[Helsandfamily]

Today I got my very own Kiwi driving licence.

You have one year from entering the country to convert your licence. It was a very simple process, Filling in a DL5 form from the AA centre, taking it with photocopies and originals of your passport, UK driving licence, and proof of address, such as bank statement etc.

Whilst there they check your vision, take your photo and electronic signature, issue you with a temporary licence and the new one should be back within 2 weeks. I was there for about 20 mins, including queuing time. :nice1

hope this info helps someone

Hels

[IanW99]

Today I got my very own Kiwi driving licence.

You have one year from entering the country to convert your licence. It was a very simple process, Filling in a DL5 form from the AA centre, taking it with photocopies and originals of your passport, UK driving licence, and proof of address, such as bank statement etc.

Whilst there they check your vision, take your photo and electronic signature, issue you with a temporary licence and the new one should be back within 2 weeks. I was there for about 20 mins, including queuing time. :nice1

hope this info helps someone

Hels

This of course only applies to countries that are considered comparable such as the UK.

See Factsheet 56 (http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html) for more details.

Ian

[jeffanar]

Just make sure you get copies of your passport and licence before you go there - my OH went to the VTNZ to get his Kiwi licence the other day and they were going to charge him $10 for 3 photocopies :eek:

[Helsandfamily]

Just make sure you get copies of your passport and licence before you go there - my OH went to the VTNZ to get his Kiwi licence the other day and they were going to charge him $10 for 3 photocopies :eek:

I was asked to pay $3 for the photcopies which was done on 2 sheets of paper..... It would have copst me more to return home and do it myself though..:exit

[bobo]

Just make sure you get copies of your passport and licence before you go there - my OH went to the VTNZ to get his Kiwi licence the other day and they were going to charge him $10 for 3 photocopies :eek:

I did it at the AA and was not charged anything other than the standard fee.

[jeffanar]

Must just be the VTNZ trying to rip people off then!

[tyhapus]

What eyesight test do they do??

[Georgebulldog]

What eyesight test do they do??

Think it depends on where you go, AA that I went to I had to look into amachine which did flashes but OH went to VTNZ & he did something a bit different

[dilanium]

Also- you need proof that your license has been valid for 2+ years. In some states in the US you have to renew every four years, and so you may need to bring proof from your local BMV/DMV that your license has been valid since X date.

[Mrs Pony]

Also- you need proof that your license has been valid for 2+ years.

YUP!! OH's license was TOO new when we went in the first time... luckily he happened to have his old one at the house!

I can't get mine yet because NZIS has our marriage license... My passport has my maiden name on it... and my DL has both maiden and married name... so I need the marriage license to show why the name difference!

[RJLink]

Thanks for the tip on copying at home, because I was planning on going to get my license on Monday. Also getting an IRD number. Had to wait for INZ to give me my passport back!

[Jakarta]

Do they take your old license or can you keep it to have 2?

I don't want to loose my home license for a few reasons.

Thanks

[JandM]

You keep your old one. How valid it would be in your home country any more is a moot point, though - e.g. in the UK you're supposed to notify change of address, to another UK address. Mind you, I have friends who've lived in France for about 15 years, who both still have their apparently valid UK licenses, using a relative's address.

[Tomsk]

Oh, thank you for the timely reminder...it's one of those things I keep meaning to do, and then never actually get round to it. Been here 11 months though, so time to get my skates on and get myself down to the AA I think.

[RJLink]

Got the driver's license at the AA today--very quick process. I think they wanted $1 for each photocopy, so if you want to save a little money, make copies of (1) your passport, (2) your driver's license - FRONT and BACK, and (3) your proof of address document. They will give you a vision test. I pretty much failed mine because I forgot my glasses, but I guess I did well enough because they didn't say anything. I also find it strange that the application form is not online. You need to get it there and fill it out. Don't wait in any line just to get the form (like I did) if you don't have to--check to see if forms are located elsewhere for you to take.

[Jakarta]

Great stuff, last thing I want is to lose my home driving licence. It lets me drive all over europe. I don't have a UK driving licence but another european country.

I want to keep it for many years to come.

I they have been hassling me to surrender it for a UK on while I am in the UK but I keep leaving the country enough to warrant keeping it.

[JandM]

Nothing to say about wanting to keep your existing licence.

But... surely you would be perfectly entitled to drive anywhere in Europe on a New Zealand licence, too? My son's in-laws rent cars and drive when they come over to the northern hemisphere on holiday.

[tea drinker]

That's what I was going to ask...
when a UK lincence holder moves to NZ and gets a NZ licence when they return to UK the UK licence will be out of date (because of the address...is it still valid though?) or can you drive in th UK on your newly aquired NZ licence.
Does any of that make sense? It's been a long day.

[JandM]

http://www.nzembassy.com/info.cfm?CFID=402&CFTOKEN=86934083&c=14&l=56&s=nz&p=61698

It looks as though you can happily shift back and forth from UK to NZ driving licences, depending on where you are living, but you need an additional International Driving Permit from the AA to drive in these other countries.

http://www.aa.co.nz/motoring/licensingandtraining/international/Pages/where.aspx

[Flutterby]

watch out tho because when you try to get a uk license with a kiwi one they take the kiwi one away (supposedly to return to NZ) Unlike in NZ where your UK license is returned to you.

[Jakarta]

Don't forget I am not UK licence so fall slightly outside the remit.

[JandM]

Yes, but once you've got your Kiwi licence, it looks as if you'd be able to drive in most places with it, plus the IDP. This doesn't look as if it will arise, anyway, since you'll keep your original in any case.:)

[RJLink]

Where does it say that you need to have held your overseas license for at least two years? I could not find that requirement on the website or anywhere else, and was not asked about it at AA. Or maybe when they saw the issue date of my overseas license they saw it was OK, and would have said something only if it were too recent.

[dilanium]

They would only have said something if it was too recent.


Practical test

You do not have to sit the practical test if:

you have a licence from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America, and
your licence is current (or has expired less than 12 months), and
you have held that licence for more than two years.

You do have to sit the practical test if:

you have a licence from a country not listed above, or
you have a licence from a country which is listed above but you have held that licence for less than two years.
bolding mine.
from: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html

[RJLink]

Thanks. It's as plain as day on the website - I skipped over it, thinking the exemption for the practical test was the same as for the theory test.

[GreenMeansGo]

They would only have said something if it was too recent.


bolding mine.
from: http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html

my license is up for renewal here in Alaska- I have to get it done by sept... best case scenario we're in NZ by beginning of 2010, add one year for needing an NZ license and my license still won't be 2 years old.

Has anyone been allowed to keep their old US license after they renewed for a new US license? And if not, how can we prove that we've held valid licenses?? I haven't had to sit a drivers test since I was 16!! I'm sure I'd hit the windshield wipers instead of my blinkers and it'd all go down hill from there ;)

[BkyMonster]

Maybe you can get a certified copy of your license before they take it from you during renewal? Either that or ask the DMV for a history stating how long you have had a driving record.
I don't know about Alaska licenses but some of the states have a line on the license that says something like: 'record created' with your original issue date in that state. As long as that is 2+ years old shouldn't be an issue.

[dilanium]

The DMV history status should be fine to prove your driving history. Most places will not let you keep your old license once you get your new one, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

[GreenMeansGo]

i will try those ideas! thanks :cheers