Overseas drivers
Driving in Western Australia
Your overseas driver's licence
To be able to drive on Western Australian (WA) roads with your driver's licence from your home country (and International Driving Permit if applicable), you must:
- have a current licence that is not suspended or cancelled, or be disqualified from driving
- carry your licence (and International Driving Permit if applicable) with you at all times while driving and show it to a police officer if asked to do so
- drive only those vehicles that you are authorised to drive
- comply with any other conditions of your licence
Depending on whether you are just visiting or planning to stay here permanently, there are different periods that you are allowed to drive with your overseas licence.
Planning to stay?
If you intend to take up permanent residence in WA you are no longer considered to be a visitor. You must apply for a WA driver's licence within three months of your arrival.
Please see our Transferring your licence section for information on what steps you need to take to continue to drive in WA.
Just visiting?
Visiting drivers include:
- tourists
- people on business trips, working-holiday visas or studying or working temporarily in WA
- overseas Defence Force personnel and their families.
As a visitor you can drive on your overseas licence for up to 12 months from your arrival or until the licence expires (whichever comes first). If you intend staying longer than 12 months or your overseas licence expires within that time, you should apply for a WA licence.
If your overseas licence is not in English, it is advisable to carry an International Driving Permit or an approved English translation of your licence (if you have either of these) with you when you drive.
