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Car insurance for Australian license

Hi,

I am trying to get my partner put on my car insurance as a named driver - they have dual citizenship for UK and Australia and have been living here for 6 months.

My current insurer Sheilas Wheels won't allow anyone with an Australian license onto any policy.

Does anyone know a good insurance company who will accept an Australian license or have any experience of this issue?

Cheers, Aitch7
What goes around - comes around
give lots and you will always recieve lots

Comments

  • dacouch
    dacouch Posts: 21,636 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    How ironic Sheila's Wheels not covering Australians
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Aitch7 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I am trying to get my partner put on my car insurance as a named driver - they have dual citizenship for UK and Australia and have been living here for 6 months.

    My current insurer Sheilas Wheels won't allow anyone with an Australian license onto any policy. .......

    :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

    Insurance companies do have a sense of humour

    Seriously, if she’s intending on staying I’m pretty sure she can swap her licence for a UK one without doing a test, might be worth a thought
  • I swapped my australian licence for a UK one without any hassles. Just send the form of to the DVLA and it is a direct switch of licence no tests or anything. You do not get your aussie licence back.

    When returning to australia I know I will be able to swap it back to an australian licence in QLD. If your partner intends on going back soon they should check with their state if they can swap it back as each state will have diffrent rules.
  • dzug1
    dzug1 Posts: 13,535 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    dacouch wrote: »
    How ironic Sheila's Wheels not covering Australians


    Probably coz they know how Australians drive:rotfl:
  • dzug1 wrote: »
    Probably coz they know how Australians drive:rotfl:
    Atleast Australians indicate at roundabouts and when changing lanes. And we also have to know the road rules before we are allowed behind the wheel of a car. I could not belive it when I found out you did not have to pass your theroy before being allowed to drive...that is scary.

    The reason we can swap our aussie licence straight over is our test is harder than yours is.
  • dacouch
    dacouch Posts: 21,636 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Australia is far more civillised than the UK, they have drive through Off Licences!
  • Aitch7
    Aitch7 Posts: 85 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    moppet_217 wrote: »
    I swapped my australian licence for a UK one without any hassles. Just send the form of to the DVLA and it is a direct switch of licence no tests or anything. You do not get your aussie licence back.

    When returning to australia I know I will be able to swap it back to an australian licence in QLD. If your partner intends on going back soon they should check with their state if they can swap it back as each state will have diffrent rules.

    Thanks for your reply:-) did you have to wait for 12 months before you could swap it and were you then able to get insurance here using your X number of years with no claims from Autralia?

    Apparently when your licence is sent back to Australia you can have it sent to your parents address and then effectively you still have it as wel as your UK one - I found a message board with quitea few Australians saying they had done that.

    Oh by the way Sheila's Wheels Manager decided that I had been given the wrong info by their adviser and told me that my partner could get insurance through them but it could only be done on a short term basis for 45 days at a cost of £72! which needless to say was pretty useless.

    Cheers
    Aitch7
    What goes around - comes around
    give lots and you will always recieve lots
  • No I did not have to wait 12 months. The only place that would take my aus no claims bonus was virgin but they were not the cheapest even with that. Also the insurance companies count your australian licence as no longer exisiting so will go on the date that is on your UK licence. So techinaclly you are a new driver. However it seems to depend on who you speak too and every insurance company has thier own rules. I just ended up putting my details as it appears on my uk licence into a price comparrison site. I than rang the 5 cheapest to confirm everything with them.

    Never heard about getting your other licence sent back to parents. To be honest I can not really see the point in doing it as it is just a straight swap back anyway.
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