New Zealanders drive on the left, and outside the main cities most people need a car. Three questions decide your first months: can you drive when you arrive, how you convert your licence, and how to buy a reliable car.
Kettle on. About 5 min
01 · Can I drive when I arrive?
Yes, on your valid overseas licence, for a limited time that depends on when you last arrived in New Zealand:
This applies to car licences; overseas motorcycle and truck licences are limited to 12 months whenever you arrived. Your licence must be current and in English, or carried with an approved English translation or an international driving permit. The permit is a translation, not a licence: it only works alongside your overseas licence. Carry your licence whenever you drive. If you leave and come back, the clock does not restart; it runs from your last arrival as a new resident. Confirm the current rule on the NZ Transport Agency’s page for new residents.
02 · Converting your licence
Before your time runs out, convert to a New Zealand licence. How much testing that involves depends on where your licence is from.
To apply, take the conversion form, your overseas licence, your passport, proof of your New Zealand address and, if your licence is not in English, an approved translation to a driver-licensing agent such as the AA. You will have an eyesight check on the spot. The NZ Transport Agency’s conversion page has the current list of exempt countries, forms and fees.
03 · Driving in New Zealand
- Drive on the left. Roundabouts run clockwise and you give way to the right.
- Roads are often narrow, winding and unlit, with one lane each way. Journey times are longer than the distance suggests, so trust the map’s time, not the kilometres.
- The open-road limit is 100 km/h, and lower limits are enforced. Speed cameras are common.
- Drink-driving limits are low and strictly enforced. Plan ahead on nights out.
- One-lane bridges are common in rural areas; the signs show who gives way.
- Winter brings ice, fog and snow on inland and South Island roads. Carry chains where the signs say so.
- Read the Road Code. If you are converting from a non-exempt country, the theory test is based on it.
04 · Buying your first car
Most people buy second-hand. Trade Me Motors and dealers’ yards are where most cars are listed; Japanese imports are everywhere and parts are cheap. Three pieces of paper matter:
- Check the WoF and rego are current, and ask when the WoF was last issued.
- Pay for a pre-purchase inspection on anything you are serious about.
- Check for money owing on the car. If there is finance against it, the lender can repossess it from you.
- When you buy, you must tell the NZ Transport Agency you are the new owner (the seller does the same). You can do it online or at an agent.
- Arrange insurance before you drive it away.
Trade Me and the AA are commercial organisations. We don’t endorse them; they are simply where most people look and where many conversions are done.
05 · Getting to work
Shift work shapes the commute. Early starts and late finishes mean driving in the dark, often on rural roads, and sometimes between sites. A few things to settle before your first week:
- Do the drive to the hospital once in daylight before you do it at 6am.
- Ask your department about staff parking: where it is, what it costs and whether night-shift parking is close to the entrance.
- Check your route for winter. Some inland roads ice over; your colleagues will know which ones.
- In Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, buses and trains can cover a day-shift commute. For nights and weekends, a car is usually the only option.
- If you are not driving yet, a bike or e-bike covers a lot of regional towns, and a colleague on the same roster will often share lifts.
06 · Useful resources
Your first weeks, including when to start the licence conversion, are in Your first month. For what a car adds to the budget, use the moving cost calculator.
Ethicare Resourcing
This chapter is part of a bigger guide — and we’re here for the rest of it
We place healthcare professionals across New Zealand and Australia, and stay with the move through registration, visas and the first months after you land.