Overseas Licence Conversion Theory

Choose

Course

Our Overseas Licence Conversion Theory Course (Step 1 of 2)

Session Times

Choose a morning or evening class

Choose the class stream that best suits your schedule:

Morning class

Monday to Thursday
10:00am–12:00pm

Evening class

Monday to Thursday
6:00pm–8:00pm

Both streams cover the same Road Code content and conversion guidance. Select one class when you enrol and remain in that stream for all four teaching days.

Each session builds on the previous day's learning. Full attendance gives you the best opportunity to understand the material, complete practice questions and resolve document issues before test day.

Please arrive about 10 minutes early and bring any documents DriveStar has asked to review.

Friday testing

The official overseas-conversion application and theory test are normally completed on Friday morning 8.30am at VTNZ Takanini. DriveStar will provide the arrival time, location details and check-in instructions once the testing arrangement has been confirmed.

Friday timing is separate from the Monday-to-Thursday class timetable and depends on licencing-agent availability. Do not attend a different agent or assume a walk-in time without checking your confirmed instructions.

The Costs Involved

Clear pricing for Step 1 of the conversion process

DriveStar course fee — NZ$250 including GST

The course fee includes:

Four days of guided theory learning.
Two hours of facilitated tuition each day.
Delivery in the scheduled English, Gagana Samoa or Lea Faka-Tonga stream.
Road Code teaching and computer-style practice questions.
Conversion-pathway and document-preparation guidance.
Readiness monitoring and final practice.
Friday test instructions and DriveStar check-in support where arranged.

The DriveStar course fee is paid to DriveStar.

Official overseas-conversion fees — paid to VTNZ

The learner pays the current official fees directly to the specialist licensing agent:

Overseas-conversion application fee: NZ$52.10.
Theory-test fee: NZ$45.70 for each attempt.
Initial official amount to budget: NZ$97.80.

Total initial amount to budget — NZ$347.80

This is the NZ$250 DriveStar course fee plus the current NZ$97.80 official application and first theory-test fees.

The separate overseas-conversion practical test currently costs NZ$59.90. That fee belongs to Step 2 and is not included in the theory-course total above.

If you do not pass the theory test, another theory-test fee is payable to the licencing agent for each later attempt. Any further DriveStar tuition, course re-entry, translations, Certificate of Particulars, medical certificate, document copies, transport or other third-party costs are separate.

DriveStar keeps its course fee separate from official and third-party costs so each learner pays only the amounts that apply to their own documents, country and testing history.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

1. Who is this course for?

The course is for people preparing to convert a valid full overseas car licence from a non-exempt country, particularly Samoa or Tonga. These applicants generally need to pass both a theory test and a practical driving test.

If you hold a learner, provisional, motorcycle or heavy-vehicle licence—or your overseas licence is missing or expired by more than 12 months—ask DriveStar or NZTA to confirm your pathway before enrolling.

2. Why is the course separate from the NZ Learner Licence Theory Course?

Both courses teach the New Zealand Road Code and prepare learners for a 35-question computerised theory test. The overseas-conversion course has different eligibility checks, the DL5 conversion application, overseas-licence documents, specialist-agent requirements and a second practical stage after the theory test.

Keeping the courses separate allows DriveStar to give conversion learners the paperwork and process support they actually need.

3. Which languages are available?

DriveStar delivers scheduled courses in English, Gagana Samoa and Lea Faka-Tonga. The official theory test is also available in Samoan and Tongan, along with English and other supported languages.

Choose your preferred DriveStar language stream when enrolling. Availability depends on the published intake and staffing.

4. What documents must I bring?

Bring your original passport or other accepted identity evidence, your physical overseas driver licence and current proof of your New Zealand residential address. You may also need an NZTA-accepted English translation, name-change documents, a medical certificate or other supporting evidence depending on your circumstances.

Photographs, screenshots and an International Driving Permit by itself cannot replace the physical overseas licence.

5. What is different for Samoan and Tongan licence holders?

A Samoan Class B full licence holder normally brings the physical licence and the standard identity, address and conversion documents. Samoa is not on NZTA's list of countries that automatically require separate licence-validity evidence.

