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Driver’s Licences

VALIDATION OF AN ITALIAN DRIVER’S LICENCE

A driver’s license, expired or expiring, cannot be renewed and needs to be replaced with a new one. What a Consulate of Italy can do is to issue a document called convalida, which merely validates the existing licence and enables its holder to legally drive in Italy for the time strictly necessary to request a new driver’s licence there. This document can only be issued if the licence is about to expire (4 months) or has been expired for less than 5 years. This service is only available to applicants who are AIRE-registered or able to prove to have resided out of Italy for over 6 months.

To request a validation, just send in our E-FORM, attaching the following:

  1. expired or expiring driver’s licence;
  2. proof of current home address (utilities or bank letter, either dated not more than 3 months back);
  3. medical certificate (available from HERE) released by one of our authorized GPs (see our list) not more than 3 months back;
  4. 1 ID format picture with white background
  5. one proof of 6-month residence out of Italy (airport stamp on passport, boarding pass, air ticket, lease agreement, etc).

When a validation is ready for collection, applicants will be contacted to arrange collection of the document and payment of the corresponding fees, prior to exhibiting their current Italian driver’s licence, proof of current home address and medical certificate, all in original version only.

 

IMPORTANT: no Consulate may issue a new driver’s licence but only a validation. In all cases, including licences lost, stolen or damaged, a new licence can only be obtained from the Motorizzazione Civile in Italy by either applying in person, through a third party or via a driving school.

A new licence will be sent to the applicant’s address in Italy by post.

Within 6 months after re-establishing your residence in Italy, you will have to renew the licence following the usual procedure at the Motorizzazione Civile. To this aim, it is essential that you keep the consular validation with you.

When requesting a new licence, it is worth noting that the Australian medical certificate is not recognized. Once in Italy, the applicant will have to obtain and produce a new medical certificate.

Licence holders over the age of 25 with a licence still valid or expired for less than one year may apply for an Australian driver’s licence from the WA Department of Transport.

  • Driving licences expired for over 5 years can no longer be validated and their holders will need to pass a new driving test in Italy.
  • LICENCE APPLICATIONS BY AIRE-REGISTERED HOLDERS NOT INCLUDING A CONSULAR VALIDATION ARE REJECTED!

 

 

TRANSLATION  OF A WEST-AUSTRALIAN DRIVER’S LICENCE

The procedure described above and the same E-FORM can equally be used to request a translation of an Australian driver’s licence into Italian. The service is provided in much the same way and with similar processing times, but at different costs, depending on the language required. All rates are available from HERE.

Italian driver’s licences are to be translated by a NAATI certified translator in order to be accepted by the Australian authorities.

 

NAUTICAL LICENSES

The Consulate has no competence in the matter of nautical licenses and cannot issue any validation or certificate.

Those who need to proceed with the validation of a nautical license must contact the Capitaneria di Porto Office that issued it, sending the appropriate application form, medical certificate (issued by one of the Consulate’s trusted doctors) and payment of the stamp duty. For any questions, it is necessary to contact the Capitaneria di Porto responsible for the area.