[R&A]

Could one of you who has recently got your NZ drivers license please tell me whether you had to surrender your uk license? I really should be thinking about getting my NZ one but I'm not keen on giving up my UK license especially as we're thinking about heading back home in the not too distant future.

Many Thanks,
Anna.

[IanW99]

Could one of you who has recently got your NZ drivers license please tell me whether you had to surrender your uk license? I really should be thinking about getting my NZ one but I'm not keen on giving up my UK license especially as we're thinking about heading back home in the not too distant future.

Many Thanks,
Anna.

No you don't have to surrender your overseas license.

Ian

[R&A]

No you don't have to surrender your overseas license.

Ian

Wow - what a quick reply! :D And the one I was hooing to hear! Thank you.

[Mickstim]

So how do you go about getting a NZ licence? Something we also need to be doing soon, I guess.

Bx

[TonnyTessa]

I think you are allowed to drive in NZ for a year, after that you need to change it to a NZ license. If you have a license from certain countries (like UK) it is a straightforward swap, in some other cases you may need theory and/or practical exams.... check this link for more info

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20413

or do a search for driving license, there are more

[IanW99]

So how do you go about getting a NZ licence? Something we also need to be doing soon, I guess.

Bx

Start reading Factsheet 56 (http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html) and all will be explained.

Ian

[R&A]

So how do you go about getting a NZ licence? Something we also need to be doing soon, I guess.

Bx

Its pretty simple if you've held your license for over two year and its from an approved country (including UK) you need to go into and AA shop, fill in your form, have your eyes tested, picture taken and pay your money! I'm not sure how much I think I read ~$45 but not certain. If you havent held license that long then I think you need to do theory and/or practical test although don't hold me to it - I didn't look into that situation as it does not apply to me. :o

[lockstock]

it's dead easy. Go to your nearst VINZ centre (in phone book) Take your passport and a letter saying confirming your address. Fill in the form at the desk, stick your head in the eye test machine and read off a few letters and acknowledge a few flashing lights. Stand in front of a camera and try not to snigger too much. pay your money (can't remember but $45 is about right.Keep your UK licence. They give you a temporary slip of paper and you wait for the real one to come in the post. As of 1st September this year you don't have to take a test but you do have to have had you full UK licence for two years.

[Mickstim]

Thanks all - sounds much easier than when I exchanged my SA one for a UK one!

Bx

[AndyR]

had this sorted yesterday! very quick and painless and got my Class 1 and 6! pretty sure but I think my points wont be carried onto the new licence. How long do 3 points for speeding last here anyway?

[KerryS]

had this sorted yesterday! very quick and painless and got my Class 1 and 6! pretty sure but I think my points wont be carried onto the new licence. How long do 3 points for speeding last here anyway?

If you incurred demerit points on your UK licence they won't be applied onto your NZ licence.
If you have incurred demerit points on your NZ licence they remain valid for two years, but this can depend on whether you subsequently incur additional demerit points.
The law relating to this is quite confusing to read
Land Transport Act 1998:
91. Cancellation and reinstatement of demerit points--- (1) When 2 years have elapsed since the commission of an offence in respect of which demerit points were recorded, the entry of the points made in respect of that offence ceases to have effect in relation to the person who committed that offence; but if demerit points were recorded in respect of 2 or more offences committed by that person, the entry ceases to have effect when 2 years have elapsed since the commission of the
most recent of those offences.

This page has details of speeding and demerit points: http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/factsheets/33.html

[AndyR]

cheers for the link

[Angelonthemove]

Can anyone tell me if you need both UK paper licence and credit ID card to get your NZ licence. When OH took theory test last year he got different advice and did not need id card in the end. We had ours stolen here and because we had not informed DVLA of change of address we are unable to get a new ones.

Paper one is legal if stopped by police, insurance and car hire.

[Gar1]

Can anyone tell me if you need both UK paper licence and credit ID card to get your NZ licence. When OH took theory test last year he got different advice and did not need id card in the end. We had ours stolen here and because we had not informed DVLA of change of address we are unable to get a new ones.

