Exchange foreign automatic-only license to full Norwegian license

Hi Canned_Tuna,

I am about to take my driving test in about a month and I am only familiar with automatic, as well.  In Norway, unlike in the US where you use your own car, you need to arrange to drive a car from an approved driving school.  I don't know if that's how it is in NZ, but that added a little extra layer of planning.  All the schools I called didn't seem like it was a big deal that I would be driving automatic - just make sure you let them know that that is the situation.  Automatic cars are becoming much more popular, so I wouldn't be too worried about it.

But if you are planning on having a manual car, I would definitely make sure that you take the test on a manual car, so that your license has the right designation.  I don't believe there is anything more advanced than that in terms of getting that designation - just as long as you pass

Also, something that I didn't know - you are supposed to hand in your foreign license within THREE months after arrival. They'll give you a piece of paper saying that you've handed your license in, and then in about a week or so, you'll get a temporary paper license.  Make sure that you arrange to take your test within a year of getting your residence, because after that it becomes extremely difficult and EXPENSIVE to get it, because you have to take basically the full Norwegian driving course load, which is a lot!

Hope this was helpful!

Sorry!  Thought you said New Zealand, not Australia.  My mistake