I have a full driving licence issued outside Hong Kong, can I apply for direct issue of Hong Kong full driving licence without taking a driving test?

Transport Department

0The “direct issue mechanism” is only applicable to issue of full driving licence for private car, light goods vehicle, motor cycle and motor tricycle. A person who has a full driving licence issued by any one of the countries/ places as listed in Schedule 4 of the Road Traffic (Driving Licences) Regulations (Cap. 374B) (hereunder “recognised countries/ places”) (e.g. Mainland) and fulfill the relevant requirements may apply for direct issue of a Hong Kong full driving licence of the respective vehicle class(es) without having to take the driving test or completing the 12-month probationary driving period in Hong Kong.

Contents

Eligibility for Application

For the direct issue of a Hong Kong full driving licence, you must provide documentary evidence that you meet the following requirements –

Aged 18 or above
Hold a full driving licence (not an International Driving Permit or learner’s/ probationary driving licence) issued by one of the recognised countries or places. Please refer to the following list for the recognised countries/ places:
- List of countries / places (displayed in alphabetical order)
The driving licence must be a full driving licence (Note: Probationary driving licence or international driving permit are not acceptable); and the licence must be:
1. valid or has not expired for more than 3 years (from the date of application); and
2. obtained through passing the relevant driving test(s) in the issuing country or place.
Satisfy any one of the criteria listed below:
1. the licence was originally issued on any date during a period of residence of not less than 6 months in the country or place of issue; or
2. the licence has been issued for not less than 5 years immediately prior to the application; or
3. the applicant holds a passport or equivalent travel document issued in the country or place in which the licence was issued.

Application Procedures

Form

Application for Direct Issue of Hong Kong Full Driving Licence - TD 63A (PDF)
- Applicants are required to verify a mobile phone number or email address as the e-contact means (ECM) on the designated online platform within three months prior to application submission. Please click here for details.
- Digital/printed signature is not accepted; if the information provided in application form is amended, applicant shall sign next to the amended part for verification.
Applicants aged 70 or above should also submit Medical Examination Certificate (for applicants aged 70 or above) - TD256 (PDF)

Supporting Documents

Please produce the originals and copies of the following documents (Original or copy is accepted for address proof) when you submit your application:

Hong Kong Identity Card (if any)/ Passport/ Other equivalent travel document
Passport or other equivalent travel document (if you meet the requirements in 4(a) or (c) of Eligibility for Application above)
Overseas/ PRC driving licence
Documentary proof that the applicant satisfies one of the following requirements –

(a) To prove that the licence was originally issued on any date during a period of residence of not less than 6 months in the country or place of issue ^{Note 1}, supporting documents include:

The relevant passport showing records of entry and departure or an official statement of travel records by the country or place of issue;
Official documents/ Visa that can show your condition of stay in the country or place of issue (if any), such as study/ work/ dependent visa, etc, and
School transcript ^{Note 2} or employer's testimonial ^{Note 3}with employment period specified, etc., which cover not less than the said 6-month period with the licence's issue date included; or

(b) To prove that the applicant holds a passport or equivalent travel document issued in the country or place in which the licence was issued:

For applications with a full driving licence issued in Mainland, Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents/ Mainland Residence Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents are not considered to be equivalent travel documents; or

In cases where your full driving licence does not show the first issue date/ contains more than one driving entitlement, please present original and copy of official documents of driving licence particulars issued by the relevant transport authorities/ all sides of your previous driving licence(s) to show that you have obtained full driving licence of the relevant driving entitlement(s) for not less than 5 years.

Where a document for the purpose of direct issue application is not in Chinese or English, it must be accompanied by an officially certified translation. The following translation is acceptable:
- Translation from the consulate of the country issuing the driving license in Hong Kong; or
- Translation from the official licensing authority issuing the driving license; or
- Translation by registered Hong Kong court interpreters who are not working in the Judiciary; or
- Translation by a translator (not the applicant himself) of a registered local translation agency/private translator and the translator has to bring along with his/her identity document and relevant documents and declare the accuracy of the translation at Hong Kong Licensing Office of the Transport Department.
Address proof (Residential and Hong Kong correspondence address) (Original/Copy).
Applicable to applicants aged 70 or above: Original Medical Examination Certificate (TD 256) completed by a registered medical practitioner within 4 months from the date of application to prove that applicant is medically fit to drive and control the class(es) of motor vehicle(s).

Notwithstanding that the documents and information required have been furnished, the applicants may still be required to submit further supporting documents and information when necessary.

Note 1: For applications with a full driving licence issued in Mainland, applicants cannot merely submit Residence Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents or property ownership certificate/ documents as supporting documents.

Note 2: Please present original and copy of school transcript or letter officially issued by your school/ institution containing the following information:

(a) Your name and student number (if student number is available, please also present your student card);

(b) Name and address of the school/ institution;

(c) The period covered (which should at least be not less than the 6-month period with the licence's issue date included);

(d) Issue date of the letter; and

(e) Name, post title, signature and contact information of the person issuing the letter, stamped with chop of the school/ institution.

Please note that applicants cannot merely submit an offer letter/ student card as supporting document.

Note 3: Please present original and copy of employer's testimonial issued by your employer containing the following information:

(a) Your name and identity document number (please also present the relevant identity document);

(b) Name and address of the company;

(d) Issue date of the letter; and

(e) Name, post title, signature and contact information of the person issuing the letter, stamped with chop of the company.

Please note that applicants cannot merely submit an employment contract or offer letter as supporting document.

Means of Submission

From 16 March 2026 onwards, for submission of application for direct issue of Hong Kong full driving licence (“direct issue”), applicants must make an advance appointment for “direct issue” counter services via the designated online appointment booking system, and then visit the appointed licensing offices at appointed date and time to submit direct issue application.
Licensing Offices and the direct issue counter services provided:
- Kowloon Licensing Office, the Kwun Tong Licensing Office and the Sha Tin Licensing Office: process applications submitted with full driving licence issued by Mainland
- Hong Kong Licensing Office: process applications submitted with driving licences issued by all recognised countries or places (including Mainland).
Note:

Appointment booking must be made via the designated online appointment booking system (https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/transport/drivinglicense/diabs.htm) for counter service to submit direct issue applications. The online appointment system opens available booking slots in the coming 4 weeks for booking, and the slots will be updated at 5:00 pm every working day.
No walk-in or on-site queue ticketing will be arranged. “Online Same-day Queue Ticket” arrangement has been ceased on 16 March 2026. Applicants who have already secured an appointment for counter service via the appointment booking system beforehand are not affected.
Application submitted by post/ drop-in is not accepted.
If the application is submitted by an authorized person over the counter at licensing office, the authorized person is required to produce his/her own original identity document for record purpose.
Please note that if further follow-up is required or the submitted documents are incomplete/insufficient for the application, the person is required to follow up in the same licensing office and the processing of the application may not be completed on the same day.
If the application cannot be completed on the same day of submission, an acknowledgement of receipt will be issued to the applicant or the authorized person. The applicant or the authorized person may follow the instructions as stated on the acknowledgement of receipt to return to the same licensing office he/she submitted the application within the stated period to check the application result.

For further information about the online appointment booking service, please click here for the FAQs.

Validity & Fee

For validity period & fee of driving licence, please click here.

Payment Method

Fees are to be paid after an application is approved. Payment methods include -

Cash;
FPS;
EPS; or
Crossed cheque payable to either “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. Please write down your name, first four characters/digits of your identity document number and daytime contact telephone number on the back of the cheque/cashier order).