British-Australian COVID Prisoner Needs UK Car Insurance

sspfin

I’m a Brit who emigrated to Australia in the early 2000s. Whilst travelling in Europe for a year in 2020, I came back to England to visit family for a week. Then the lockdowns happened, and I have been stuck here ever since.

My parents have 2 cars, and I cannot get insured on either of their on their policies, even though I am a British Citizen. I have a full New South Wales driving license with no points or restrictions. (I got it by surrendering my UK license many years ago of course).

I can hire a car in the UK with my NSW license, but my parents are retired, and both of their cars sit idle on the driveway for days on end. I want to be able to visit a few old friends around the UK and I could really do without paying to hire a car.

Does anybody know how I can get insured on a UK vehicle please? Any help would be appreciated.

Kind Regards
SP

jimjames

Have you tried temporary/day cover?

sspfin

@jimjames No, I didn't know that was a thing! I will look into that. Thanks so much for your reply.

Belenus

Have you tried specialist insurance brokers? Your situation cannot be unique.

Could you buy one of your parents cars and insure it for yourself with one or both of your parents as named drivers?

Could you buy a very cheap car, insure it with cover that allows you to drive other insured cars with the policy holders permission? Beware, that might be third party only on other cars.

Perhaps that will be more expensive than rental or occasional day or short term cover.

sspfin

@Belenus I'm not sure about the scenarios you gave because I am not permanently living in the UK. I will ask about it because it's an interesting angle. Thanks so much for your suggestion. 

mgfvvc

Googling "UK insurance for international drivers" brings up some "specialist brokers".

jimjames

sspfin said:

@jimjames No, I didn't know that was a thing! I will look into that. Thanks so much for your reply.

One like this could be worth a try. Used them before to get a car back from dealer for my son

https://www.dayinsure.com/

DB1904

When did you last arrive in the UK?

sspfin

jimjames said:

sspfin said:

@jimjames No, I didn't know that was a thing! I will look into that. Thanks so much for your reply.

One like this could be worth a try. Used them before to get a car back from dealer for my son

https://www.dayinsure.com/

@jimjames Thanks for the tip. I contacted them and unfortunately they can't help. Here is their response for people reading this in the future:

"Unfortunately, we are unable to validate any other licence format, other than a UK 16 character format in our system. Therefore, I am sorry but we are unable to provide you with cover"

Emmia

Why don't you just re-exchange your Australian licence for a UK one? You passed your test in the UK, and you are presumably living at your parents address for the foreseeable...

Grey_Critic

I have a full New South Wales driving license with no points or restrictions. (I got it by surrendering my UK license many years ago of course).

Bit puzzled here - how can you surrender your licence in this way? Surely your UK licence is there until you are 70. My youngest son has been living in the USA (and other places for the last 5/6 years. He was able for a period allowed to drive there on his UK licence but then required to take a California driving test which he passed and got a USA licence.

On his visits back to the UK he uses his UK licence to hire a car (except on one occasion when he forgot to bring it so used his USA licence) - Surely you just apply for a replacement UK licence.

In his travels around the world he has always used our address as his contact including being on the electoral role.