Changing licence from Zimbabwe to UK to Aus

[Guest zimbabwean]

Hi everyone.

I have had my zimbabwe drivers licence for about 10 years. I live in uk now and i want to change my licence to a uk one and then when i move to perth i can exchange my uk one for an Australian one.

Australia dont accept a Zimbabwe licence for exchange but uk do, hence the reason for changing to uk before i leave.

I know that Australia accept uk licences but im worried they might have a problem with the fact that my licence was originally issued in Zimbabwe.

 

Does anyone have any info on this? I have checked out the WA licence website but cant find anything on it or an email address to send my question to.

 

Has anyone else had a problem exchanging licenses that were originally isssued in countries that are not on the designated countries list?

[Eera]

I work with a Zim expat, his wife had to simply resit his driving test, and said they go a lot easier on older guys who have been driving for a while than they do on 17-year olds. he had a Zim and a UK one and they didn't bother with him.

 

He said Australia will look at your UK licence only, where you originally drove is irrelevent as you've proven you can drive to UK standards which are comperable (dare I say better) than Aus ones.

 

Make sure you don't have to do your UK test before you can swap it though, if you do, you may as well do the whole thing over here and avoid paying twice for the priviledge.

 

I don't know if they still do, but when I swapped my UK one for a NSW one I had to sit the theory exam.

[Guest zimbabwean]

Thanks for the info Eera.

ya i have checked with uk and its a simple swap from my zim to uk licence. Im going to perth and have checked it out and they will also do a swap for a uk licence. So hopefully if as your mate says , they wont check any further than uk licence then i should be fine.

Thanks very much