Converting to a New Zealand driver licence

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

*A valid overseas driver licence means that your licence must not be suspended, disqualified or revoked in the country of issue and must be either current or expired within the last 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 driver licence.

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

How to convert to a New Zealand licence

You must apply at a specialist overseas conversion site.

You'll need to:

• fill out an application form [PDF, 214 KB]
• present evidence of your identity
• prove your eyesight meets the required standard
• provide a medical certificate (if required)
• present your overseas driver licence (and a translation if it is not in English)
• provide evidence of validity (if your licence is from India, Pakistan or Tonga)
• let the agent take your photo and signature
• pay the application fee
• provide high-quality, colour photocopies of all the original documents you've provided, as listed above (including any translations).

You may also need to pass theory and practical tests. 

You can't convert to a New Zealand licence using only an international driving permit. You must present your physical 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 road code.

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

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

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

If your licence is not from one of the countries above, then your licence is from a non-exempt country. 

Non-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
Find out all about the driver licence practical tests

You need to make your application at a specialist overseas conversion site first, and pass your theory test. If your licence is from India, Pakistan or Tonga, you'll also need to provide evidence your licence is valid.

Evidence of validity for licences from India, Pakistan and Tonga

Once you've passed the theory test, you'll get a New Zealand driver licence with a supervisor condition. 

This New Zealand licence over-rides your overseas driver licence, and you must only drive with a supervisor next to you in the front seat until you’ve passed your practical driving test.

What is a supervisor?

You then need to pass your practical driving test. You can book this online or at any driver licensing agent

Book a practical driving test online(external link)

Find a driver licensing agent

Once you’ve passed your practical test, you'll get a New Zealand driver licence without a supervisor condition.

What it costs

The tests are included in your application fee. There is no fee to change, cancel or rebook your test.

Evidence of validity required for licences from India, Pakistan and Tonga

If your licence is from India, Pakistan or Tonga, you'll need to provide evidence that your licence is valid when you apply for an overseas conversion. 

How to get evidence of validity

You'll need to get evidence of validity from your licensing authority. Most people should be able to do this online at one of the websites below. 

When you have your evidence of validity, print it out and take it to the specialist overseas conversion site along with all your other documents when you apply for your overseas conversion. 

India

General (most states)

https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/(external link)

Andhra Pradesh/Telangana

https://tgtransport.net/TGCFSTONLINE/Reports/OnlineLicenceSearch.aspx(external link) or

https://aprtacitizen.epragathi.org/#!/vehicleRegistrationSearch(external link)

Madhya Pradesh

http://mis.mptransport.org/MPLogin/eSewa/DrivingLicenseSearch.aspx(external link)

Pakistan

Punjab

https://dlims.punjab.gov.pk/verify/(external link)

Peshawar/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

https://ptpkp.gov.pk/license-authentication/(external link) or

http://www.transport.kpdata.gov.pk/(external link)

Sindh

https://dls.gos.pk/online-verification.html(external link)

Islamabad

https://islamabadtrafficpolice.gov.pk/license-verification.php(external link)

National Highways and Motorway Police

http://dla.nhmp.gov.pk/LicVerification.aspx(external link)

Quetta

https://qtp.gob.pk/driving/verfication(external link) or

https://www.dlimsquetta.pk/(external link)

Azad Jammu & Kashmir

https://trafficpolice.ajk.gov.pk/VerifyLicense/(external link)

Tonga

Contact the Tongan Ministry of Infrastructure: www.gov.to(external link)

Why you need evidence of validity

India and Pakistan don't have centralised licensing authorities. Licences from different provinces and regions look different and have different details on them, which makes it hard to tell if they're valid. 

By providing the evidence of validity when you make your application, there won't be any delays while you wait for your licence to be validated. 

Waka Kotahi is also aware of online schemes selling fraudulent Tongan driver licences. By requiring evidence of validity with the application we can make sure that any Tongan licences presented are real licences. 

From time to time, Waka Kotahi may add other countries to the list that need to provide evidence of validity. 

Exempt countries

Car or motorcycle licence

If you’re converting a car or motorcycle licence (New Zealand class 1 or 6) from an exempt country, you don’t have to sit any theory tests.

If you’ve held your licence for more than two years you won’t have to sit any practical driving tests either, providing your licence clearly shows an issue date that was more than two years ago. If it doesn’t, you’ll need 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 test instead.

Truck licence

If you’re converting a truck licence from an exempt country (New Zealand classes 2-5), you’ll have to pass a theory test.

If you’ve held your licence for more than two years, you won’t have to sit a practical driving test (unless your licence is from Hong Kong or South Korea, in which case you must pass a practical driving test).

What it costs

If you’ve held your licence for less than 2 years, or you’re converting a truck licence, you need to pay a one-off test fee for each type of test you need to sit. You pay the fee when you book the test for the first time. There is no fee to change, cancel or rebook your test.

Booking your test

If you need to sit tests, you can book them as soon as you’ve made an application at a specialised overseas conversion site.

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

It's easy to book the practical test online.

Book a practical driver licence test

If you’re rebooking a test, you can do this online or at any driver licensing agent.

Find a driver licensing agent

Application completed

Once your application is completed and you’ve passed any theory tests that were required, we’ll send you a New Zealand driver licence.

If you still need to pass a practical test to complete your overseas conversion, your New Zealand driver licence will have a supervisor condition on it. 

This New Zealand licence over-rides your overseas driver licence, and you must only drive with a supervisor next to you in the front seat until you’ve passed your practical driving test.

What is a supervisor?

Driving in New Zealand while converting your licence

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

If you're required to pass a practical test to complete your overseas conversion, we'll issue you with a New Zealand licence with a supervisor condition on it. Once you've been issued with that licence, you can't drive on your overseas licence anymore. You must have a supervisor with you at all times while driving.

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

Supervisor condition

A supervisor is a person who:

• holds a current full New Zealand driver licence for the class you're learning to drive, and
• doesn't have a supervisor condition on their New Zealand licence, and
• has held a full New Zealand licence for at least 2 years OR has held an equivalent overseas driver licence for at least 2 years.

Driving in New Zealand while converting a motorcycle licence

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

You must follow all the conditions of a New Zealand motorcycle learner licence until you've passed the practical driving test.

Motorcycle learner licence conditions

• You must only ride a LAMS-approved motorcycle.

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

• You must not ride between the hours of 10pm and 5am

• You must not tow another vehicle.

There's a minimum age

These are the minimum ages you must be before getting each type of driver licence:

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

Different types of licence require different tests

Different types of vehicles are grouped into classes. There are different theory and practical tests for different classes:

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

• Classes 2–5 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.

See the full definition of New Zealand driver licence classes

Most people will sit the theory and practical tests for a car licence.

If you want a motorcycle licence as well, you'll have to sit another set of tests.  If you also want a truck licence, you'll need to sit a different set of tests.

Make sure you tell the driver licensing agent which types of licence you want to convert.

Can I convert to a New Zealand licence using only my international driving permit?

No. You must present your physical overseas driver licence at the driver licensing agent when you are applying to convert to a New Zealand licence. You can’t present your international driving permit on its own.

Auditing overseas licences

Waka Kotahi runs an auditing programme for overseas licences that were converted to New Zealand licences.

If Waka Kotahi finds that a converted licence was fraudulent, then it can revoke the New Zealand licence.

More information

Download Factsheet 72: Converting to a New Zealand licence [PDF, 269 KB]