If you plan on driving in Melbourne after you relocate, you will need to have your driver’s licence converted to a Victorian one.
Be prepared to have you rental home address
To be able to convert your drivers license, you need to have a permanent address in Victoria. Aside from that you also need your drivers licence.
Vicroads is the government organisation for anything car related
The government body looking after this is VicRoads. It’s a very easy process. Obviously, I am lying. It is Australia after all and you’d know this if your plane got sprayed as it prepared for landing and the quarantine laws in the custom declaration form. But depending on your age, the country you are from and the number of years you have been driving, you may or may not have to sit through the three part driving test.
Driving Test in Melbourne is in Three Parts
The Road Law Knowledge test which is to find out if you know and understand the road rules and regulations. This is a written exam and the questions are based on the guidebook VicRoads publishes.
The Hazard Perception test which is a video test which your reaction to driving situation is put under a microscope. Don’t worry. The passing percentage is 54%. The microscope isn’t that powerful.
And the last component is the Drive Test. This is the test that gets you in the car. To know what NOT to do, watch Cher while she takes her driving test in Clueless.
Relocating to Melbourne from New Zealand
If you are from New Zealand, your drivers licence conversion will be treated as if you are holding an Australian interstate drivers licence. This only strengthen my belief that New Zealand is really a state of Australia.
These Countries do not have to sit through the exam
If you hold a drivers licence from one of the countries listed above, you do not have to sit for a driving exam and can convert your the status of your drivers licence to a Victorian one. Lucky!
List of Countries Driving Experience is Recognised
If you are relocating from one of these countries and you are 25 years old and over, you do not have to sit through an exam to convert your country’s drivers license to a Victorian one. If you are under 25 years old, you will have to take the drivers exam. Somewhat lucky.
Bring Identification and Driving Documents to VicRoads
So if you hold a drivers licence from any of the countries listed above, you can make an appointment at VicRoads and have it converted easily. You’ll have to bring:
- the drivers licence,
- a document from the driving body that states your driving history listing or not listing any traffic violations,
- your passport as a proof of identity and,
- your rental agreement or a couple of utility bills to prove your address.
If the first two documents are not in English, you will have to have this translated by accredited translators. The accrediting body for translators is NAATI and they have a list of Australian-based translators that can do the translating work for you for a fee.
Drivers Licence from Countries Not Recognised by VicRoads
There is no hope. You’ll have to get your drivers licence from the black market and pay exorbitant fees. Just kidding. You have to do the driving exam as I have listed above. When I first arrived in Australia, I lived in Adelaide, South Australia. The South Australian government required me to sit through the written exam and take the driving test. But because I had to move to Perth in under six month, I had my drivers licence converted in Western Australia without a test. And when I moved back to South Australia, it got switched to a South Australian one. Each state has their own rules in dealing with non-Australian drivers licence.
More Information About Converting Overseas Driving Licence
