Zebee Johnstone <zjohnsto@alsvid.scu.edu.au> says:
As far as I know, from experiences with friends in other states, you can copy your international license straight across, as long as you pass the road rules test.Stefanie Fetzer <stefanie@staff.cs.su.oz.au> says:If you have a big bike license in your home country you can get one here.
I'm a "visiting scholar" from Germany (that's at least what is written in my visa :-)) and I'll stay here in Aussie for one year. I bought here a bike (YAMAHA XT 600) in April and the story about my investigations concerning my driving licence is as follows:Nick Cusack writes:I went to the RTA in Hurstville and asked them whether it is true that my German (unrestricted) licence is good for one year in Aussie (that's what I heared as rumors in Germany). They said:
I didn't believe that and called the general number of the RTA as I found it in the White Pages. They said:
- that this is wrong, it would be valid for only 3 months
- that they do not accept international driving licences
- that I have to have my German licence translated (they gave me the address of a trusted translating office)
- that I have to sit for a written test and
- that I have to proove my knowledge on the road (but I don't have to take part in learners lessons)
- that I would finally get an unrestricted Australian driving licence.
I gave several insurace companies a call to find out, which one offers the cheapest third party property coverage and two of the companies came up again with this three month restriction when I asked them about the licence stuff. So I called the police and asked them because I thought that at least they would have to know what's this all about. They gave me a number at the RTA and there I was told:
- what the staff in Hurstville told me would be wrong
- that my German licence is good for the time that I stay in Aussie
- and that I don't have to sit for a test.
BUT: all of this is only true, if I do not apply for "permanent residece" in Aussie - if I do, I have to have an Aussie licence.
- I don't have to sit any tests
- my licence is unrestricted
- my licence is as long valid as I'm allowed to stay in Australia - even if its longer than one year
SO MY ADVICE IS:
As long as your stay here is not permanent - your (German) driving licence is valid as long as your visa is valid - don't pay any attention to any other stuff that others might tell you. Do not believe small RTA offices. If somebody tells you something different from the above, give the general number of the RTA a ring and check it there!
Everybody confused now? ;-)
Have fun and ride safely,
- fetz.
:-)
In response to the questions regarding a South Australian Motor Cycle licence the following answers were obtained from the Motor Registration Department:Helen Fleming <
- If he is visiting he can use his current Canadian licence for up to three months.
- For longer than three months or permanent resident status he must sit a written test on the local road rules and on passing this he will be given an unrestricted licence.
OK, in NSW, the first issue is whether you hold a temporary or a permanent residence visa. If the latter then you should change to a NSW licence within three months, but you don't get P plates or any restrictions as long as you pass the tests and held a full licence in your country of origin (not sure what happens about existing points from that country tho'). Temporary residence is a bit more complex however, and seems to depend on what `residence' actually means.....According to the RTA, someone who holds a temporary residence visa (for no matter how long) does not need to move to a NSW licence as long as they hold an International Driver's Permit (IDP). This is only valid in conjunction with their own country's licence document. IDPs last a year and can only be issued within your country of origin (but they can be renewed by someone else on your behalf, so as long as there is someone you can trust to send all your documents to back home there is no need to go back just to renew your IDP!). The NRMA disagree and consider that anyone resident longer than three months should change their licence. Faced with these conflicting views we finally went and asked our local cop shop. They agreed it was a grey area and said that strictly speaking the police would consider anyone here (over 3 months) and in a proper job to be a resident and should therefore obtain a NSW licence. They also said (but not in so many words) that as long as we held valid licences of some sort they weren't likely to be too bothered with nit-picking and your average traffic cop was unlikely to be fully conversant with such niceties anyway.
PS, one other thing comes to mind: I think that if you commit an offence which would normally result in penalty points whilst driving on an IDP they get stored up so if you eventually get an Aus licence they will automatically be on it. I guess this could lead to being banned as soon as you pass your test!