Paper one is legal if stopped by police, insurance and car hire.

DVLA cannot register a non UK address, but you can get a replacement driving licence from the UK posted out to NZ.

However what I did was fill in the paper part for an address change, gave the inlaws address, explained why photo part was not returned (dog eat it) and I was currently in NZ. DVLA sent new licence to inlaws address, then my nice MIL sent the new licence out to me, wrapped in galaxy chocolate to stop it getting bent in post.

I then went to the AA and converted that to a NZ licence.
EASY AS

Take a photo copy of paper part before sending off.

[mylesdw]

I don't think you need the plastic bit. I've never had one and they certainly didn't ask for it when I got my NZ licence but that was 2003.

[IanW99]

Can anyone tell me if you need both UK paper licence and credit ID card to get your NZ licence. When OH took theory test last year he got different advice and did not need id card in the end. We had ours stolen here and because we had not informed DVLA of change of address we are unable to get a new ones.

Paper one is legal if stopped by police, insurance and car hire.

AFAIK, you can do this with just the paper part, you can't do it the other way around i.e. you at least need the paper part.

Ian

[Caroline and Dave]

AFAIK, you can do this with just the paper part, you can't do it the other way around i.e. you at least need the paper part.

Ian

Whether both is needed I do not know, but I have just this week got my new license and I went to the AA and gave them my paper part, they looked at it and immediately asked for the id card. Fortunately I had it so cannot say what would have happened had I not had it.I would agree with Ian as Caroline has never had a photo id and they accepted her old license without asking for the id card. having said that there is a distinct difference between the 2, so its best to ask
This number is for help re driver licensing. If you contact them they will be able to advise you
0800 822 422
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/contact/index.html

[chocolate cake]

AFAIK, you can do this with just the paper part, you can't do it the other way around i.e. you at least need the paper part.

Ian

well i got my NZ licence a couple of weeks ago with only the photo bit, they didnt ask for the paper part.

[canajanz]

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/index.html

try this link it should tell you what you need to know
I think you can get to all the other pages on the LTSA site too from there to know about car seats and odd road rules ...

[nellyt]

If you incurred demerit points on your UK licence they won't be applied onto your NZ licence.

We both got caught speeding during the first year in NZ and presented our UK licenses (which was what we were driving on).

Now converted to NZ licenses and the demerit points we got in the first 12 months have magically appeared on our kiwi license (you can phone them and check) - their computers are too smart :mad:


Both been driving 20+ years in the UK with no fines or police hassles. 12 months here and we've both been done twice. ChCh police are pretty hot!!

[chocolate cake]

We both got caught speeding during the first year in NZ and presented our UK licenses (which was what we were driving on).

Now converted to NZ licenses and the demerit points we got in the first 12 months have magically appeared on our kiwi license (you can phone them and check) - their computers are too smart :mad:


Both been driving 20+ years in the UK with no fines or police hassles. 12 months here and we've both been done twice. ChCh police are pretty hot!!

Yep, I 've noticed they seem to ridiculously hot on speeding here, and with seemingly no policy on hand held mobiles and dangerous driving. The no. of people who drive using mobiles is incredible I've nearly been taken out twice on the bike by drivers using them, plus a someone driving with a mobile and her dog on her lap.

[cappuccino]

When I applied for my NZ licence a few weeks ago, I only had my plastic card part as I had mislaid the paper part. The AA said that the plastic card was the part they needed as it was photo id whereas the paper part isn't.

And as for the speeding points - they don't print them on the licence but send you a separate letter detailing them! So anything you have accrued whilst driving here on UK or other licence, is held on the Land Transport computer to come back and bite you on the bum when you get your NZ licence :exit

Oh and another thing I just remembered - your car insurance company want to know about your speeding points otherwise your insurance becomes invalid!!! It didn't affect the price of my renewal policy, only my excess increased.