Project Description
Driving in New Zealand
Information for New Residents and Visitors
If you have a current and valid overseas driver licence, then you can drive in New Zealand for a maximum period of 12 months from the date you arrive in New Zealand.
If your overseas licence is not in English, you must also carry with you an official translation issued by a Translation Company approved by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). Each time you visit New Zealand; you may drive for a further 12-month period, as long as you stay for no more than a year at a time and have a valid overseas driver licence.
If you have a driver licence from the following Spanish-speaking countries, we can translate it for you:
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
- Spanish Communications Limited is approved by NZTA to translate overseas Driver Licences.
- Driver Licences can be translated within a day, if required, for no extra charge.
Here for a year or more?
If you wish to continue driving in New Zealand after one year, you must obtain a New Zealand Driver Licence by completing the application form and procedures including having an English translation of your licence. Here is a link to the application form:
Send us a copy of your
Driver Licence for translation
Useful links in Spanish.
What´s Different About Driving in New Zealand por NZTA, La versión español de ese documento está aquí.
Tourist and visitor driving theory quiz in Spanish. Prueba de conducción para los turistas.