A Tongan licence holder must provide additional proof that the licence is valid. Contact the Tonga Ministry of Infrastructure or relevant licensing authority early to request an official Certificate of Particulars or other evidence that NZTA will accept.

6. How long is the course, and when is the test?

The course runs for four days, Monday to Thursday, with two hours of teaching each day. Morning classes run from 10:00am to 12:00pm and evening classes from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

The official conversion application and theory test are normally arranged for Friday morning at the confirmed specialist agent. Friday times depend on agent availability.

7. Where are the course and official test held?

The teaching programme is normally held at Ōtara Library, 46 Fair Mall, Ōtara. The Friday application and theory test are normally completed at VTNZ Takanini, 2–14 Spartan Road, which is a specialist overseas-conversion site.

DriveStar will confirm the final test location and arrival instructions. Portable theory testing cannot complete overseas-conversion applications.

8. What is the official theory test like?

It is a computer-based test with 35 multiple-choice questions about New Zealand road rules and safe-driving knowledge. You need at least 32 correct answers to pass.

DriveStar teaches understanding rather than relying only on memorised answers. The exact questions are selected by the official testing system, and no training provider can guarantee a pass.

9. What happens after I pass the theory test?

You will receive a New Zealand driver licence with a supervisor condition, completing Step 1 of 2. This New Zealand licence overrides your overseas licence, so you must have a legally qualified supervisor seated beside you whenever you drive.

You must then prepare for and pass the overseas-conversion practical driving test. Passing the practical test completes Step 2 and allows the supervisor condition to be removed.

10. How much does Step 1 cost, and what if I do not pass?

The DriveStar theory course costs NZ$250 including GST. The current official application fee is NZ$52.10 and the theory test is NZ$45.70 for each attempt. The test fee total payable at VTNZ is $97.80

If you do not pass, you will need to pay the official theory-test fee again ($45.70) when rebooking. Further DriveStar tuition or course re-entry is separate and subject to DriveStar's current enrolment and re-entry policy.

Proudly located and based

Otara Library, South Auckland

The four-day theory course is held at:

Ōtara Library
Ōtara Town Centre
46 Fair Mall, Ōtara, Manukau 2023

If you're needing directions, please click on this link: Find us using Google Maps

Community-based learning in Ōtara

Ōtara Library provides a familiar South Auckland learning environment where DriveStar can deliver supported group teaching in English, Gagana Samoa or Lea Faka-Tonga.

Friday application and test location

An overseas conversion application must be completed at a specialist overseas-conversion driver licencing agent. Friday testing is normally at 8.30am and arranged at:

VTNZ Takanini
2–14 Spartan Road
Takanini, Auckland 2105

VTNZ Takanini is listed as an overseas licence conversion site and provides theory testing. The exact site, arrival time and appointment instructions are subject to availability and will be confirmed before Friday.

Portable theory testing cannot process an overseas-conversion application, so learners should not assume the test can be completed at Ōtara Library even when portable testing is available for other licence pathways.

DriveStar and the licencing agent are separate

DriveStar provides the course, document-preparation guidance and learner support. VTNZ is a contracted specialist licencing agent that administers the official application, document acceptance, eyesight check, fees, test delivery and licence issue.

Enrolling with DriveStar does not itself create an official conversion application or guarantee a test appointment.

Our Overseas Licence Conversion Theory Course

Step 1 of 2

Step 1 of 2: understand the Road Code and pass the theory test

Many experienced Samoan and Tongan drivers know how to drive but find the wording of the English Road Code and computerised theory test difficult to interpret. DriveStar introduced this course so language does not become an unnecessary barrier to understanding New Zealand's road rules and completing the conversion process.

The course follows the same Road Code learning programme as DriveStar's NZ Learner Licence Theory Course, with additional onboarding and paperwork support specifically for overseas licence conversion.

Four days of guided learning

The programme runs from Monday to Thursday, with two hours of facilitated learning each day. Delivery is available in English, Gagana Samoa and Lea Faka-Tonga, subject to the scheduled intake.

Course content may include:

New Zealand road rules and driver responsibilities.
Road signs, signals and road markings.
Giving-way rules, intersections and roundabouts.
Speed limits, following distances and safe stopping.
Sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.
Hazards, safe decision-making and defensive-driving knowledge.
Understanding difficult words and phrases used in the Road Code.
Computer-style practice questions and test-taking techniques.

