Driving in Greece: when your Australian licence works, and when to swap it

Good news first: Greece recognises Australian licences, and swapping yours for a Greek one doesn't involve a driving test. The bad news is the paperwork, and Athens traffic.

The short version

• Since 5 November 2021, a valid Australian licence is recognised in Greece. Visitors no longer need an International Driving Permit [1].
• Once Greece is your usual home, you can convert your Australian licence to a Greek one with no driving test [2][3].
• You'll need a residence permit issued at least 185 days earlier, two medical certificates, a certified translation and a certificate from your Australian licensing authority [3].
• Expect to pay roughly €108 to €233 in fees and wait about 45 days, sometimes much longer [3].
• Greece's tougher Road Traffic Code took full effect on 13 September 2025. Phone use behind the wheel now costs hundreds of euros and your licence for a month [6][7].

Visiting versus living here

There are two very different situations, and the rules for each are not the same.

Visiting. Greek law (Law 4850/2021, Article 25) made Australian licences valid in Greece from 5 November 2021. The Australian Embassy in Athens says you no longer need to carry an International Driving Permit alongside it [1]. Smartraveller agrees the licence is recognised, but suggests checking with a Greek embassy or consulate for your licence type, and reminds you that your licence must cover the vehicle you're actually driving. That includes the quad bike or scooter you're eyeing on Paros [5]. Riding a scooter on a car licence is a classic way to void your travel insurance.

Living here. Once you're a resident, the conversion process exists for you. Greece lets people whose usual residence has moved to Greece swap a licence from Australia, the USA, Canada, Japan, South Africa or South Korea for a Greek one without exams [3][4]. The official service page doesn't set a strict deadline after which your Australian licence stops working. But residents relying on a foreign licence for years tend to run into trouble with insurers, car hire firms and police at roadside checks. If Athens is home, we'd convert once you're eligible.

Who can convert, and what you need

The Greek procedure for converting an Australian licence is set out on the government's process register, Mitos [3]. The main conditions:

• Your usual residence must have been in Greece for at least six months before you apply, or you must be a student here.
• You apply in the regional unit where you live. In Athens, that's the transport and communications directorate covering your address.
• Your Australian licence must still be valid. Don't let it expire while you're gathering documents.
• You must not hold another licence, Greek, EU or from anywhere else. Greece issues you one licence, not a collection.
• Normal minimum ages apply, such as 18 for a car (category B).

The document list

The official list runs to 11 to 16 items, depending on your case [3]. The core ones:

1. A copy of your passport (or Greek ID if you're a Greek citizen).
2. Proof of usual residence, typically a residence permit issued at least 185 days before you apply.
3. A copy of your valid Australian licence.
4. A certificate from the authority that issued your licence confirming it isn't suspended or held for any penalty. It needs to be authenticated and translated. Ask your state or territory licensing body (Service NSW, VicRoads, Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads and so on) for a licence history or verification document, and check whether it needs an apostille from DFAT.
5. A translation of your licence by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs translation service or a certified translator.
6. One recent passport-style photo.
7. At least two health certificates from specialist doctors.
8. A solemn declaration (under Law 1599/1986) about your residence and licence. You can add your blood group if you want it printed on the card.
9. A signed application for printing the licence. You must sign this yourself.
10. Proof you've paid the fees (paravola).

If someone else lodges for you, they need a notarised authorisation. The process isn't available online: you apply in person, through a KEP citizen service centre, or by post [3].

The Australian Embassy's own page confirms the basics: apply to a local transport office, and no driving test is required. It lists the Ministry of Transport switchboard as 210 650 8000 and suggests the Greek embassy or consulates in Australia can also help [2].

Fees and timing

Greek government fees are paid as electronic paravola, through a bank, web banking or Hellenic Post. For a straightforward car licence, the official fee codes add up like this [3]:

Medical certificates, translations and the Australian paperwork come on top. Translation and doctors' fees vary, so get quotes.

The official estimate is about 45 days from lodging to collecting your card. The authenticity check on your Australian licence can take up to three months, so don't plan a road trip around the official estimate. The Greek licence is valid for 15 years [3].

One thing Australians often ask: what happens to the Australian card? Since you can't hold two licences under the Greek rules, expect the Greek office to keep it or deal with it as part of the exchange. Ask at lodgement how it's handled. If you'll be driving back home on visits, talk to your state licensing body before you hand it over about what you'll need later.

The rules of the Greek road

Greece drives on the right. That alone takes a few weeks of concentration if you learnt in Australia, especially at roundabouts and when turning left across traffic.

Smartraveller's description of Greek roads is blunt: aggressive driving, congestion in the cities and on the islands in summer, drivers who ignore signals and rarely give way to pedestrians. If a traffic officer's directions conflict with the lights, you follow the officer [5]. Helmets are compulsory on motorbikes and scooters, and drink or drug driving is illegal and voids insurance [5].

The 2025 Road Traffic Code

Greek parliament passed a new Road Traffic Code (Law 5209/2025) in June 2025, and it took full effect on 13 September 2025. Penalties now escalate for repeat offences, and serious cases can go to court [6]. It covers phone use, helmets and seatbelts, drink driving, speeding, red lights, stop signs and parking in disabled spaces [6].

Phone use shows how steep it got. Under the code as it went to parliament, a first offence meant a €350 fine and 30 days without your licence. A second meant €1,000 and 180 days, and a third €2,000 and a year [7]. That's tougher than most Australian states, and the licence removal hurts more than the fine.

Things that catch Aussies out

• Priority from the right. At unmarked intersections, traffic coming from your right usually has priority. Locals assume you know.
• The daktylios. Central Athens has a traffic ring (the daktylios) where cars are restricted by odd or even number plate on weekdays for much of the year. Check the current dates and exemptions before driving in.
• Tolls. The Attiki Odos motorway to the airport and the northern suburbs is tolled. Have a card ready or get an electronic tag if you'll use it often.
• Parking. Inner Athens parking is scarce, and some suburbs use controlled zones that favour residents. Double parking is common but not legal, and towing happens.
• Pedestrian crossings. Drivers often don't stop at them [5]. As a driver, stop anyway. As a pedestrian, don't assume anyone else will.

A step-by-step plan for new residents

1. Keep driving on your valid Australian licence while your residence is new [1].
2. In your first few months, request your licence history or verification certificate from your Australian state or territory, plus an apostille if needed.
3. Book two specialist medical checks and order a certified translation of your licence.
4. Once your residence permit is 185 days old, pay the paravola and lodge at your regional transport directorate or a KEP [3].
5. Keep a copy of your application, then collect your Greek licence when notified.

Stuck on a form, or want to know which Athens office moves fastest? Join Cooee Greece, our Facebook group for Australians in Greece, at /join/. Someone has already queued in the right building.

Sources

1. What's new – Australian Embassy, Greece
2. Converting an Australian driving licence – Australian Embassy, Greece
3. Conversion of a valid driving licence from the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa and South Korea – Mitos, Greek government process register
4. Conversion of a valid driving licence from the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Africa and South Korea – gov.gr
5. Greece travel advice – Smartraveller
6. New Road Traffic Code, now in effect, brings stiff fines and penalties for repeat offenders – Capital.gr
7. Greece to introduce harsher penalties for dangerous driving under revised highway code – The Greek Herald

Keep reading

• Getting around Athens: the metro, ATH.ENA card and ferries
• AFM, AMKA and gov.gr: Greece's essential numbers
• Moving to Athens from Australia: the complete guide
• Your Australian driver's licence abroad