Maz1

Sorry if this has been asked before. If you have a full UK driving licence do you automatically qualify for a NZ licence or do you have to take some sort of test? How long can you hold on to your UK one? We still have our UK address on ours but we are in rentals and dont really know how long for as we will be on the move again in about 10 months time to the North Island. Will this be a problem?

poppets

i had my UK licence changed to my parents address when i left uk.
you can use your UK licence for 12 mths then you must have an NZ one, for which you have to take a theory test (Which i have to do soon)
my uk license still has my parnets uk address on it (i've never changed it for a NZ address as i didn't think i needed to!!)

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html
http://www.govt.nz/record?recordid=821
http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roa...ists/code.html
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...ng/DG_10023103

Beachcombers

When I got a my first job here, it involved having a company car and my employer insisted I had a NZ drivers licence before he let me behind the wheel.

The theory test was pretty straight forward, just grab a copy of the Road Code and swot up. It has heaps of test questions, all of which actually appear in the test itself.

P2L

Try this one too
http://www.roadcodetest.co.nz/

Maz1

Thanks poppet. Has anyone any ideas of what the theory test is like as I never had to take it in the UK. Am I best off getting it over and done with or driving for a while here to get used to there system? Has anyone taken the test and failed?

poppets

http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roadcode/index.html

its just commonsense stuff really, & its multi choice

RobClubley

Agreed - 95% common sense and a few questions about trailer lengths, different types of NZ licence i.e. times a restricted driver is allowed to drive, that sort of thing.
Read the road code, which has all of the test questions in the back, and read and answer them all. It tells you what page the answer is on so you have to find out and learn the answers, which helps you to remember them.

The test took me 5 minutes to pass (tick boxes) then you have a basic sight test - look into a binocular thingy and read letters, then say what side a light shines from to test peripheral vision - and they take the photo for you there and then. Licence arrives in a few days.

SarahB

If you get a copy of the Road Code and memorise all the questions and answers in the back youll be ok. I did that and got 100%.... had to beat OH who got one wrong! I took the test about 11 months after being here, I kept worrying about it, and putting it off.... totally unnecessary as it was so easy.

Maz1

Thanks for all the advice guys and gals, looks like I was worrying for nothing