New tests for international driver’s licence holders in NSW

While the NSW Government is working on changing the laws for international drivers, the full list of offences that current temporary visitors have been banned over is revealed.

The majority of foreign drivers banned from driving in NSW had their licences revoked because they racked up too many demerit points, new figures show.

Temporary overseas visitors who stay longer than three months in NSW will soon face a crackdown on their licences – including being forced to sit full driver’s licence tests, depending on what country they hail from.

The newly released figures from Transport for NSW show that a whopping 1686 overseas drivers had their licences withdrawn due to losing demerit points. Motorists can lose points for offences ranging from running red lights to speeding.

Another 130 foreign drivers were stripped of their licence for excess speed or alcohol offences. And another 74 lost their ability to drive because of a combination of losing demerit points and speeding and alcohol offences.

From November, the State Government plans to change the rules for temporary overseas visitors, including those on student visas, who are living here for more than three months.

Changes will require international drivers to convert to a NSW driver's licence after staying here for three months.

About 120,000 people who come from non-recognised overseas countries like India, China and Nepal will need to sit a NSW Driver Knowledge Test, a Hazard Perception Test and a practical Driving Test.

But they will not have to complete the 120-hour log that local residents are required to do.

Speeding is one of the reasons for losing demerit points - which more than 1600 foreign drivers have exceeded their points and lost their licences. Picture: Alan Barber

Another estimated 100,000 temporary visitors from a “recognised” country such as the United Kingdom, Germany or the United States will be able to attend a Service NSW centre to convert their current overseas licence to a NSW one, but will not have to sit the driving tests.

Asked how international drivers can lose demerit points if they are driving on foreign licences, Transport for NSW said they carry out regular checks on the demerit points of overseas drivers and used this information to monitor their driving behaviour.

“NSW Transport licence checks consist of our licensing system DRIVES automatically matching offence data sent across from Revenue NSW to existing customers, and if a match is found the appropriate demerit points relevant to the offence are added to the customer’s licence record,” Transport for NSW deputy secretary for safety,” environment and regulation secretary Tara McCarthy said.

“The system also checks automatically each day for customers who have exceeded the demerit point limit for the class of licence they hold, and if any are identified to exceed the demerit point limit, action is taken to commence the sanction process.

“The customers are not advised at the time the checks are being conducted, however our website explains the consequences of exceeding the demerit point limit.”

The NSW Government publishes a list of countries that are “recognised” which means you will not have to sit the new practical tests when the laws are changed, only convert your licence to a NSW one.

Those countries are in two categories, the first is for everyone with a valid licence from the countries listed in List A, and the second List B is from valid countries with the requirement you must be over 25 years.

The NSW Government also publishes another list B of countries that do not require the individual to sit a new practical test - but they require you to be older than 25 years of age:

Originally published as New tests for international driver’s licence holders in NSW