Can you drive in Victoria on your licence?
VicRoads lets visitors drive on an overseas licence if it is current, covers the type of vehicle, and you are staying less than six months from your first arrival. Carry the licence whenever you drive. If it is not in English, you also need an English translation or an international driving permit in English. You cannot use it if you are disqualified or suspended anywhere, or if you already hold an Australian licence.
Rental companies add their own conditions on top of the law. The Avis rental qualification policy is typical:
| Requirement | Victorian law | Avis Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | No rental age stated by VicRoads | 21 |
| Under 25 | Not addressed | Only compact, intermediate, standard, full-size and compact or intermediate SUV groups |
| Time licence held | Not stated | 12 consecutive months, not a learner, provisional or restricted licence |
| Non-English licence | Translation or English IDP | Translation, and an IDP is required |
A traveller with a two-year-old Japanese licence and an IDP meets both sets of rules. A 23-year-old with a new licence may meet the law and still be turned away at the counter, so check the rental terms when you book.
How do you do a hook turn in Melbourne?
Everything drives on the left. Visit Victoria suggests asking a passenger to remind you at intersections, where drivers used to the right most often drift. The blood alcohol limit for a fully licensed driver is 0.05%.
How to do a hook turn
A hook turn is a right turn made from the left lane. It keeps the centre of the road clear for trams. You only do it where a "hook turn only" sign hangs at the intersection, which is mostly in the CBD and inner suburbs. Transport Victoria sets out the steps:
The mistake that causes trouble is turning on your own green. You have to wait for the lights on the cross street, which turn green later in the signal cycle.
Trams
The tram rules matter more than hook turns, because they apply across the inner city:
- Roadside tram stop, no platform: stop behind the tram and do not pass its back end. Once the doors close and the road is clear of pedestrians, you may pass at up to 10 km/h.
- Safety zone (yellow-signed island): you may pass on the left at a speed safe for pedestrians.
- Tram lane: you may enter only to avoid an obstacle, overtake a cyclist or turn right, and for no more than 50 metres.
- Tramway ("tram only" sign, double yellow lines or raised strip): keep out.
Passengers step off a tram straight into the traffic lane, which is why the first rule exists. Breaking it can bring a fine and demerit points.
How do you pay Melbourne tolls in a rental car?
Melbourne's toll roads are cashless like Sydney's. The toll you are most likely to meet is CityLink on the Tullamarine Freeway between the airport and the city.
Rental cars from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt and Apex come with an automatic Linkt Rental Account. Your card is charged the tolls plus A$3.30 for each day you use a toll road, and the Avis toll FAQ confirms the same fee. Hertz offers a Toll Day Pass at A$17.00 a day for a car collected in Victoria.
If the rental company allows your own pass, Linkt sells these for Melbourne as of September 2026:
| Pass | Car price | Covers | Buy by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Hour Tulla Pass | A$8.63 | CityLink, North Melbourne to Melbourne Airport | Up to 5 days after first trip |
| 24 Hour CityLink Pass | A$24.25 | All of CityLink | Up to 5 days after first trip |
| 24 Hour West Gate Tunnel Pass | A$17.31 | West Gate Tunnel | Up to 5 days after first trip |
| CityLink and West Gate Tunnel | A$39.33 | Both | Up to 5 days after first trip |
| Visitor's Pass | A$3.50 opening fee plus tolls | All Melbourne toll roads, up to 30 days | Trips up to 5 days old |
Prices come from Linkt's 24 Hour Pass page and Melbourne pass overview. Each 24-hour pass covers one vehicle, none of them covers EastLink, and a vehicle can have at most six CityLink passes in 12 months. EastLink, in the eastern suburbs, sells its own Trip Pass instead.
How much are speed camera fines in Victoria in 2026?
Victorian fine amounts are adjusted every July. These are the car amounts from Fines Victoria from 1 July 2026:
| Offence | Fine | Demerit points or suspension |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding under 10 km/h over | A$261 | 1 point |
| 10 to 24 km/h over | A$418 | 3 points |
| 25 to 29 km/h over | A$575 | 3-month suspension |
| 30 to 34 km/h over | A$680 | 3-month suspension |
| 35 to 39 km/h over | A$784 | 6-month suspension |
| 40 to 44 km/h over | A$889 | 6-month suspension |
| 45 km/h or more over | A$1,046 | 12-month suspension |
| Red light | A$523 | 3 points |
| Mobile phone use | A$627 | 4 points |
| Seatbelt | A$418 | 3 points |
How a fine reaches you after you fly home
The camera fine goes to the registered owner, which is the rental company. Fines Victoria lets the owner nominate the driver responsible. The fine is then withdrawn and reissued in that person's name with a new due date. For excessive speeding, the owner must nominate within 28 days of the infringement notice. Expect the rental company to nominate you and send the new notice to the address on your agreement, which may be overseas.
Avis also charges a separate administrative infringement processing fee for handling fines. It doesn't publish the amount and refers renters to the rental terms, so ask at pickup.
Worked example: a week with the Great Ocean Road
Say you rent from Melbourne Airport for seven days, drive into the city on CityLink on day one, take the Great Ocean Road on days three to five, and return to the airport via CityLink on day seven.
| Choice | Toll cost structure | What it means here |
|---|---|---|
| Avis or Budget, Linkt Rental Account | Tolls plus A$3.30 per toll day | 2 toll days: tolls plus A$6.60 |
| Hertz Toll Day Pass (Victoria) | A$17.00 per day, tolls included | A$34 for 2 days, or A$119 if charged for all 7 rental days |
| Own Tulla Pass each airport day (if allowed) | A$8.63 per 24 hours | A$17.26, only if your route stays on the airport section |
Now add a lapse on the coast road. Suppose a speed camera records you at 12 km/h over the limit on the way back. The fine is A$418 plus 3 demerit points, and the rental company's processing fee comes on top. That one moment costs more than all the week's tolls combined.
Pickup checklist
- Licence, plus an English translation or English IDP if it is not in English.
- The toll line on the agreement: an automatic Linkt Rental Account or a flat daily pass, and whether a daily fee applies to every rental day.
- The fine processing fee in the rental terms.
- The address on the agreement where a reissued fine will be sent.
For getting into the city without a car, see Melbourne Airport to the city centre. If your trip continues to New South Wales, the toll setup there is explained in Sydney toll roads in a rental car.