Overseas license conversions?

[Aa7]

okay so there has been a bit of banter about converting overseas licenses to NZ Licenes on the forums but what about the other way around?

i.e converting a NZ license to a country overseas that doesn't use a graduated license system similar to ours - can it be done? what are the issues? specifically for Europe if anyone knows? can i only convert from a full NZ licesne to an overseas license? what if i had a restricted and wanted an overseas license? or a learners? or is it easier to resit your license again when overseas?

[TLMAN]

okay so there has been a bit of banter about converting overseas licenses to NZ Licenes on the forums but what about the other way around?

i.e converting a NZ license to a country overseas that doesn't use a graduated license system similar to ours - can it be done? what are the issues? specifically for Europe if anyone knows? can i only convert from a full NZ licesne to an overseas license? what if i had a restricted and wanted an overseas license? or a learners? or is it easier to resit your license again when overseas?

No, it has to a swap FULL for a FULL - I tried it a few years ago in the UK by trying to get a full UK bike license with a NZ restricted.

You have to have been a resident of the country for a certain period of time(1 year in the UK, i think) before you can "surrender" your full NZ license and apply for the equivalent of that country.

[TLMAN]

Just had a look on the DVLA website


you must be normally resident in GB and have a permanent address here


if you are a community driving licence holder applying for a British test at the same time as exchanging your licence and you have moved to GB having recently been permanently resident in another state of the EC or EEA, you must have been normally resident in GB for 185 days in the 12 months prior to your application for a full driving licence

[90s]

This might be slightly OT and also things may have changed, but when I had a Belgian / UK non-full for bikes I got an international licence from the AA to take to the states etc. It explicitly (at the time - 1990?) gave me a full motorcycle licence. It costs about 5 pounds.
I always thought it was strange - can you still get these and do they still count?