UK Driving Licence - after 12 months

[Rabbit]

Hi,

I have been here 12 months and I need to renew my car insurance.

I see that a UK licence incurs extra costs.

It is my assumption that after 12 months it is required to get an NZ licence?

Any ideas and what I have to do and how to go about it?

Thanks

Rabbit.

[jubjub]

If you have been here consecutively for more than 12 months, then you are officially illegal, although many people get away with it for ages!

There are several threads around here somewhere that detail the driving test and helpful sites, and how to go about it, do a forum search with driving+licence or driving+test, you should get loads.

Your excess is higher until you get an NZ licence, in our case 750 instead of 300 on our policies.

Good luck, and get studying the road code!

[zardell]

On the assumption that you hold a full UK licence, all you have to do to obtain your NZ licence is to take the NZ theory test at your local Land Transport Office, however, I'm not sure what you do if you have been in NZ for longer than the stipulated 12 month period.

I would go into the Land Transport office and enquire if I were you.

Julie

xx

[Kim39]

If after the 12 month period has passed and you haven't taken the NZ theory test then you are gambling on two counts. Firstly a Police Officer only has to make a few enquiries and if you are found to be driving illegally, then bang your done. Secondly and more importantly your insurance can be invalid.


Kim

[Super_BQ]

Firstly a Police Officer only has to make a few enquiries and if you are found to be driving illegally, then bang your done.

What would the penalty be for a person holding an overseas driver's license and found driving for more than a year in NZ? It was at least 4 years before I decided to get a full NZ license. The AA office didn't enquire when I came to NZ or how long I stayed driving with my overseas license. All they required was 2 valid identifications (ie passport, bank statement), an overseas driver's license (that met the criteria on their list). Pass the 30 - 35 multiple choice exam and eye test and that's it. Even an expired overseas driver's license (up to a year) is still valid.

But what I think you're getting at is the possibility that the NZ police will inform the person's insurance company and have the policy revolked. I would question if the current NZ police dept. does have that resource at their disposal? (in most cases, they'll just issue the ticket so the officer can meet his quota - end of story).

New changes in NZ Privacy & Information act may allow more power for police officers to look at suspects while in their car. Police cars in Canada already share information between US and Canadian residents - all at their finger tips on the car's laptop PC. But I highly doubt they will go to the effort of informing the private insurance companies (that's a separate matter).

My father last year got a seat belt fine in Auckland and presented his Canadian driver's license. We sent a cheque for payment and after 2 weeks, the cheque came back stating that their computer couldn't reference the overseas driver's license # to their database. (ie the NZ ticket form only allowed for certain digit # specific for NZ driver's license).

I would read the fine print with the private auto insurance regarding driving with an overseas driver's license. Does the policy specifically state 1 year upon arrival in the country or 1 year after the person issues the insurance policy?

[Trigirl]

i suspect the point is nothing to do with police officers telling anyone and actually more that if you have an accident and the insurance co makes enquiries you may find your insurance is not valid.

Does the policy specifically state 1 year upon arrival in the country or 1 year after the person issues the insurance policy?

i'd strongly suspect it will say you need to hold a license that is valid to drive in NZ.

[speckythecky]

Agree with Trigirl.

The insurance companies like any excuse not to pay out so I am sure they would try and use this one.
Having read other posts about the driving test, why put it off; get it done and passed and then no problems

[annie abercrombie]

I went into the Land Transport office to book my test after we had been here for 11 months. I assumed - like the UK - I would wait a few weeks and have time to revise.

Oh no. Here I was sent to a cubicle with a multiple choice paper and sat the test then and there. You can only get three wrong before you fail the whole thing so I was very gingerly rubbing the answers off.

Luckily I passed with two wrong - and no looking at the road code whatsoever.

For those doing this, you can get past test papers from the Land Transport office - about $5 each.

When I had passed my test they just took my photo and I had a NZ driving licence. Very impressive.

My husband spent $30 on test papers, spent hours revising and still got 2 wrong!

[britchik]

I didn't change over my License until about 18 months after arriving in NZ - likewise nothing was said to me that I had gone over the 12 month period either.

[Snappy]

I think going over would only ever be a problem if you had an accident - the insurance company would probably be only too happy to wheedle out of paying up.

You can get a copy of the Road Code from the local library - has multiple test questions at the back. Helped me and my OH pass.