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If you’re a licence holder from certain countries, you’ll no longer be able to exchange your overseas licence for a full NSW one without further training and testing
If you’re a driving licence holder from one of the following countries and you live in New South Wales, you’re going to need to act fast if you want an Aussie licence.
From February 1, 2026, you’re no longer going to be able to transfer your overseas driving licence directly for a NSW licence.
The existing reciprocal ‘Experienced Driver Recognition’ for drivers over 25 years of age comes to an end on that date.
Prior to that, holders of overseas licences issued by countries and jurisdictions in this category, who were over the age of 25, would be issued a comparable Australian licence without further training or assessment.
From February 1, New South Wales falls into line with every other Australian state or territory, requiring nationals from this list to undertake additional training and testing.
Nations with expiring Experienced Driver Recognition:
What’s more, Austroads, the association of the Australian and New Zealand transport agencies, is pausing the assessment of applications from overseas licensing agencies seeking recognition under the Recognised Country Scheme, pending a review of the scheme.
The goal of the review process is to make the assessment process more exacting , ensuring that future recognition decisions are “consistent, robust and deliver the outcomes expected by both road managers and users”.
Nations within the Recognised Country Scheme:
Andy brings almost 30 years automotive writing experience to his role at Drive. When he wasn’t showing people which way the Nürburgring went, he freelanced for outlets such as Car, Autocar, and The Times. After contributing to Top Gear Australia, Andy subsequently moved Down Under, serving as editor at MOTOR and Wheels. As Drive’s Road Test Editor, he’s at the heart of our vehicle testing, but also loves to spin a long-form yarn.
