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.  This is all you need to pay, we do not charge you GST on top of the fee.

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. In addition to our translation time, you will 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.

For security reasons, please do NOT send us your original documents. It is sufficient for you to email us scan copies or photos taken by a digital camera, as long as they are very clear to read.

Q5.  How do I give you my documents?

At the moment, we only accept your documents by email.

Q6.  How do you return the translation to me?

We will send the translation to you either by regular mail. You do not need to pay us extra for postage. We will cover the postage.

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.   How long is the delivery time, and how much does it cost?

To an address in New Zealand or Australia: usually 2-4 working days.
To an address in other countries: 6-10 business days.  

We will cover the postage, and you do not need to pay additional charge.