Can I drive in Australia on my overseas licence?

Yes, on a current overseas licence, on each state’s own terms. If your licence is not in English, nearly every source we checked names an English translation or an International Driving Permit, carried with the original licence. Queensland says you “should carry a recognised English translation”. The Northern Territory’s page tells you to apply for a permit if your licence is not in English, and we cannot supply a translation for use there. How long you may drive depends on the state, and on whether you are visiting or moving here. The checker above shows what we have checked for your state.

Austroads, the association of Australia’s road transport agencies, sums it up: “Except for the Northern Territory (3 months), and New South Wales and Victoria (6 months), Australian states and territories allow visiting drivers to drive indefinitely on their overseas licence as long as it is current.” That is its reading, not each state’s own words. NSW itself says visitors can drive on an overseas licence “for up to six months”. Once you live here, most states name a period: South Australia gives a new permanent resident 90 days to get a South Australian licence. Every state’s time limit, in its own words.

Not always. For a licence not in English, every state and territory we quote except the Northern Territory names an English translation, carried with the licence, and most also name a permit. NSW says you “must also carry an English translation, or an International Driving Permit.” A permit is issued only in the country that licensed you, so once here, a driver licence translation is the option you can still arrange. The NT’s page asks for a permit, and any translation “must be done by an authorised translator in the NT”, which we are not. Permit or translation, state by state.

Only with your own licence: an International Driving Permit is carried with your licence, never in place of it. The Australian Automobile Association says a permit “is only valid if you carry your domestic driver licence photo card”, and South Australia says: “An IDP is valid for 12 months, and you must also carry your driver’s licence from your home country.” For a licence not in English, most states name either a permit or an English translation, carried with the licence. Queensland’s page does not mention permits. Permit or translation, source by source.

As a visitor, yes, on each state’s own terms. Queensland’s page says “If you’re visiting Queensland, you can drive if you have a valid interstate or overseas licence.” For a licence not in English it adds “you should carry a recognised English translation of it when you’re driving.” NSW and Victoria also let visitors drive on an overseas licence, and name an English translation or an International Driving Permit for one not in English. Each state in detail: NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

Yes, as a visitor, on the same terms as any overseas licence. For driving, the state rules we quote on translations turn on whether your licence is in English, not on the country that issued it. If it is not in English, most states name an English translation or a permit to carry with it. The country does matter in a few places: Hertz has a separate rule for licences issued in the People’s Republic of China, Uber Eats names China, Japan, Iran and Egypt, and the new NSW transfer tests depend on your country. The checker flags each of these.

A UK licence is in English, so there is nothing to translate. The hire terms we quote ask for a translation only when the licence is not in English: Hertz’s describe a licence that “is in English or, if not in English, is accompanied by a certified English translation”, and Avis’s say it “must be in English, or if not in English, the renter must have an English translation thereof”. Other conditions still apply, such as Europcar’s licence “held for at least 1 YEAR prior to the commencement of the rental”, so read your company’s terms before you book. Driving in Australia on a licence in English.

If you hold an overseas licence, you change it for one issued by the state you live in. Each state runs its own process, with its own tests and exemptions. If your licence is not in English, Victoria asks for a translation “by any NAATI accredited translator or the country’s consulate in Australia”. NSW takes translations only from the sources it names, so we cannot help with a NSW transfer. The checker’s “I live here now” option shows what we have checked for your state. In detail: converting in Victoria and transferring in Queensland.

Not always. It depends on the state you move to and on the country that issued your licence, since each state sets its own tests and exemptions. NSW, for one, now tests more drivers aged 25 and over before they change to a NSW licence. In the checker, pick “I live here now and need to change to an Australian licence” to see what we have checked for your state, and check your state’s own page for the tests that apply to your country before you book.

Since 1 February 2026, more overseas drivers aged 25 and over must pass tests before converting to a NSW licence. Service NSW’s media release of that day says “a further group of overseas drivers and riders aged 25 years and over from a broader selection of countries will now be required to pass a knowledge test and a driving test before converting their overseas licence to a NSW licence”. Check your country on the Service NSW transfer page before you book. We cannot help with the translation for a NSW transfer: Transport for NSW takes translations only from the sources it names.