Jb90896

Hi
I'm not sure where to post these two questions.
1. We would like to spend up to six months a year in Oz visiting our son who lives near Sydney - can anyone recommend health insurance cover for extended stays?
2. We are considering exporting our Toyota campervan to Oz to use when there, then leave it with our son and we will have shared use. Has anyone done this and what advice would you give. The campervan would go to NSW.
Thanks

scrubbedexpat100

I'm not sure that you can export your vehicle to Australia on a temporary visa? Perhaps it might be easier to have your son organize it from Aus as an import?

Pollyana

He wouldn't be able to import it unless he has owned it in the UK for some time.

scrubbedexpat100

So that option seems to be a non starter then Pollyanna? Can JB export it if he's only on a temporary visa? I remember having to give copies of our pr visa to the shippers for moving our motorbikes.

scrubbedexpat100

Ok sorry JB, but it looks like your camper van isn't going anywhere As Pollyanna quite rightly pointed out above, your son won't fit the criteria for importing it. And unfortunately since you will be on a temporary visa (not leading to pr), neither will you.

Criteria, citizenship and visa requirements
Applicants must fall into one of the following categories. You must:
• have applied to become an Australian citizen; or
• be an Australian permanent resident (eg, hold a permanent visa); or
• have applied to become an Australian permanent resident (eg, applied for a permanent visa); or
• hold a visa that allows you to apply to become an Australian permanent resident (eg, hold a temporary visa that allows you to apply for a permanent visa)

In addition, applicants must intend to change their residence. Applicants must have been resident in a foreign country (throughout the qualifying period of 12 months’ ownership and use of the vehicle) but now intend to become Australian residents on a permanent basis and remain in Australia indefinitely.

Ferrets

Hi there,

My in-laws took a different route, bought a camping trailer in Australia and then store it at their son's when not there - they are only on visitor visas so rotate time in and out of country and seems to work fine.

Jb90896

Thanks for this, some very helpful information here saving hours of Internet trawling.
Looks like we'll buy something there and leave it for our son to enjoy between our visits.
Thanks again for all replies

Ferrets

For what it's worth you can get some cracking equipment designed for whatever your tastes are; in laws have a 4wd camping trailer they have taken everywhere, but you can also get some giant fifth wheeler caravans that we are looking at ourselves 😁

Pollyana

Official link that may be useful:

https://infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/imports/

louie

@jb - we looked at importing a motorhome and dropped the idea very quickly. For starters, you'd have to have all gas piping stripped out and redone to make it compliant and there were numerous other ways the Aussies protect their homegrown motorhome/caravan industry, though I can't remember the details now.

There's no shortage of choice here though; I think you are right to buy locally.

@ferret - be careful if you are thinking of a US 5th wheeler - it will be shaken to bits unless you never leave tarmac roads (as one of the importers admitted to us). You really need one built for local conditions if you will go on corrugated roads or off road. We're having one built at this very moment ready to start a big lap in January.

Jb90896

Thanks for this - I've been looking at what's available to buy in Oz and we've hired a couple of times. I think we will probably buy a Toyota van and convert it ourselves. Do you have any experience of this?
I'm just about to start looking at this in more detail and wondered how easy it is to get the bits you need. In the UK these are readily available from a number of companies.

louie

Sorry, no. Wouldn't want to break a fingernail!