Driving in New Zealand

People drive on the left-hand side of the road in New Zealand. You may need some time to get accustomed to it if you’re coming from a country where people drive on the right-hand side of the road.

It may not be useful to have your own car shipped to New Zealand. According to the special rules that apply for cars in the country (safety measures, color of car headlights, left-hand driving etc.), it is somehow easier and simpler to find a car of your own directly in New Zealand. 

Foreign citizens must hold their national driver’s licence or an international driver’s license in order to drive in New Zealand up to one year. National driver's licences mut be translated in English and certified by the New Zealand translation service. After a year, you have to take a driving test in New Zealand to get a local driver's licence.

To find out more about driver's licence requirements in New Zealand, please visit the ministry of transportation website at http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/.  

 Good to know:

A technical inspection of your car must be performed annually. In addition, a yearly road-fund licence applies.

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