Australia - British Expat Forum

Hi
I will be going to Australia on a year working visa in about six months time.
I am taking lessons and hoping to pass my test before I leave, however, if I don't manage to get my UK licence, will I be able to learn and pass my test in Australia and get a licence there? Even though I won't be a permanent resident...
Also, if I do get my UK licence, are there any restrictions on my eligibility to drive in Australia as I won't have had my licence very long?

Any help greatly appreciated

Tim

Hi Tim and welcome to BE.

You don't mention which state you'll be in, and each has its own road rules.

I would say that the easiest option is for you to pass your test in UK, and as you are going to be returning there, you'll drive on an international licence in Aus. Yes, you will have certain restrictions as a new driver. I've found this info which relates to international licence holders. Hope this helps. http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/newtonsw/international_drivers.html

If you are under 25, be prepared for a massive insurance premium.

SSue 8)

Hi Sue

Just wondering about your comment on under 25's insurance. We haven't been in Oz for a year now, but since putting our then 16 yo daughter on our TPO policy (Nissan Exa Turbo then Mazda 929 V6) 5 years ago the premium has never been more than $240. Maybe different if you are a youngster with a policy in your own name?

I don't recall greenslips changing much, if at all, for the younger driver to be added.

We were based in Broken Hill, so maybe lower risk area?

The highest premiums are charged for under 25 males. This is because studies have shown that they are the group that have the most accidents.

This applied even when my son started driving almost twenty years ago now. Maybe insurance premiums are higher in Sydney too, given that everything else is dearer, it figures.

SSue 8)

I certainly appreciate that the cost of insurance is higher for young folks, in fact TPO more than doubled when our daughter was added to the policy. Only thing is that when she moved to the UK a couple of years later the cheapest insurance quote she could get there was over 500 GBP!!, which makes the Aussie insurance seem rather good value.

timc1901 wrote:Hi I will be going to Australia on a year working visa in about six months time. I am taking lessons and hoping to pass my test before I leave, however, if I don't manage to get my UK licence, will I be able to learn and pass my test in Australia and get a licence there? Even though I won't be a permanent resident... Also, if I do get my UK licence, are there any restrictions on my eligibility to drive in Australia as I won't have had my licence very long? Any help greatly appreciated Tim

I've been through it by taking a driving test in Oz. As long as you are taking lessons in UK, the only step you really need is to grasp the differences in driving between UK and Au. There are some useful pages scattered on au internet that helped me pass the test: the stuff available at the road authority site, NRMA site, and http://carDriving.com.au.
Hope this helps.