Permanent visa holders and New Zealand citizens

If you are an Australian permanent resident or hold a permanent visa under the Commonwealth Migration Act 1958 and you intend to stay in NSW, you are not considered to be a visitor. As such, you are allowed to ride in NSW on a current overseas licence for a maximum of three months after arriving in Australia. If you wish to continue riding, you must obtain a NSW rider licence.

If you are a licence holder from New Zealand (regardless if you are a permanent or temporary resident), you must obtain a NSW rider licence within three months of residing in NSW or you must stop riding.

How do I convert my overseas rider licence to a NSW rider licence?

To obtain a NSW rider licence you must be 17 years of age or older.

If your overseas licence is written in English:

• Go to an RTA motor registry and present your overseas licence

If your licence is not written in English, provide:

• Your overseas licence and an official translation from either the Community Relations Commission For a multicultural NSW or from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

Note: Requests for Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) fee-free translation of personal documents from eligible persons may be lodged at Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) service provider outlets which will then despatch them to a translation service provider.

For further information on fee-free translations for eligible persons please go to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.

If you cannot produce your overseas licence, provide:

• a letter from the overseas licence issuing authority confirming your licence details and status, or 

• a letter from a relevant consulate or diplomatic office (based on information received from the overseas licence issuing authority) confirming your licence details and status.

You must also:

• Prove your NSW address,
• Prove your identity,
• Pass an eyesight test,
• Pass a rider knowledge test, unless exempt,
• Pass a Motorcycle Operator Skills Test (MOST), unless exempt,
• Pay the licensing fee, and
• Have your photo taken by the RTA for your rider licence card.

Exemptions from licence tests

You may not be required to pass a rider knowledge test or MOST if:

• You have previously held an Australian rider licence that expired within the last five years and it can be verified by the issuing authority,
• You hold a current New Zealand rider licence (not a learner licence or paper licence), or
• You are applying for a NSW rider licence and you hold a current overseas rider licence (not a learner licence), or one that expired within the last five years, from a country recognised as having comparable licensing standards to Australia. See Licences from recognised countries  for more information.

Note: If you do not hold a rider licence from a ‘recognised country’, you must pass a MOST.

What happens next?

If you hold a current motorcycle learner licence from another country and you fail the MOST (or rider DART if living outside of a declared area), all visiting rider privileges are withdrawn.

You must then obtain a NSW learner rider licence in order to ride and before being eligible to attempt another riding test.

To obtain a NSW learner rider licence you must complete a pre-learner rider-training course if you live in a declared area. See Getting a motorcycle rider licence  for more information.

If you hold a provisional or unrestricted licence from another country and fail the MOST (or rider DART if living outside of a declared area) you can apply for a NSW learner rider licence without having to attend the pre-learner rider-training course. If you live in a declared area, you will need to pass the pre-provisional course and MOST to obtain a NSW rider licence.

Visitors

From 18 April 2008, new licensing arrangements apply to visiting overseas riders who want to obtain a NSW licence for the first time. For more information see Temporary overseas visitors obtaining a NSW licence.