georginafox

Hey all,
I have an Italian driver's licence and I understand that I can use my licence as a temporary visitor for a certain amount of time, providing that I have a translation with me at all times.
Does this translation need to be an official translation?
If so, can someone recommend an official translation service?
Many thanks,
GF

moneypenny20

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/...l_drivers.html You have to use a translation service that the RTA approves. All information on the link.

lapin_windstar

If you've been in Oz for more than 6 months, you can just exchange it for an NSW licence.

Info: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/...countries.html
Fees: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/licensingfees.html

Weirdly, afaics, it's a bit unclear to me whether Australia is obliged to accept the International Drivers Permit because it's a signatory to the UN Convention on Road Traffic but not a member of the convention: http://www.info.dfat.gov.au/Info/Tre...256BE500005F59

georginafox

Yes well that's an excellent point as I was thinking of applying directly for the International Driving Document (http://www.international-license.com...FYYVzAod6nCaoQ).

Does anyone know if the Australian authorities will accept this?

Cheers,

GF

georginafox

After having investigated further, it seems that the IDD isn't worth the paper it is written on. Someone help, where can I get this translated OFFICIALLY?
Thanks everso,
GF

moneypenny20

In the link I gave you was a further link to the approved translators.

Here. You want Page 2 of the document.

georginafox

OK so I have the solution.

I wrote the Australian Embassy in Rome and they said that by all means I can use my Italian driver's licence but I need an international driver's licence to accompany it (which is basically a simple translation). This international driver's licence must be issued by the authorities who issued your original driver's licence (in this case the Italian Motorizzazione Civile) and costs only Euro 38 (against the Euro 100 that the International Driving Document would have cost me.. and it is worthless legally)!

GF

georginafox

Thanks for that anyway!

lapin_windstar

Hi

Just to clarify, as this comes up a lot: the "International Driving Document" or "International Driving Licence" is worthless and garbage, as you say. You or I could start giving them out tomorrow because they have no legal merit.

The only thing that has some legal value is the "International Driving Permit" which is issued by a government-approved organisation in the country which issued your "normal" driving licence. (Often that organisation is actually the local motoring club). It is not a licence in itself (per se), it just accompanies your existing licence and translates it in a standardised format. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...Driving_Permit

The issue gets confused because a) it gets called different things in different languages b) people try to sell the "International Driving Documents" as if they had legal status and c) people try to sell International Driving Documents from other countries as if they had legal status but your IDP and normal licence have to be from the same place. I suspect what happens is that people steal or counterfeit IDPs from Peru or wherever and sell them online to the gullible or misinformed.

georginafox

Thanks everso for this confirmation.
In fact, I will be obtaining the International Driving Licence from the "motorizzazione" here in Italy, the authority that issued my licence (plus it's much cheaper, I will be paying Euro 38 instead of Euro 75 that the cowboys were asking for for the Intenational Driving Document)!!!!! No comment!
Thanks again.
Best regards,
GF