Victoria
Licence translation for Victoria
VicRoads says your translation may come from any NAATI accredited translator. That is their word, on two separate pages, and it means you are not restricted to a panel of approved companies.
Driving in Victoria on an overseas licence?
Answer a few quick questions and get your answer in 1 second.
The rule itself
What VicRoads actually says
Quoted rather than paraphrased, because the exact wording is what matters here. For the words other states use, see NAATI, certified or official: what each state asks for.
Who may translate it
“If your driver licence or learner permit is not in English, you must have it translated by any NAATI accredited translator or the country’s consulate in Australia. Fees may apply.”
When you must convert
“If you’re moving to Victoria and plan to live here for more than 6 months, you must convert your overseas driver licence or learner permit to a Victorian one.” The regulations put it more precisely: authorisation to drive on the overseas licence ceases once you have resided in Victoria for six months or more.
Source: VicRoads, and Road Safety (Drivers) Regulations 2019, reg 13(1)(a)
Detail that matters
Two things that are easy to miss
Conditions and categories must be translated in full
The regulations require that a translation “include a full explanation, written in English, of any condition to which the licence is subject and the category of vehicle for which the licence has been issued.” A translation that renders your name and licence number but summarises the categories does not meet that. Ours renders them in full.
Road Safety (Drivers) Regulations 2019, reg 12(3)
Your appointment is in person
VicRoads’ booking page asks you to bring “Your original overseas licence” and “A NAATI approved English translation of your licence or an international driving permit (only required if your overseas licence isn’t in English)”. Its conversion page adds that a permit must comply with the UN Convention for international driving permits, be issued by the country that issued your licence, and be carried with it.
If you do not hold such a permit, a translation is the other document VicRoads names. We deliver your translation digitally, so you print it and take it with you; what VicRoads asks for at the counter walks through the appointment. VicRoads does not publish a position on printed digital translations either way — if you want certainty before your appointment, ask them on 13 11 71.
Source: VicRoads, convert your licence booking page (checked 18 September 2026)
Visiting rather than moving
If you are driving here for less than six months
A different and lighter rule applies. You can drive on your overseas licence as long as it is valid and either in English or accompanied by a translation.
What to carry
“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.” VicRoads also asks you to always carry the overseas licence itself.
An honest note on what the law requires
For a visitor simply driving, the regulations require “an accurate English translation” — the word NAATI does not appear there. VicRoads points people to a NAATI translator or a consulate, and a NAATI translation satisfies both. We are not going to tell you a non-NAATI translation makes you an unlicensed driver, because the law does not say that.
VicRoads publishes no “last updated” date on these pages. We checked the wording ourselves on 1 September 2026. Rules change — confirm with VicRoads before you order if anything here matters to your appointment.
Other states
Moving somewhere else instead?
Each state authority sets its own rules for overseas licences, and they differ more than most people expect. We keep a page for each, checked against the authority’s own wording.
Licence translation for Queensland
TMR asks for a translation from “an approved National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) translator”. What that means in practice, and the one question still open.
Licence translation for New South Wales
NSW plays by different rules for licence conversion — read this before you order anything.
Or start from the overview: driver licence translation, with the NAATI option, every state on one page.
Visiting Australia and renting a car on your overseas licence? See what the rental companies and each state actually ask for. Just visiting Victoria? The visitor rules, in the authority’s own words.