How to get an International Driver's License in New Zealand that only you know about

International driver's license

An International Driver's Permit is a driver's license that allows you to drive a car in the country you're going to.

Normally, you need a local driver's license to drive abroad, but an International Driver's Permit allows you to drive without a local driver's license for one year. Of course, this is not universally accepted, and there is a list of countries where it is valid.

Nowadays, Korean driver's licenses are also available in English, which can be used as a substitute for an International Driver's Permit. Your English driver's license is also valid in New Zealand, where you can drive for one year.

When I came to New Zealand from Korea, I had an international driver's license, which I think was issued by the police station at the time, but I never had to use it.

This is because New Zealand and Korea have an agreement that makes it very easy to convert your Korean driver's license to a New Zealand driver's license.

Please refer to the post below on how to convert your Korean driver's license to a New Zealand driver's license.

Get an international driver's license in New Zealand

I currently have two driver's licenses, one from my country and one from New Zealand. I need an International Driver's License to travel to Japan, rent a car, and drive.

If you live in Korea, you can get an international driver's license the same way you did before, but I currently live in New Zealand.

Luckily, I found out that New Zealand also issues international driver's licenses (valid for one year from the date of issuance) for driving overseas.

The AA is the only organization that issues international driver's licenses in New Zealand. You can apply in person at the AA with the required documents, or you can apply online. Online is probably easier, right?

The process of getting an international driver's license in New Zealand

First, you'll be directed to the International Driver's License page on the AA website. If you'd like to apply online, click the Apply online for an IDP yellow button.

For reference, IDP stands for International Driving Permit.

List of countries covered by an International Driver's License issued in New Zealand

I see Korea and Japan in the J-L column. It looks like it could be used for traveling to Japan.

What to bring to get an International Driver's License in New Zealand

The process is simple. Fill out information about yourself, upload your materials, pay the issuance fee and shipping, and you're done. Here's what you'll need to bring when applying online

Enter information to get an international driver's license in New Zealand

You can fill in most of the fields by looking at your New Zealand driver's license. The class is listed on the back of your driver's license. I'm not a member of AA, so I said no and proceeded. You don't have to be a member to proceed.

This is where you enter your address in New Zealand. The delivery address is where you will receive your International Driver's License, so it should be where you can physically pick it up.

Finally, there's a phone number, email address, and a way to get it shipped. I honestly don't see the difference between the two, but I went with the cheaper $8.

Upload your New Zealand driver's license and photo

Next, you'll need to upload JPG files of the front, back, and proof of your New Zealand driver's license. Upon uploading, you will see a Crop (a square around the border of the photo), just ignore it and upload all 3 and hit the Next Step button.

Cost of obtaining an International Driver's License in New Zealand

The cost of an International Driver's Permit in New Zealand is $49.5, and the shipping fee is $8. The total cost is $57.5, which is about $47,000. The next step is to double-check the information you've entered, and then you'll pay to complete the process.

If you're looking to apply for an International Driver's Permit in New Zealand, the link below will take you to the page with ease.

Pick up your international driver's license

After applying on October 10, 2024, I received an email from the AA asking me to resend my driver's license and proof photo as they were not of a suitable quality.

Please note that the date I received my International Driver's License after resending it was October 21, which is about 11 days.

This is what my New Zealand International Driver's License looked like. Inside, there were translations of the driver's license in the languages of the countries I'd be traveling to, and on the last page was a photo of me pretending to be a driver.

Finalize

Today we looked at how to get an International Driver's Permit in New Zealand, which means you can get a driver's license that allows you to drive overseas with your New Zealand driver's license.

It is important to note that once you have your International Driver's Permit, you must take your New Zealand driver's license with you when you go overseas. This is because local countries often require it for verification. Thank you for reading this article.