Visiting NSW with an overseas learner or provisional licence

Visiting NSW? As a learner or provisional driver or rider, you can use NSW roads for up to 3 or 6 months of living in NSW as long as your licence is current and you follow these rules.

Listen

On this page

Rules for all interstate and overseas visitors

If you're an interstate visitor or New Zealand licence holder, you can drive in NSW using your current licence for up to three months.

If you're an overseas visitor holding a temporary visa and arrived on or after 1 July 2023, you can drive in NSW using your current overseas licence for up to six months.

If you’re a permanent resident, you must convert to a NSW provisional licence within three months.

In addition to the rules that apply to all interstate and overseas visitors using NSW roads, there are specific rules for learners and provisional licence holders.

Visiting provisional drivers

If you have a provisional licence from interstate or overseas, you must follow the licence conditions applied by the state or territory that issued your licence, as well as the NSW road rules.

For example, if your licence was issued with a condition prohibiting you from driving at night or with passengers, you must continue to obey those conditions when driving in NSW.

Make sure you get to know the road rules for NSW. Read our Road User Handbook (PDF 6.1MB).

Using your learner driver or rider licence in NSW

If you've got an overseas learner driver or rider licence, you can continue to learn to drive in NSW as long as you meet the following conditions.

You must:

be supervised at all times by the holder of a full Australian (Class C) driver licence
only carry the number of passengers that can be properly seated in seats and restrained by seatbelts or child car seats
only drive vehicles that have a seatbelt fitted to the driver's position and you must wear the seatbelt
have a zero blood alcohol concentration - this means you cannot drink before driving
have L plates displayed conspicuously at the front and rear exterior of the vehicle (or an L sign on the roof) when driving. The letter 'L' on the plate must be clearly visible.

You must not:

tow any other vehicle
drive under the influence of drugs
supervise another learner driver
use any functions of a mobile phone including hands-free devices.

You must obey these conditions when driving in NSW even if they do not apply in your home state or country. You must also comply with any other conditions that apply to your overseas or interstate licence.

When driving in NSW, it's your responsibility to be aware of the conditions that apply to your licence.

Failure to meet these conditions is an offence and can carry severe penalties, including immediate suspension of your driving privileges.

Speed limits

When driving in NSW, you must stay below the speed limit shown on road signs and the speed limit that applies to your licence at home.

Demerit points

Demerit points and penalties apply to learner drivers who commit an offence in NSW. For more information, see How demerits work.