2 months in Auckland

[bulu]

Drivers license :
1) You can use your foreign license up to a year on your arrival. if you leave the country and come back, the clock is reset and you get another year.

2) Translation. You will only need the translation only if you want to convert to NZ license (atleast for Malaysian license which is reasonably readable). When i arrived, I was able to rent a car with just a Malaysian license. For Malaysian license, get it translated at JPJ which is very fast and costs only RM10.

3) If you plan to buy your own car and insurance, you should consider converting your license to NZ License. The insurance EXCESS is atleast additional NZD500 for Overseas license. Example, the insurance I took has an excess of NZD500. If anyone driving my car got into an accident and she is using an overseas license (and above 21 years of age), then the excess is NZD1000 (something like that - could be more).

4) We got into the Auckland Museum for free when we showed our NZ license which has a local address.

[snowy_apple]

Hi,

Thanks for all the info on driving license.

Yea, I thought Malaysian license is fairly "English" like, and quite readable even without knowledge of BM

Anyway, will get the license translated at JPJ for RM10 instead of getting the IDP for RM150!!

Drivers license :

2) Translation. You will only need the translation only if you want to convert to NZ license (atleast for Malaysian license which is reasonably readable). When i arrived, I was able to rent a car with just a Malaysian license. For Malaysian license, get it translated at JPJ which is very fast and costs only RM10.

[udang]

Another money saving tip. If you own a vehicle in Malaysia with many years of good track record without any insurance claim, you should have a high Non Claim Bonus (maximum NCB in Malaysia is 55%) presumably. After you sell your car in Malaysia, you can request your motor insurance company in Malaysia to issue you a letter to prove the level of NCB you were enjoying and your history of claim etc. Bring that letter with you when you emigrate to NZ. You can then buy your car insurance in New Zealand at the same level of NCB you had in Malaysia. Someone taught me this and I had even taught some new migrant friends. It worked for every case I knew of. Depending on the amount of insurance premium, it can save quite a lot of money.

And I shared the same experience as Bulu re driving license for car renting in NZ. Although I had a translation, I didn't have to use it when renting a car in NZ, with my Malaysian license.

[snowy_apple]

Wow, this is really good news. Thank you udang.

Another money saving tip.... You can then buy your car insurance in New Zealand at the same level of NCB you had in Malaysia.

For converting our driving license to NZ license, understood that we still have to take both theory and practicle test (Malaysian). Do we need to take lessons before the test? Is this why we need to translate our license? To be exempted from taking lessons?

2) Translation. You will only need the translation only if you want to convert to NZ license

[udang]

Coming from Malaysia, I'd like to warn that the process involved in getting a NZ driver licence may be a bit of a culture shock.

Driving lesson is not a requirement to convert your Malaysian licence to a NZ full driver licence. For the written road code theory test, it's straight forward if you spend a few days to swot the NZ road code book. You need to first pass the road code theory test before you will be allowed to take the practical test. For the practical test, I find it useful to find out first the exact test route and get familiar with it before the actual test. One alternative is to book one or two lessons with a local driving tutor to just show you the test route and what to look out for along the route. Or you can find out the route from someone who had previously done the test on the same route. I personally found the tester very strict compared to the Malaysian standard. Auckland has many test centres, I'm aware of at least three. Every test centre has its own test route. Deciding which test centre means deciding the test route. You can book for a test through any NZ AA office any time as soon as you are ready for a test. All these are part of a process to convert your Malaysian driver licence to a NZ full driver licence. A translation of your Malaysian driver licence is needed in this process. If you are to take the full driver licence from scratch in NZ, it's a much longer process. Look up the NZTA website for details and charges imposed for the various different tests. <http://www.nzta.govt.nz/licence/getting/index.html>

There is a pitfall to watch out for though. With your Malaysian driver licence you can legally drive in NZ, unsupervised, for up to one year from your last entry to NZ. However, after you've passed your road code test, you will be given a NZ restricted licence allowing you to drive ONLY under the supervision of a NZ full driver licence holder. With this NZ restricted licence, your Malaysian driving licence is no longer valid, regardless of whether your one year in NZ is up. So immediately after you've passed your road code theory test, you may find yourself suddenly driving illegally on NZ roads if you drive without a supervisor. For this reason, it is logistically best to take the practical test as soon as possible after you've passed your road code theory test.

[Mel Juer]

Hi there
Just thought I'd say thanks for an encouraging post. I don't do much forum surfing, but we are at the stage in our application where we are almost complete - and due to send in paperwork... and one finds oneself thinking.....god I hope this is all worth it!

We have 2 teenagers who will be switching to new schools so that's always a bit stressful... we do want to get it right... and also jobs/ houses/ finances / goodbye to friends, packing up (not to mention selling a 35 ft yacht as well.lol).

So, thanks... very encouraging which is what I needed on a Monday morning.
Mel

[masterp]

Hi
I work in mental health, and have been contacted by an agency seeking to get me some employment in Auckland. My family, OH and 4 kids are looking at settling in Auckland, preferably not anywhere near CBD and we would like an area with good primary schools, hopefully Catholic and reasonably affordable. We are hoping to make the move in 4-5 months. Is there any website or other forum I that can help me with my research on Auckland?
Thanks for the assistance and support.
Martin

[JandM]

Google for mentions of the book, 'Where to live in Auckland.' There are also lots of old threads on here. Use Search on the blue bar above.

[fayevalentine]

Hi Automotive! So nice to hear that you are settling well in Auckland! Life can only get better now

[Automotive]

Thanks favevalentine
Be prepared though to learn new things and experiences and a steep learning curve but at the end of the day, it’s part and parcel of assimilating to a new country, culture and practices. In a way, once you overcome the challenges, it's actually quite satisfying though

Hi Automotive! So nice to hear that you are settling well in Auckland! Life can only get better now