Driving in WA: A Guide for International Students

While it's easy to get around on public transport in Perth, there are many benefits that come with driving in Western Australia. You can head on a road trip with friends to explore more of the beautiful scenery Western Australia has to offer during weekends and study breaks. It can also make it easier getting to and from your classes, and it opens up job opportunities such as driving for a ride-share service like Uber. 

If you're thinking about driving in Perth as an international student, here is everything you need to know.

If you already have your driver's licence:

As an international student with a driver's licence from your home country, you are allowed to drive in Western Australia, provided that:

• You remain a visitor and not a permanent resident. International students are considered to be temporary residents, and are allowed to drive using their current overseas licence. If you apply for and obtain permanent residency in the future, you will need to transfer your licence to a WA licence. 
• Your overseas licence remains valid and current.
• Your licence is NOT disqualified in the country of origin.
• You have not had your driver's licence suspended or cancelled in your country.

You must carry your licence with you when you are driving. If your licence is not in English, you must have an official English translation of it before you start driving. This can be obtained from your country's Embassy or Consulate, or the Department of Home Affairs Free Translating Service. 

Transferring your overseas licence:

To transfer your current driver's licence to a WA licence, you will need to apply to the Department of Transport with identity verification documents. 

If your country is a recognised country, that is all you need to do. If your country is not a recognised country, you will also need to pass a theory test and a practical driving assessment. 

For a list of recognised countries, and more information on transferring your overseas licence, click here. 

If you don't have your driver's licence:

If you don't have a driver's licence in your home country and need to learn how to drive, you can start by getting your learner's permit and taking driving lessons. Or, if you have a family member or friend who can teach you, they are able to as long as they have held a current driver's licence for more than 4 years. 

The licence you need to drive a regular car in Australia is called a C class licence. There are other licence types for drivers of buses, trucks, mopeds, and motorcycles. 

In Western Australia, there are three stages to getting your driver's licence: 

1. Learner's permit
2. Provisional licence
3. Full licence

Before getting your learner's permit, you will need to complete a knowledge-based test to ensure you are familiar with the Western Australian road rules. Click here for a handbook of the road rules, as well as practice quizzes to help you prepare for your test. The cost to sit the test is $21.20. 

The cost of applying for your learner's permit is $143.30. Once you have obtained it, you will use it to practice for your driving test. 

There are two tests to take to get your licence:

• 1. Hazard perception test
  • To take this test, you must have had your learner's permit for at least 6 months.
  • The cost of the Hazard perception test is $28.40.
• 2. Practical driving assessment
  • To take this test, you must have had your learner's permit for at least 6 months.
  • If you are under 25 years old, you must complete and record at least 50 hours of supervised driving before you can take the test. If you are older than 25 you do not need to log any hours. 
  • The first driving assessment is free. If you need to retake the assessment, each re-sit costs $114.50. 

For more information on the steps to take to get your driver's licence, click here. 

Once you pass your driving assessment you will be granted a provisional licence, which you will use for 2 years. There are some rules you must abide by while using your provisional licence:

• You must display red P plates for the first 6 months of your provisional licence. 
• During these 6 months, you are not allowed to drive between the hours of midnight and 5am. 
• You must display green P plates for the remaining 18 months of your provisional licence. 
• The blood alcohol limit for provisional drivers is 0.00%.

Find out more information about provisional licences here. 

Important licence and road rules in Australia:

• The legal driving age in Australia is 16 years old for learners. You can apply for your provisional licence from the age of 17 years old. 
• In Australia, we drive on the left side of the road. Cars have their steering wheels on the right hand side of the car, with the gear stick to the left of the driver. 
• The blood alcohol limit is 0.05%. If you are a learner or a provisional licence holder, the limit is 0.00%.
• The use of phones while driving is completely prohibited, including texting and calling, and even changing your music. You are not permitted to touch your device at all, and you can face a fine of $1000 and lose 4 demerit points if you are caught.
• Speed limits must not be exceeded under any circumstances. The WA Police often set up speed cameras in popular locations, and you can be fined between $100 and $1000, and lose up to 7 demerit points if you are caught speeding. 
• Traffic offences are recorded on a point system - demerit points. Demerit points are penalty points that you receive if you commit certain offences. You have a certain number of demerit points depending on the licence you have, and you must not exceed this number.
  • Full licence - 12 demerit points
  • Provisional licence - 4 demerit points in the first year, 8 demerit points in the second year
  • Learner's permit - 4 demerit points
• During holiday periods such as Christmas, to encourage drivers to drive safely, there are date ranges during which if you accrue any demerit points, they will be doubled. This is referred to as "double demerits". 

For more information on road rules in Western Australia, click here.