Changing your British licence

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

It's important to get an Australian drivers licence as soon as possible. You are allowed to drive on your UK licence. The Oz licence counts as id and also towards the 100 points of id.

 

You get to keep your British licence.

 

You can choose how many years you would like to get the Oz licence for...between 1 and 10 years and you pay so much per year. It can be renewed online.

To obtain the licence you need to get a proof of residence form from the local Service SA centre.

The proof of residence form can be filled in at your local bank and you can put down your short term address.

 

The drivers licence form is attached.

It has questions about eyesight and medical history.

If you tick the section regarding eyesight and glasses you will have to go for an eye test.

If you have a medical condition that may affect your driving (diabetes or epilepsy for example) you will have to go for a medical and attach these certificates to your application.

 

Our nearest Service SA centre is:

Christies Beach 111 Beach Road

Christies Beach 5165

 

PO Box 111

Christies Beach 5165

 

Weekdays

9.00 am to 5.00 pm

 

 

 

The other centres are:

 

Adelaide

Berri

Christies Beach

Elizabeth

Gawler

Kadina

Marion

Mitcham

Modbury

Mount Gambier

Murray Bridge

Naracoorte

Port Adelaide

Port Augusta

Port Lincoln

Port Pirie

Prospect

Regency Park

Tranmere

Whyalla

[kevinr]

Hi

We did this after we arrived and is a very simple process it takes a matter of minutes. They take your picture issue a temporary paper one and the plastic one arrived a week later in the post. Very easy and quick remember if you have a permanent visa you have to do it within 3 months of arriving as your Uk Licence will expire and the cops will fine you!!

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

As an update to this:

 

Your licence has your address on it.

If you stay at a short term rental and provide the address at the rego centre when you exchange your UK licence, you have to change the address on the licence when you move.

They need somewhere to send the fines to!

If you don't change address the fines or other correspondence will go to your old temporary address.

 

The online details to do this is:

 

https://www.ecom.transport.sa.gov.au/et/changeOfAddress.do

 

Also, if you have been here a while and are moving around it is so much easier to go online and change your address. You don't need to go into one of the Service SA centres. A new address label will be posted out to you....

 

This is really easy for new arrivals and for those who have been here a while.

[Blossom]

I used my uk licence for over five years (on a temp visa, all very legal). I never had any issues with ID etc.

You have three months from the time you get pr (or arrive on as a pr) to exchange your licence. Probably no need to rush if you are staying in short term accommodation. Just makes it harder having to change addresses later.

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Hi Tamara! Yep you can keep your uk licence physically ie they won't confiscate it but it is no longer valid once you are living overseas. If you go visiting in the uk and hire a car on it you are essentially driving unlicensed and with no insurance!......watch out!