flip

My folks have very generously offered to lend us their car when we head to England next week for a holiday but we're having some insurance problems.

Though we passed our tests in the UK our licences are now Australian and, from reading the DVLA and govt websites, it seems that if we're not UK residents we can't get new licences which means getting UK insurance seems full of pitfalls.

Can anyone who's been in this situation recommend an insurance company that would cover this situation (eg. AA have the right sort of cover but only if your licence is European, Australian licences are excluded).

Look forward to receiving any suggestions over the next 24 hours.

Thanks.

perksy

Get an International Driving licence and contact Quinn Direct. Not sure if you can arrange it on the net you may have to call them

http://www.quinn-direct.com/

Lucky Lucan

This lot were quite good when I used them a few years ago

http://www.duinsure.com/sites/duinsu...pages/homepage

galwaykoala

I think it might be illegal in the UK to insure the same car twice i.e. if your parents already have insurance on the car in their own names. You can however be named as a driver on the car on your parents insurance. Usually there is an extra charge for the duration of the insurance cover.

stalybridge

I dont understand this as my UK license lasts till Im about 70

slipshot

Some states, like Vic, require you to surrender your UK license when you swap it for an Aus one.

The UK also requires you to surrender your Aus one when you swap it for a UK one!

Lucky Lucan

It's been many moons but my Mr's swapped an Aussie licence for a UK one and I swapped a UK one for an Aussie and we were both allowed to keep our original licences, you do however have to specifically ask to have them returned to you otherwise they send them back to the issuing authority.

flip

Thanks everyone,

I have the physical paper licences but apparently they should now be photo id so the old ones won't cut it and we can't get a replacement (according to the government web-site) unless we're permanent residents - so even if I were to give my parents' address (to which I still have bills and an income paid) I think I might just be breaking the law.

I've found sites like AA which offer secondary car insurance for the addition of extra drivers (even foreigners) without affecting the owners' insurance but for some reason Australian licence holders are excluded.

I've tried du insure (who I've used before when I migrated here) and quinn-direct but for various reasons I have to speak to an operator so that'll be Monday now.

My Aussie friend has been driving (and stopped on a random breath test) on an Aussie licence in a hire car with Avis - the police had no problems with him not having an international drivers' permit and Avis was happy with his Australian licence.

So I've still more research to do and will leave feedback on here if I find out any useful information. Thanks so much everyone for your ideas.

Flip

slipshot

Definately in 2005 or 06 when Mrs changed her Aus one to a UK, they would not let her keep it and sent it back to Aus. Itw as done via the post office (I seem to recall) and they cut it up in front of her as that is what the rules said. We then received a letter from Aus saying they had cancelled her licence as requested as she was now living overseas.

Have heard Vic makes you change but I'm hanging on to our UK ones here for a while so not sure the actual facts...

Lucky Lucan

Ah may have changed since we did it then, I do remember we had to say that we would be returning to UK/OZ at sometime in the future and would therefore need our original licences before they would let us keep them, incidentally I got my UK car licence by swapping it for a Gibraltar one, and then swapped that for an Aussie one