Convert your overseas licence in Victoria.
Drive on Australian roads under your own name. Stop relying on family for lifts. Verified Melbourne instructors who have guided drivers from 40+ countries through the VicRoads conversion process.
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The 6-month rule
If you live in Victoria for 6 months or more, you must convert your overseas licence to a Victorian one. The clock starts the day you start living here.
This applies to all residents, including:
- Permanent residents
- Skilled migrant visa holders (subclass 482, 186, 189, 190 and more)
- Partner visa holders
- Student visa holders
- Working holiday visa holders staying past 6 months
- New Zealand citizens
If you are visiting Victoria for less than 6 months, you can keep driving on your overseas licence as long as it is valid and you carry an English translation.
If your licence is not in English, you must carry an official English translation or an International Driving Permit whenever you drive.
What changed on 30 April 2025
On 30 April 2025, Austroads ended the Experienced Driver Recognition scheme in Victoria. Before that date, drivers from 16 specific countries could convert their licence without sitting the VicRoads drive test.
After 30 April 2025, drivers from those 16 countries must complete the full test process, just like any other non-recognised country.
If you arrived in Victoria after 30 April 2025 and hold a licence from one of these countries, you sit the full process.
If you arrived before that date but did not start your conversion in time, you also sit the full process now.
The change was made because road safety reviews found these licences did not have the same testing standards as licences from countries that still have Recognised Country status.
Countries that lost recognition status
If your licence was issued by one of these 16 countries or jurisdictions, you will need to complete the full test process to convert.
Europe
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
Europe (continued)
- Republic of Cyprus
- Republic of Serbia
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
Asia
- Hong Kong SAR
- Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Taiwan
Africa
- South Africa
The conversion process, step by step
This is the full test path that applies to drivers from non-recognised countries and from the 16 countries that lost recognition in April 2025.
If you hold a New Zealand licence, or a licence from a country that still has Recognised Country status, your process is shorter. Use the VicRoads conversion calculator to check your path.
Step 1 · Do the Learner Permit Knowledge Test online
Sign in to myVicRoads. The Learner Permit Test (also called the Road Law Knowledge Test) is the same test new Victorian learners take. The online version is in English. You can sit a non-English version in person at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre.
Step 2 · Book a licence verification appointment
Book online through myVicRoads. Bring your overseas licence, evidence of identity, evidence of your Victorian address, an English translation of your licence if it is not in English, and your glasses or contacts if you wear them. VicRoads will check your documents and your eyesight at the appointment.
Step 3 · Do the Hazard Perception Test online
Once your knowledge test is passed and your licence is verified, the HPT becomes available in your myVicRoads account. You can do it on your own device. The fee is $22.10 (May 2026). You must pass the HPT before you can book the drive test.
Step 4 · Book and sit the drive test
Book the drive test through myVicRoads. The test is 30 minutes around real Melbourne streets. The fee is $74.40 (May 2026). Plan for a 2 to 6 week wait depending on your test centre. Most overseas drivers sit the test in their instructor's car with dual controls. You can book an interpreter through VicRoads if you need one.
Step 5 · Get your Victorian licence
Pass the drive test and VicRoads will issue a temporary paper licence on the day. Your plastic licence card arrives in the mail within 21 days.
Will you go straight to a full licence?
Most overseas drivers do not have to go through P-plates. Here is the simple version.
Full licence path
If you are 23 or older and have held your overseas licence for 3 or more years, you go straight to a Victorian full licence after passing your drive test.
P-plate path
If you are under 23, or if you have held your overseas licence for less than 3 years, you will be issued P-plates first.
Note
VicRoads counts the time you have held the overseas licence, not the time you have been driving informally. If your licence was issued 18 months ago, that counts as 18 months, even if you have driven for years.
Why lessons matter when you already know how to drive
You have driven for years. You know how to drive. The question is whether you drive the Victorian way.
The VicRoads drive test looks for specific things that many overseas drivers do differently. Lessons fix the gap in 2 to 3 sessions.
Hook turns
Right turns from the left lane at major Melbourne intersections. Almost no other country uses them. The test does.
Roundabouts the Australian way
Give way to the right, signal left on exit, hold your lane. Subtle differences from how it is done in the UK, Europe and Asia.
Head checks every lane change
Assessors must physically see you turn your head. Mirrors alone are not enough.
Speed limits and school zones
Default urban speed is 50 km/h unless signed otherwise. School zones drop to 40 km/h between 8–9:30am and 2:30–4pm on school days. Any speed over the limit is a fail risk.
Side of the road
Australia drives on the left. If you trained in a country that drives on the right, expect a steeper transition curve. Most drivers from right-hand-drive countries need 4 to 6 hours of practice.
How many lessons will you need?
Drivers from left-hand-drive countries
Examples: UK, India, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan. 2 to 4 lessons is typical to learn the Victorian quirks before the test.
Drivers from right-hand-drive countries
Examples: Continental Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, Latin America, the US. 5 to 8 lessons is more typical. The first 2 cover side-of-road feel, the rest cover test-specific skills.
Drivers from countries with very different traffic norms
Some drivers prefer a longer block of 8 to 12 lessons to build confidence on Australian arterial roads. Your instructor will tell you after a 60-minute assessment lesson.
FAQ
What if I miss the 6-month deadline?
If you keep driving on your overseas licence past 6 months, you are driving unlicensed. Police can fine you and your insurance will not pay out in an accident. Book a VicRoads appointment early — wait times can stretch 2 to 4 weeks in busy periods.
Can I take the test in my instructor's car?
Yes. Most overseas drivers do. The car already has dual controls and your instructor knows it well. Confirm car hire and pre-test lesson pricing when you book.
Can I get an interpreter for the drive test?
Yes. VicRoads can book a NAATI-accredited interpreter through your myVicRoads account. The knowledge test and HPT are also available in several languages at a Customer Service Centre.
Will I be on P-plates?
Only if you are under 23, or if you have held your overseas licence for less than 3 years. Most adults converting a long-held licence go straight to a full Victorian licence.
What if I fail the drive test?
Your overseas licence is no longer valid for driving in Victoria. You must apply for a Victorian learner permit before you can drive again, even to practise. Book a few more lessons with your instructor and resit the drive test. Most overseas drivers who fail the first time pass the second test.
How much will the whole conversion cost?
Budget around $700 to $1,500 for most drivers. That covers the VicRoads fees ($22.10 HPT + $74.40 drive test), 2 to 6 lessons with a verified Drivelo instructor, and a test-day car-hire bundle. Drivers from right-hand-drive countries usually sit at the higher end.