The official car theory test contains 35 multiple-choice questions. You must answer at least 32 correctly to pass. The official test is available in English, Samoan and Tongan, along with other NZTA-supported languages.

Conversion-specific onboarding

During the course, DriveStar will:

Confirm that overseas conversion is the correct pathway for your licence.
Check your original identity, overseas-licence and address documents early.
Identify whether a translation, validity record or other supporting evidence may be required.
Explain the specialist-agent application, eyesight, photograph, signature and payment process.
Monitor your Road Code knowledge and theory-test readiness.
Confirm the Friday testing instructions and what you must take with you.

You remain responsible for completing and signing your own official declarations. DriveStar provides preparation and support but cannot make an application or give legal declarations on your behalf.

What happens when you pass?

Passing the theory test completes Step 1 of the two-step process for a non-exempt overseas car licence. NZTA will issue a New Zealand driver licence with a supervisor condition.

That New Zealand licence overrides your overseas licence. From that point, you must not drive alone. A legally qualified supervisor must be seated beside you whenever you drive. The supervisor condition remains until you pass the required overseas-conversion practical test.

Step 2 is the practical driving stage.

It is a separate DriveStar course, enrolment and NZTA test. The overseas-conversion process is not fully completed until the practical test has been passed and the supervisor condition has been removed.

The 2027 licence changes do not remove this test

The New Zealand graduated driver licensing system changes on 25 January 2027, but NZTA states that this does not change how an overseas licence is converted. A driver converting a licence from a non-exempt country will still need to complete the required theory and practical tests.

These are the must have's

Getting you 'test-ready' before Friday

Get your conversion documents ready before the course

DriveStar's Overseas Licence Conversion Theory Course is designed for people converting a valid overseas full car licence from a non-exempt country, including Samoa and Tonga.

Before enrolling, your overseas licence must:

Be the original physical licence—not only a photograph, screenshot, digital licence or International Driving Permit.
Be current or have expired within the previous 12 months.
Not be suspended, disqualified or revoked in the country that issued it.
Show the class of vehicle you are licensed to drive.

An International Driving Permit may help as a translation in some circumstances, but it cannot replace the physical overseas licence.

Documents to bring for DriveStar's pre-check

Bring the original physical documents that apply to you:

Your current passport or other identity evidence accepted by NZTA.
Your physical overseas driver licence.
A current proof-of-address document showing your name and New Zealand residential address, such as a bank statement or Inland Revenue letter.
An accurate English translation from an NZTA-accepted source if your licence is not in English.
Any name-change, marriage or other supporting identity documents needed to connect the name on your licence with your current identity.
Your glasses or contact lenses if you use them for driving or an eyesight check.
A medical certificate if NZTA requires one for your application.
A suitable payment method for the official conversion application and theory-test fees.

NZTA may require high-quality colour copies of the original documents and translations presented with the application. DriveStar will explain what to prepare during onboarding, but the specialist licensing agent makes the final decision about document acceptance.

Samoan licence holders

For a standard Class 1 car conversion, bring your original Samoan Class B full driver licence together with your identity, address and any other generally required conversion documents.

Samoa is not listed by NZTA as a country that automatically requires separate evidence of licence validity. This means a Samoan Class B licence holder does not normally need the additional validity document required for Tonga. NZTA may still request further evidence if the licence details, status, identity or authenticity cannot be confirmed.

Tongan licence holders

NZTA specifically requires additional evidence that a Tongan licence is valid. Tongan licence holders should contact the Tonga Ministry of Infrastructure or the relevant issuing authority well before the course to obtain an official Certificate of Particulars or other validity evidence acceptable to NZTA.

Do not wait until Friday morning to request this document. DriveStar cannot replace, create or certify information that must come from the overseas licensing authority.

Important

This course prepares you for the theory stage. It does not approve your documents or guarantee that NZTA will accept an overseas licence. If your licence is missing, expired by more than 12 months, not a full car licence or has unclear classes or dates, contact NZTA before enrolling so the correct pathway can be confirmed.