Brazilian CNH in Australia 2026: English Copy, Keep Left

The short answer for anyone planning driving in Australia on a Brazilian licence: yes, you can, and the licence itself is rarely the problem. What trips Brazilians up is the side of the road and one document detail.

Can you drive on your Brazilian licence?

You can drive in Australia as a visitor on your home licence, but it is written in Portuguese, and Australian states set a clear condition for that. Transport for NSW says a visitor whose licence is not written in English must also carry an English translation or an International Driving Permit; Queensland asks for a recognised English translation. So one of the two goes in your wallet with the CNH.

There is a wrinkle in which one to choose. Brazil is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention and issues its IDP on that model, while Australia has joined only the 1949 Geneva Convention. The NSW wording simply says “an International Driving Permit”, but an English translation is the document that leaves no room for a hire desk to argue. Arrange it before you fly and keep it with the CNH and your passport. NSW lets visitors drive on an overseas licence for up to six months; other states set their own periods.

The real adjustment: Brazil drives right, Australia drives left

This is the change that actually matters. Brazil keeps to the right; Australia keeps to the left. Everything mirrors — the gear shifts to your left hand, roundabouts run clockwise, and your instinct at a junction will point you the wrong way for the first day or two. The danger window is short but real: pulling out of a service station, your first roundabout, the first time you glance over your shoulder. Start somewhere quiet, not in central Sydney traffic, and narrate your turns out loud until it feels natural.

Speeds, alcohol and enforcement

Towns default to 50 km/h; open-road limits are set by each state and signed, up to 130 km/h in parts of the Northern Territory. Speed cameras, both fixed and mobile, are common. The blood-alcohol limit is 0.05, looser on paper than Brazil’s zero under Lei Seca, but random breath testing is a routine part of Australian driving, so keep it at zero.

Then there are the distances. Outback legs run for hours between fuel stops, and kangaroos at dusk are a genuine hazard — avoid driving country roads after dark on your first trip. The national emergency number is 000.

Confirm your paperwork on our Driving Permit Checker, read the full Australia driving guide, and estimate any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Sources

• Transport for NSW, driving with an overseas licence (six months; English translation or IDP if the licence is not in English): nsw.gov.au
• Queensland Government, driving in Queensland on an overseas licence (recognised English translation): qld.gov.au
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Australia a party, Brazil not) and 1968 Convention (Brazil a party, Australia not): treaties.un.org, treaties.un.org
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Australia profile (50 km/h urban; 130 km/h maximum; 0.05 g/dl): who.int
• Australian Government, Triple Zero (000): infrastructure.gov.au