Driver Licence Translation

Driver licence is also known as driving licence, driver permit, driving license or driving permit in some countries.  According to current New Zealand law, you can drive in New Zealand legally for up to 12 months using your overseas driver licence.  However, your driver licence must be translated into English by a translation company authorised by New Zealand Transport Agency.

Auckland Translations Ltd is a translation company authorised by New Zealand Transport Agency.  We provide:

  • Chinese driver licence translation (for driver licences from mainland China, Taiwan)
  • Danish driver licence translation (for driver licences from Denmark)
  • Dutch driver licence translation (for driver licences from the Netherlands, Belgium)
  • Finnish driver licence translation (for driver licences from Finland)
  • French driver licence translation (for driver licences from France)
  • German driver licence translation (for driver licences from Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
  • Japanese driver licence translation (for driver licences from Japan)
  • Korean driver licence translation (for driver licences from Korea)
  • Malay driver licence translation (for driver licences from Malaysia)
  • Spanish driver licence translation (for driver licences from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru)
  • Swedish driver licence translation (for driver licences from Sweden)

Frequent Asked Questions:

Q1.  Is your translation accepted by New Zealand Transport Agency and other organisations?

Yes, we are authorised by New Zealand Transport Agency to translate overseas driver licences.   You may use our translation (together with your original driver licence):

(a)    To drive legally in New Zealand for up to 12 months.

(b)   To rent a car from a car rental company

(c)    To apply for an IRD number in New Zealand.

(d)   And for other legal purposes.

Q2.   How much do you charge?   What are the payment options?

NZ$60 for one driver licence; NZ$45 each for two or more driver licences.   The fee has already included GST.

If you want us to send the translation to your address in New Zealand (or in any other countries) by regular mail, you do not need to pay any extra fee (we will cover the postage).   However, if you want us to do so via courier, you will need pay us additional NZ$10 if you want the translation couriered to a New Zealand address, or NZ$30 to an address in another country.

For payment options and other details, please visit our webpage: http://www.aktranslation.co.nz/payment-methods

Q3.   How long does it take for you to complete the translations for me?

After we receive your payment, we can have the translation ready at our office in one or two working days.  If you choose not to come to our office, in addition to our translation time, you may need to take into account the following times:

(a). Time needed for us to receive your payment (for details, please visit: http://www.aktranslation.co.nz/payment-methods).

(b). Postal delivery time.  Refer to Q7.

Q4.   What documents do I need to give you?

(a) Your driver licence (both sides).  If you driver licence consists of two pieces, we will need to have both pieces.

(b) Your passport (only the page with your photo) or other ID.

Apart from original documents, we also accept scan copies, photocopies or photos taken by a digital camera, as long as they are very clear to read.

Q5.  How do I give you my documents?

(a). Bring your documents to our office, or

(b). Email your documents to us, or

(c). Send your documents to us by post.  We recommend that you send us scan copies or photocopies only.  If you want to post original documents, please do use courier service for safety reasons.

Please note: we do not accept fax copies, as they are usually no clear enough to be translated.

Q6.  How do you return the translation to me?

(a). You come to our office to collect, or

(b). We can post it to your address, see Q7.

Please note: We usually do not send you a fax copy or email copy of our translation,  as such copies will have no legal effect.

Q7.   If I ask you to post the translation to me, how long does it take, and how much does it cost?

For regular mail, it is about 1 -3 business days within New Zealand; about 6-10 business days to other countries.  We will cover the postage, and you do not need to pay additional charge.

To send by courier to a New Zealand address, it will take about 1-2 business days, and you will need to pay us additional fee of NZ$10.   To send by courier to an address in other countries, it will take about 4-7 business days, and you will need to pay us additional fee of NZ$30.

Q8.  What are your office hours?  How do I get to your place?  Is there any bus that I can take to your place?

Please refer to our webpage Contact Us.