New South Wales (NSW) will introduce new requirements for individuals holding driving licences from selected countries, mandating driving examinations before a NSW licence can be issued. These changes are scheduled to take effect from February 1, 2026.
From this date, drivers with licences issued by 16 specific countries will be required to pass both knowledge and practical driving tests to obtain a NSW driving licence, irrespective of their age. Under the current rules, only those aged under 25 with licences from these listed countries are required to undertake these exams.
This regulatory update aligns New South Wales with the practices already established in all other Australian states and territories.
The 16 jurisdictions whose drivers will require testing include: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Separately, all drivers in NSW who accumulate 13 demerit points against their name face disqualification from driving on NSW roads.
Previous changes in 2023 saw the NSW Government introduce rules requiring visa-holders from China, India, Pakistan, and Nepal to pass a driving test if they remained in the state for longer than six months.
Transport for NSW continues to permit individuals holding a licence from an additional 28 different nations to directly exchange their overseas driving licence for a NSW licence without requiring testing, and no alterations have been made to these specific guidelines.
The national authority representing Australian transport agencies has temporarily paused the assessment process for overseas agencies seeking to be added to the Recognised Country Scheme, which facilitates these licence exchanges, citing identified areas for improvement in the assessment framework.