Yeah you want to hang on to the UK plastic one. You need it for getting into RSL and other type of clubs if you live within a 5 km radius otherwise they make you become a member - well they do in NSW anyway

They certainly do! Always useful to have the second licence for that alone.


S

If you have just returned to to OZ, and your OZ licence has expired, then you can swap your current UK one back to an Australian again.

It is only if your Australian licence has expired over 5 years, and you have no other current licence from the recognised country list. ie: you have not been driving for some years, that they will need a test again.

Problem is that they have a UK paper licence and whichever transport dept they spoke to refuses to accept paper, only plastjc.

Haven't plastic licenses in the UK been around for a very long time?

They have - I was in the original trial group for them - but there is no obligation for you to change to one.

The A3 paper licence remains perfectly valid as a driving licence.


S

The Australian Motor Registries may be confused as to what is a valid UK licence.
For example; a UK Newspaper Article in 2013 stated: "The ten-year photocard licences will become mandatory in 2015 when the paper licences are officially phased out. A quarter of drivers are still using the old-style paper licences."

A more recent article states: "The paper element of the driving licence, which accompanies the credit card size photo-card, is also due to be axed on 8th June 2015."

Herein lies the problem. They should have phased these out like everyone else in Europe when the EU adopted a common format for these documents.

Similarly, in a day and age where identity theft and people smuggling are rife, a proper ID card system would be useful.

Anyway, my license has already been converted to a NSW one, now I need to wait until I have been in QLD for 3 months to switch to a local one here...

Makes me wonder what residents of Coolangatta do if they move house every so often and happen to hop across the state line each time...

Whereas in NSW I was able to get a licence printed on the spot, here in Queensland I have to wait to receive it in the post.

Anyone know how long it roughly takes to receive it? Also, do all QLD centres work this way or do some produce licences on the spot?

It's gone that way in NSW now - The Service NSW centres don't have the capability to generate the new licence card on the spot, so they give you a piece of paper and then send the card through the post.

Some of the old registries can still generate an on the spot card - Marrickville being one - though I believe these are being phased out over time.


S

How long does it usually take to get the licence by post? A week, two perhaps?

NSW was about 4 days. No idea about QLD. Do you have a temporary cover note so you can drive?


S

Yes, I have a temporary print-out so no worries there. It's just that for some stuff I would like to have my licence already (buying a SIM pack, etc.).

It's been about a week already so hopefully the wait won't be too much longer...

I 'think' both paragraphs are correct, the bit they have left out is about being mandatory for new licence applications. I believe I read that the 'mandatory for all no what, kicks off in 2017. In other words, the two part licence is going this year but paper only holders have until 2017.



Maybe

I hope you are right. We came to the UK in 2010, both having NSW gold licences. Mrs TB renewed her Oz licence from the UK at the end of 2010 but in 2012 swapped it for UK photo one (she didn't have a UK licence prior). That NSW licence expires the end of this year ( Oct I think) so if we return to Oz in the next couple of years she'll still be ok just to swap back?

My own NSW licence expired end of 2013 and I am renewing soon ( I think you have two years to do this fron O/S). There was no such thing as licence exchanges when I moved to Oz so I've always had completely separate ones ( my UK one is photo now).


So sounds like we will both be ok?