Swiss Drivers in New Zealand 2026: Left Side, 18-Month Rule

For a Swiss driver the scenery in New Zealand will feel familiar, with lakes, passes and glaciers, but the car is on the other side of the road and the licence needs a companion document. Get those two things right and the rest is unhurried driving.

Your card needs an English companion

NZ Transport Agency accepts a current overseas car licence for 18 months after your last arrival; from 1 November 2026 the period is 12 months. Any licence not in English must travel with an accurate English translation or an International Driving Permit, and the Swiss card is printed in German, French and Italian. One wrinkle for Swiss drivers: Switzerland signed the 1949 Geneva Convention but never ratified it, so the permit your canton issues is the 1968 Vienna version, while New Zealand is a party only to the 1949 treaty. NZ Transport Agency’s wording asks for “an international driving permit” without naming a convention, but an English translation from an NZTA-approved translator avoids the question entirely. Whichever you carry, keep the licence itself with it. The Driving Permit Checker shows the rule for other licences too.

The left side is the real test

Switzerland keeps right and New Zealand keeps left. Roundabouts run clockwise, overtaking moves to the right, and the moment of danger is rarely the highway; it is the quiet turn out of a car park when you relax. Say “left” at every junction for the first day. Many roads are hilly, narrow or winding, and rural highways cross rivers on one-lane bridges, where signs show which direction must give way.

Lower top speeds than at home

Towns are 50 km/h and the default open-road limit is 100 km/h; only signed sections reach 110 km/h, against 120 on Swiss motorways. Demerit points apply to overseas licence holders, and 100 points within two years means a suspension, after which you may no longer drive on your Swiss licence in New Zealand.

Alcohol and emergencies

Adults may drive with up to 0.05 g/dl, the same figure as in Switzerland; drivers under 20 are held to zero. Swiss new drivers are used to a near-zero 0.01, and the safe plan in both countries is the same. The emergency number for police, fire and ambulance is 111, not 112. The New Zealand driving guide covers the rest.

Sources

• NZ Transport Agency, driving on New Zealand roads (18 months, 12 months from 1 November 2026; English translation or IDP for licences not in English; hilly, narrow or winding roads): nzta.govt.nz
• Land Transport Act 1998, section 11 (zero alcohol under 20) and section 90 (suspension at 100 demerit points within two years): legislation.govt.nz
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, New Zealand profile (50 km/h urban, 110 km/h maximum, 0.05 g/dl): who.int
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Switzerland profile (0.05 g/dl, 0.01 novice; 120 km/h motorway): who.int
• UN Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva 1949, status (New Zealand a party; Switzerland signed 1949, never ratified): treaties.un.org
• UN Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna 1968, status (Switzerland a party since 1991; New Zealand not): treaties.un.org
• New Zealand Police, emergency number 111: police.govt.nz