be issued with a learner motorcycle licence.

Yous must follow all the weather of a New Zealand motorcycle learner licence until you've passed the practical driving exam.

Motorcycle learner licence weather condition

• You lot must merely ride a LAMS-approved motorcycle.

• You must not carry passengers on the motorcycle or in a sidecar

• Yous must not ride betwixt the hours of 10pm and 5am

• You must non tow some other vehicle.

There's a minimum historic period

These are the minimum ages you must exist earlier getting each blazon of driver licence:

Class	Minimum age (years)
Car or motorbike
Learner licence	sixteen
Restricted licence	16 ½
Full licence (without an canonical course document)	eighteen
Total licence (with an approved course certificate or canonical CBTA gradecertificate)	17 ½
Truck
Learner licence	eighteen
Full licence	18

This means that if you're under 18 years of historic period, you can just catechumen your overseas licence to the equivalent age-related New Zealand licence class.

Different types of licence require dissimilar tests

Dissimilar types of vehicles are grouped into classes. There are different theory and applied tests for different classes:

• Class 1 covers cars and light-weight motor vehicles (eg vans and utilities).

• Classes ii–five cover different types of heavy vehicles (eg trucks).

• Class 6 covers motorcycles.

Please note that New Zealand licence classes are not an exact match to those that apply overseas.

Come across the full definition of New Zealand driver licence classes

Well-nigh people volition sit the theory and practical tests for a automobile licence.

If you want a motorcycle licence as well, you'll have to sit another set of tests.  If y'all likewise want a truck licence, you'll need to sit a unlike fix of tests.

Make sure you lot tell the driver licensing agent which types of licence you desire to catechumen.

Can I catechumen to a New Zealand licence using only my international driving let?

No. You must present your concrete overseas driver licence at the driver licensing amanuensis when you are applying to catechumen to a New Zealand licence. You tin can't present your international driving permit on its own.

More information

Download Factsheet 72: Converting to a New Zealand licence [PDF, 114 KB]

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Source: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/new-residents-and-visitors/converting-to-nz-driver-licence/

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