International Drivers License Information on www.idlicense.com

International Driving License

Even if you don't intend to drive when you travel overseas you should always carry an International Driving Permit.

An International Driving Permit (IDP) or International translation of drivers license is a requirement for renting a motor vehicle in many countries and is helpful for tourists who find themselves in need of identification or assistance.

An IDP provides inexpensive additional security.
    IDPs are officially sanctioned by the United Nations and accepted worldwide (in over 150 countries) as a recognisable form of identification;
    Your IDP carries your identification details in nine languages (English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Italian, German, Arabic, Swedish and French), in case you need to communicate with foreign authorities;
    In some countries you may be asked to surrender your passport under certain circumstances. An IDP provides an extra photo ID in nine languages which you can always carry with you;
    IDPs are a special permit for tourists, authorised by a United Nations Treaty for the purpose of allowing motorists to drive internationally without further tests or applications provided their domestic drivers licence is valid;
    An IDP is proof that you hold a valid drivers licence in your home country at the date of issue of the IDP and should be carried with your domestic drivers licence;
    A valid IDP permits you to drive in most foreign countries in case of an emergency under normal IDP conditions.

IDPs are issued through State and Territory Motoring Clubs. All you need to do is take a copy of your current drivers licence into your local club with a passport size photo and fill out an application form.

You will need an official passport photo, scanned photo or digital photo (printed on proper photographic paper) no more than 12 months old to accompany the application.

You will need an official passport photo, scanned photo or digital photo (printed on proper photographic paper) no more than 12 months old to accompany the application.

Download an International Driving Permit application form: australian_application_int_driving_license.pdf (358.04 kb)

If you are a permanent resident visa holder and have a current driver's licence from another country, in English or with an Intarnational translation of drivers liocense, you are allowed to drive for your first three months after arrival.

After the three months, if you want to drive, you will need to have the appropriate driver's licence. This will usually require you to pass a knowledge test, a practical driving test, and an eyesight test. In Australia, drivers' licences are issued by state and territory governments.

If you're going to be in the Australia for more than six months, you can get an international translation of  driver's license before you leave home, or you can apply for a license in Australia when you're there.

If you're going to rent a car, you will need your local, unexpired driver's license (that you've held for at least one year) and a credit card -- not a debit card.

What are the fees to look out for when renting a car in Sydney?

The base rate of rentals is in the range of $70 to $100 per day. Other standard fees charged by car rental companies in Sydney include toll pass fees $2.00 per day and Insurance Excess Reduction of $15.00 per day. Other fees may be applicable depending on your choices - additional driver fees at $3.00 per day, baby seat fee at $9.00 per day, Sat Nav GPS $35.00 flat fee as well as a fee of $10.00 per day for under age driver (under 25). As you can see, hiring a car in Sydney is not cheap but hunt for the better bargains by browsing through online ads to check out the discounts on offer. Discounts are invariably available only through direct online bookings and not through an agent.

Australia is a developed country with roads that are well-signed, well-paved and easy to navigate. The driving rules across the eight states are essentially similar, with Melbourne having an extra few.

Driving Etiquette and Rules

• Left-hand drive
• Seat belts and child restraints must be worn by ALL passengers
• Overcrowding is illegal. Everyone has to be properly seated so sedans would fit a maximum of 5 people
• Drivers in Australia are generally considerate and law-abiding. Always give way to pedestrians and follow the speed limits
• In general, if there are no signs, the default speed limit on urban/built-up roads is 50km/h and 100km/h for all others
• Unless there is a dedicated turn light (or the signs say otherwise), you are allowed to make a left/right turn when the light for going straight ahead is green. It is then your responsibility to wait until all pedestrians have finished crossing and that there are no oncoming cars before you take your turn
• Using a handheld mobile to talk or SMS is subject to heavy fines. A hands-free kit or speaker phone is permitted but not recommended as it can still impair your concentration

Drivers License Requirements

• As a temporary visitor, you can drive on your existing overseas licence
• Always have a copy of your driver’s licence. If it’s not in English, you should have an official translation or an International Driving Permit or International translation of drivers license. 
• Carry some sort of evidence that you are a genuine visitor e.g. tourist visa, letter from educational institutions, employers or diplomatic offices

Self driving in Perth, Australia is not too difficult. Their cars are right hand drive with cars driven on the left lane, same as per Malaysia and Singapore. All you need is a valid driving license and you could drive in Australia. No need to apply for an international driving license (international drivers licence). Being in an unfamiliar place you will need a driver and a navigator to move around effortlessly. If the driver also has to navigate, then the best course of action would be to rent a car with GPS unit. It would of course mean additional rental amount. The first time driving in Perth was of course a total blur being completely unfamiliar. With Catherine around we just followed her car to an Italian restaurant for dinner somewhere in Northbridge.

While driving, cars must always give priority to pedestrians which where unlike Malaysia where drivers were like Mr Hyde and pedestrians have to be wary about crossing the road lest they be knocked down. Speed limit in Perth was 50 kilometres per hour unless otherwise signposted. Upper freeway speed limit was 100kph, while upper limit in country areas was 110kph. In some places, speed cameras were used to enforce speed limits. I saw some signpost between Perth and Fremantle where speed cameras were used and the speed limit was 60kph.

Difficult to understand the parking signboards . Their system was different from ours, they use a number to indicate how long you could park such as 1/2 P would meant you could only park for half an hour while 1P, 2P, 3P etc indicates 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours respectively. A ticket machine will dispense automatically the limit as per indicated on the signboard. A sign board with a S with a red slash inside a red circle indicates a no stopping zone. Public parking zones were cheaper than parking at private parking areas such as CPP or Wilson parking. However public parking zones has a time limit as per indicated on the signage which meant you have to get back to your car to get a new set of tickets or drive the car away. Not very convenient if you plan to hang around for a while in that place.