Australia ranked lowly for most powerful licences in the world
- admin928749
- 24 hours ago
- 2 min read
Thinking about hiring a car on your next overseas holiday? You might want to check if your Aussie driver’s licence is actually recognised where you’re headed.
A new global study has revealed that Australian licences don’t stack up too well compared to other countries – in fact, they’re among the lowest ranked in the world.
The research, by Compare the Market, looked at 19 countries and scored them based on three things: how much it costs to learn to drive, how long a licence lasts, and how widely it’s recognised overseas.
And the winner? Finland.
The Nordic nation came out on top with an almost perfect score of 98.08. Finnish licences last 15 years, are recognised in 141 countries, and it only costs around $406 on average to learn to drive there.
Belgium snagged second place with recognition in 106 countries, 10 years of validity, and a much cheaper average cost. France rounded out the top three, followed by Cyprus and Spain. The rest of the top 10 included Italy, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland and Greece.
Australia, on the other hand, didn’t do so well. We landed in 13th spot with a score of just 37.95. The big downsides? Our licences only last five years and are recognised in just 24 countries. On the plus side, they’re relatively affordable to obtain at about $770.
A spokesperson for Compare the Market said the results show why convenience and recognition matter.
“With only five years’ validity, Australians face more renewals and fees across a lifetime. And the limited recognition can cause real headaches when travelling overseas,” they explained.
For many Aussies, that can mean being turned away at the rental car desk in places like Greece, Italy or Japan, or even facing fines if stopped by police.
The advice? If you’re travelling overseas, it’s best to apply for an international driving permit through the Australian Automobile Association, or state-based groups like Service NSW or RACV. Just keep in mind some countries, like China, don’t recognise foreign or international permits at all.
Interestingly, Australia isn’t alone near the bottom of the rankings. The US and Canada also scored poorly, thanks to their licences being recognised in very few countries. And right at the bottom was Japan – with high costs, limited recognition, and short validity dragging its score to just 24.73.
More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.
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