- WA’s Department of Transport announced on 25 September 2026 that Austroads added 14 countries to the Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme that were previously part of the former Experienced Driver Recognition arrangements.
- Tasmania says anyone converting an overseas licence applies for its learner driver licence and must take a practical driving test.
- VicRoads, Queensland and NSW each have a page for overseas or visiting drivers; none is a paid-agent service.
Three different questions
People who arrive with a licence from another country ask three things that get mixed together. Can I drive on it for now? Can I swap it for an Australian licence? And can someone do the swap for me? The first two are answered by the state or territory agency. The third is where scams live, because every agency requires the applicant to attend in person and prove identity, and a middleman cannot do that for you.
Driving on it for now
VicRoads has a page headed “Driving with your overseas licence”, alongside pages to convert an overseas licence and an interstate licence. Queensland has a section for overseas and interstate licences that covers visitors and people moving to the state, and says to find out when you will need a Queensland driver licence. NSW has a “Visiting or moving to NSW” section covering driving as a visitor from another state or country and converting a licence if you move to NSW. The detail depends on the state and on your circumstances, so open the page for the place you are in rather than relying on a rule of thumb from a forum.
Converting
The Western Australian news item of 25 September 2026 is useful because it shows the rules shift. Austroads, the body that coordinates road agencies, added 14 countries to the Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme; those countries had been in the former Experienced Driver Recognition arrangements. If your country is on the recognised list, conversion is simpler. If it is not, expect to start with a learner licence. Tasmania’s page makes this explicit: its learner driver licence is also for non-novice drivers such as those wanting to convert an overseas licence, and they must take a practical driving test.
| What an agency will ask | What a scam offers instead |
|---|---|
| You attend a service centre or office with identity documents | “Send us scans and we handle everything” |
| A knowledge test or practical test unless your country is recognised | “Instant conversion, no tests, any country” |
| A fee paid to the agency | A larger fee paid to an agent by transfer or gift card |
| Your own original licence, sometimes with an official translation | A request to post the original to an address with no agency name |
We have not confirmed the translation requirement on the pages we opened, so treat that row as a general caution and check your agency.
What to do first
- Find the agency for the place you live in the directory.
- Open its overseas or interstate page and read the conditions for your country.
- Book or attend in person with original documents.
- Pay only on the agency’s own site or at its counter.
If an agent already has your documents
If you sent a licence or passport scan to a site that promised a conversion without an in-person step, follow the paid-a-scammer sequence. A posted original is harder to get back than a scan; ask the agency whether a lost-document process applies.
Questions to put to the agency before you pay anyone
- Is my country on the recognised list, and does that mean I skip the knowledge test, the practical test or both?
- Do I have to convert within a set time after arriving or after my visa begins?
- Which documents will you want to see in person, and in what form?
- What is the fee, and is it paid only to you?
- If my licence is not in English, what do you require?
The agency pages we opened do not answer all of these in one place, which is why asking beats guessing. A conversion agent who answers them all confidently and in advance is describing a service that does not exist at the agency.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my overseas licence in Australia?
Often for a time, but the rules vary by state and territory and by your circumstances. VicRoads, Queensland and NSW each publish a page for overseas and visiting drivers. Read the one for the place you live.
How do I convert an overseas licence?
Through the state or territory agency, in person, with identity documents. VicRoads has a convert-an-overseas-licence page. In Tasmania you apply for a learner driver licence and take a practical driving test.
What is the Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme?
A scheme coordinated by Austroads. On 25 September 2026 WA’s Department of Transport reported that Austroads had added 14 countries that were previously part of the former Experienced Driver Recognition arrangements.
Can an agent convert my licence for me?
No agency page we opened offers a conversion through a third party. They require the applicant to attend with identity documents. Be wary of any site that offers conversion by post or scan.
Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive here?
An IDP is issued in your own country for use abroad. Australians get theirs from the state motoring clubs; see our page on the real IDP. Whether a visitor’s overseas licence needs one is a question for the agency in the state you visit.