Everything you need to know about moving to NZ

Your UK driving licence is acceptable in New Zealand for up to 12 months, but after that you will need to get a New Zealand licence.

You will need to pass a written road code test, but in most cases won't need to sit the practical to convert your UK driving licence to a NZ driving licence. From 1st September 2008, you will not have to sit the written test any more.

The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) is the organisation that administers driving tests, issues driving licences and publishes the New Zealand Road Code booklet. This booklet outlines all the driving and road rules. If you don't hold a driver's licence, there are three stages to obtaining one:

1. Learner Licence
   To get a Learner Licence you must be at least 15 years old, supply a birth certificate or passport, pass an eyesight test and the multi-choice road code test. All drivers on a Learner Licence must display an L-plate sign on their vehicle and must be supervised and accompanied in the car at all times by a fully licensed driver that has held their licence for more than two years. Driving lessons cost about NZ$30-NZ$40 per hour and use the instructor's car.
2. Restricted Licence
   When you have held a Learner Licence for more than 6 months, you need to pass a practical driving test to be issued a Restricted Licence. A Restricted Licence allows you to drive a car by yourself under certain conditions. The main condition is that you can normally only drive between 5am and 10pm and outside of these hours a supervisor who has held their licence for more than two years must be in the car with you.
3. Full Licence
   When you have held a Restricted Licence for 18 months, you can take the practical driving test (the Full Licence test). None of the restrictions on a Learner or Restricted Licence applies to a Full Licence holder.

All driving licences include a photo and personal information on the holder, and you are obliged to keep your personal information (including your address) up to date. You need to keep your licence with you at all times when you are driving - which is very easy, as they are credit card sized with no fiddly extra bits of paper.