On 18 July 2025, Adelaide Senior Road & Health Association Inc. submitted a formal letter to Service SA regarding the recognition of lifetime-valid driver licences issued in the People’s Republic of China. This follows multiple cases where senior Chinese-speaking migrants were told to seek embassy confirmation, despite holding legally valid licences.
Our letter respectfully requests that Service SA and DIT:
- Recognise the validity and issue date of Chinese licences marked as “long-term” (长期), based on Chinese national law
- Avoid requiring personal embassy contact for verification
- Update internal staff guidance to reflect international standards
We emphasise that the Chinese “lifetime” licence is not being used for direct driving, but only as the basis for conversion to a South Australian licence, which itself has a maximum 10-year validity. The legal framework supporting these licences is public, verifiable, and automatic after 16 years of clean driving.
A summary of the referenced legislation is attached below.
Legal Basis
China’s Order No. 162 (Ministry of Public Security), effective 1 April 2022, outlines three possible licence durations: 6 years, 10 years, and long-term.
Full regulation: gov.cn official link
Why This Matters
Most lifetime licence holders are over age 50, often with limited English, and rely on family to assist with Service SA visits. Requesting embassy certification causes stress, delay, and confusion.
This is not about changing Australian laws—only about recognising official overseas documents properly.
We welcome any clarification or response from Service SA and will update this page if new information becomes available.
Our Position
As a not-for-profit association, we are committed to working constructively with all levels of government to promote road safety, inclusion, and fairness for senior and migrant drivers in South Australia.
Have You Faced Issues with Licence Conversion?
If you or a family member have experienced difficulties converting a valid overseas driver licence—especially a Chinese “long-term” licence—we want to hear from you.
Our association is collecting case examples to support policy improvements and ensure fair treatment for all senior and migrant drivers in South Australia.
You can share your story or contact us confidentially at:
joe@seniordriving.org.au
Your experience may help others, and contribute to better systems for everyone.
我们协会致函 Service SA：厘清中国驾照「长期」的法律依据
简介
我们在 2025 年 7 月 18 日正式向南澳交通厅与 Service SA 提交信函，说明中国合法驾照中「终身有效」类别的来由与法律基础。希望协助年长的华人移民在驾照转换过程中免受不合理对待。
正式信函内容摘要
近日，有多位华人长者出示中国驾照（上面标示为「长期」），却被要求必须联络中国大使馆才能继续转换程序。这样的做法，让许多英语能力有限的长者及家人感到困惑与焦虑。
根据中国《公安部令第162号》，从 2022 年 4 月 1 日起，驾照有效期明确分为 6 年、10 年与长期三类。我们协会建议：
• Service SA 应承认该驾照的真实性与发证日期
• 不应要求当事人向驻澳大使馆提出法律佐证
• 内部指引应更新，以反映国际常见的驾照格式
我们并非要求南澳接受「终身驾照」，因为最终发出的澳洲驾照依然最多只发 10 年。我们只是希望中国合法颁发的文件能被公平接纳，用作转换程序的依据。
法规来源
中国公安部令第162号，2022年4月1日生效。
全文连结：https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2022/content_5679696.htm
我们的立场
本协会致力于协助高龄与移民社群在道路安全、公平驾驶与公共制度间取得更好沟通。我们乐于与政府合作，也欢迎 Service SA 的任何回应或澄清，并会在此页面更新后续资讯。
您在驾照转换过程中遇到困难吗？
如果您或您的家人曾在南澳申请将海外驾照（尤其是中国「长期有效」驾照）转换为澳洲驾照时，遭遇不清楚、不公平或不合理的情况，我们诚挚邀请您与我们分享经历。
我们协会正在收集相关个案，用以推动政策改善，争取更公平、友善的驾照转换制度，特别是针对长者与非英语背景的移民驾驶者。
如愿分享您的情况，请发邮件至：
joe@seniordriving.org.au
（所有内容将保密处理）
您的经验，有可能帮助更多人，也能推动制度变得更合理。