Indian Drivers Licence Verification in New South Wales

By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.

Example: the situation

Kiran's Indian drivers licence spells her surname phonetically, with a letter different from her passport. In Australia that small difference means the licensing authority treats the two documents as belonging to different people.

In Australia, if your name is different, you're treated as a different person. Let's discuss how to deal with that for your licence.

WARNING: from January 2015, VFS has changed its requirements and will no longer accept documents that have been authenticated. Documents must now be stamped with an APOSTILLE from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Is your name different on your Indian Drivers Licence and your Indian Passport?

Have you noticed that (normal) things that happen overseas often don't make sense in Australia?

Take names for example. In our experience, it's quite common for names to be written differently or even spelt differently in other countries depending on their language (or languages) and naming conventions. Non-English names when 'translated' into English especially when translated phonetically can be spelt differently or rearranged differently.

However, unlike in other countries which have some sort of compulsory national identifying number, in Australia most people identify by their full legal name, their date of birth and their residential address. Therefore, ensuring that each detail in your name, including spelling must match exactly is extremely important. Any inconsistencies generally need to be explained, rectified or otherwise cause all kinds of problems - especially when it comes to legal or financial matters. In Australia, if your name is different, then you are a different person.

Over the years, we've helped many clients who have to deal with this issue, especially when it comes to their Indian Drivers Licence. It appears Indian authorities implement their own naming conventions when recording names on the driving licence. Since those naming conventions differ from Australia, whenever these clients attempt to 'convert' their licence, they face a number of problems.

1. They need to prove that they have a drivers licence from another country and that they have driving experience.
2. They need to show that they are the one and the same person as the person who had that licence and that driving experience.

In cases where their name on their passport, being their primary form of identification in Australia, and the name on their Indian Drivers Licence is the same (especially where the Indian driving authority is recognised by the Australian driving authority), then the process is quite simple. In cases where the name appearing on their passport and their Indian Drivers Licence is different, then that's where we get involved.

Clients faced with this situation have 2 options. One option involves obtaining some form of proof from a court in India, which in most cases is extremely inconvenient and relatively expensive, and the other option involved evidence provided by a notary public - that's what we do.

We help our clients by verifying their identity, but more important confirming that they are the one and the same person as to the people who appear in the passport and the Indian Drivers Licence. We also arrange for the authentication with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which is a necessary step in the process otherwise it won't be accepted by VFS / the Indian Consulate.

We're not involved in the entire process, but rather just focused on our main area of expertise is the preparation of the notary certificate/affidavit and the authentication with DFAT. Once those steps are completed, the remainder of the VFS application can be completed and submitted to VFS.

Example: the solution

Kiran booked an appointment and brought both original documents. Our notary public confirmed she is the one and the same person, notarised the certificate, and arranged for DFAT to process it so she could go ahead with her IDLV.

To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.

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 — Parramatta
6/83 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.