Victoria
Driving in Victoria on an overseas licence
For visitors driving in Melbourne and regional Victoria on a licence that is not in English. We translate the licence into English and deliver it by email, with an optional NAATI certification.
Published 5 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026 · Official Translation
Driving in Victoria on an overseas licence?
Answer a few quick questions and get your answer in 1 second.
What VicRoads says
Three lines from the VicRoads visitor page
VicRoads renders no last-updated date on this page, so read it again close to your travel date. The wording below is quoted as it appears.
A translation or a permit
“If your licence is not in English, you’ll also need to carry either: an English translation of your licence, or an international driving permit in English.” The key word is either. VicRoads asks for one of the two, carried with the licence itself.
Keep the licence on you
“You should always have your overseas licence with you when you drive.” A translation or a permit sits beside the original card. It does not stand in for it.
Visiting, not settling
The VicRoads page describes a visit as a stay of “less than 6 months”. If you are moving to Victoria rather than visiting, converting your licence is a separate process. See licence translation for a Victorian licence conversion.
What each state fines, on the spot and in court, when a licence that is not in English has no translation with it: driving without a licence translation: the fine in each state.
Either, not both
Translation or permit: which one suits you
VicRoads asks for one or the other. The right choice depends on where you are when you read this.
A permit is applied for at home
“Can I apply for an IDP in Australia if I hold an overseas driver’s licence? No. Only Australian driver licence holders can apply for an IDP in Australia. If you hold an overseas driver licence you must apply for a permit in the country that issued your licence.” If you are still at home, a permit is one option to look into before you fly.
Source: Australian Automobile Association, International Driving Permits
Already in Melbourne?
Once you are in Australia, the AAA says an overseas licence holder cannot apply for a permit here. An English translation is the option that remains. We work from a clear photo or scan of your licence and deliver by email, so nothing needs to be posted.
What the translation covers
Both sides of the card in full: name, date of birth, licence number, categories or classes, conditions and restrictions, issue and expiry dates, issuing authority, and every stamp or code. Your name is romanised to match the spelling in your passport.
The VicRoads visitor page asks for an English translation and names no translator. Its convert page does name one, in the paragraph that covers stays of “less than 6 months” — the same stay length the visitor page describes: a licence not in English must be translated “by any NAATI accredited translator or the country’s consulate in Australia”. For that reason we steer Victorian customers, and hire-car customers especially, to the NAATI certification option. Melbourne rental desks use their own wording as well; see renting a car in Australia on an overseas licence for what each company says.
Source: VicRoads, convert an overseas licence (no date shown on the page; checked 18 September 2026)
Pricing
The full price on screen before you order
Translation is $39.99 per page into English, delivered digitally. Add NAATI certification for $59.99 per page, prepared by a NAATI-certified translator with a digital stamp carrying a scannable QR code.
The order page shows delivery options and the total before you pay. For other states, or for the wider picture, start at driver licence translation into English.