Check if you can convert your overseas driver licence

Unlike vehicle registration, which genuinely is state-run everywhere in Australia, driver licensing is also handled separately by each state and territory's own transport authority -- there's no single national "convert your licence" process, and what's required depends on both your destination state and which country issued your licence.

What to do:

1. Check your destination state's transport authority for its current list of recognised overseas licences -- some countries' licences can be exchanged with a straightforward paperwork process, while others require you to pass a knowledge test, a practical driving test, or both.
2. Find out how long you're legally allowed to drive on your overseas licence after arriving before you're required to hold an Australian one -- this varies by state, and the window is often shorter than people assume.
3. If a translation is required, most states accept a free translation through the Department of Home Affairs' translating and interpreting service rather than requiring you to pay privately.
4. If you'll need to sit a test, book it as early as your destination address allows -- test wait times can run to several weeks in busier states.
5. If your household has more than one driver, check each person's situation separately -- the country that issued each licence, not just your destination state, decides what's required.

Common mistakes: assuming your licence converts automatically everywhere in Australia the way it would moving between states, and not realising the requirement (and the list of recognised countries) is set by the state, not federally.

See the Department of Home Affairs' settling-in guide to transport for the current general guidance, then check your specific destination state's transport authority for its own rules.