By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Harpreet has driven in India for ten years and wants an Australian licence that recognises that experience, rather than starting again on a learners licence. Her passport shows her full legal name, but her Indian drivers licence records it differently.
Knowing which documents to gather before your appointment saves you a second trip. Let's go through what you need for the IDLV.
VFS links and resources — Updated July 2026. Links in this article have been updated to the resources listed in our July 2026 VFS update and the VFS India website for Australia. Use the relevant VFS checklist for current requirements. This note concerns links and resources; the rest of this article has not been comprehensively reviewed.
What documents do you require for Indian Drivers Licence Verification (IDLV) in Australia?
If you are qualified to drive in India and you hold a valid and current Indian drivers licence, you might be able to apply for a drivers licence in Australia that acknowledges your driving history and past experience. If accepted by the authorities in Australia, it may also mean that you can be issued with a full drivers licence or a licence that matches your driving history rather than a learners licence or a probationary licence (ie, you do not have to 'start at the bottom').
In our experience, passports or other primary identification documents normally display a person's full legal name, however occasionally the Indian drivers licence may reduce that person's name to initials or omit 'family' names or father's name. There are various combinations of inconsistencies, but whatever the reason may be, any inconsistency will mean that the authorities in Australia will not recognise any prior driving history. Your name on all documents must be exactly the same.
If your name on your Indian drivers licence is different to your name on your passport or other primary identification documents then you need to follow the Indian Drivers Licence Verification (IDLV) process to confirm that you are the one and the same person.
For Indian citizens, the IDLV process to verify your Indian drivers licence is outlined by the VFS.
There are two options available to you IF your name on your Indian drivers licence and your passport are different.
Option 1 requires you to provide an affidavit from a court in India confirming that you are the one and the same person. That affidavit must also be notarised in India and attested by the Consulate or High Commission in India. Generally, this option is not practical if you live in Australia or otherwise are not present in India.
Option 2 of the VFS process involves documents prepared by a notary public to verify that you are one and the same person. As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney we regularly provide this service and have been doing so for many years and for countless number of clients/applications.
In order to complete the notarisation, you must:
- Attend our office in person. Our office is located at Level 3, 87 Marsden Street, Parramatta.
- Produce your original passport and your original Indian drivers licence.
You do NOT require this service if your name on your Indian drivers licence and your passport are EXACTLY the same. You can submit your application directly to VFS.
We will verify that you are the one and the same person and prepare a notary certificate attaching copies of your passport and your Indian drivers licence. Please be aware that we will compare you to your photograph appearing on your Indian drivers licence and your passport, and we will compare your date of birth and other personal details (such as father's/parents' names).
The second step in the process is to have the certificate authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). DFAT will authenticate any document that we have notarised by verifying our notary public's details and confirming that the documents (ie, the certificate, the passport and the drivers licence) have been properly notarised.
As a regular part of our notary public services, our clients enjoy the confidence and peace of mind knowing that we are able to assist them with the Indian Drivers Licence Verification process quickly and without hassle.
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.Example: the solution
Harpreet brought her original passport and Indian drivers licence to our office. Our notary public confirmed she is the person named in both, notarised the certificate with copies of the two documents, and arranged for DFAT to process it before she lodged her application.
About Us
This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.
As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.
Phang Legal — Parramatta6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150
Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155
Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote
About the author
Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public
This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.
Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.
Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.
Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.
