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Driving license deadline

Driving license deadline

Old Nov 21st 2003, 1:38 am
  #1  
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Default Driving license deadline

If I owned a car I
I understand that after 3 months (in Queensland) I'd have to trade my UK license in for an Australian one, but
as a temporary resident, do I need to have an Australian driving license to hire a car, say for a weekend?

TC
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 2:01 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

Originally posted by topcat
If I owned a car I
I understand that after 3 months (in Queensland) I'd have to trade my UK license in for an Australian one, but
as a temporary resident, do I need to have an Australian driving license to hire a car, say for a weekend?

TC
no and no. It applies to Permanent residents and citizens this three month rule of residing in queensland.

As a temp resident you can not get one. (I tried a few years ago , when I was on the business visa - . I was told I couldn't get one by the staff in the transport office) .. you can legally drive on a brit one (there's a hole in the law as far as I have seen and experienced). Also you do not trade your licence in.. you can still physically keep your licence..They have no authority to take it off you.. only the DVLC/Dvla can do that.

Renting a car.. yes you can rent on a British licence with no probs at all.. I'm saying this from experience of being a temp for four years, and a PR for the last two years, and also renting cars too on a Brit licence.

cheers

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/d...x/licenceinqld

Foreign Driver Licence
A foreign driver licence is a driver licence that has been issued to you in another country including New Zealand licence holders.

If you drive in Queensland and hold a foreign driver licence, you are able to drive the class of motor vehicle that you are authorised to drive under the licence for an indefinite period.).This only applies if you are not an Australian citizen, or you have not been granted a permanent visa or special category visa under the Migration Act 1958

If you are an Australian citizen, you are only authorised to drive in Queensland under your foreign driver licence for a period of 3 months starting form when you take up residence in Queensland.
If you are not an Australian citizen but were granted a permanent visa or special category visa before you took up residence in Queensland, you are only authorised to drive in Queensland under your foreign driver licence for a period of 3 months starting from when you took up residence in Queensland.
However, if you are not an Australian citizen but were granted a permanent visa or special category visa after you took up residence in Queensland, you are only authorised to drive in Queensland under your foreign driver licence for a period of 3 months starting from when you were granted the permanent visa or special category visa.

To continue to drive in Queensland after that time, you must apply for a Queensland driver licence
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 2:09 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

I actually got my QLD license last year on a 457 temp business visa

Originally posted by Ceri
As a temp resident you can not get one. (I tried a few years ago , when I was on the business visa - . I was told I couldn't get one by the staff in the transport office) .. you can legally drive on a
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 2:13 am
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Good! Much less hassle to keep waving my been through the washer a couple of time sheet of paper proclaiming I can drive, well that I passed a test anyway.

Thanks,

TC
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 2:21 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

Originally posted by brisnick
I actually got my QLD license last year on a 457 temp business visa
Well I tried when I was on the temp business visa.. filled out the forms in the local transport office.. gave them my brit licence and passport, they told me "oh you can't get one as you are not PR" . I have also had speeding fines, been stopped by the police, produced my licence at the local cop shop and told them the same thing.


P.S I'm still on a Brit licence, I am PR (yes I know , I know)
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 3:30 am
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Nick is right, you can get it now, but dont have to as long as you are a temp visa holder. Dagboys still on his UK one (but time is running out for him ).

They must have changed it since you tried Ceri.
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 3:37 am
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Originally posted by MrsDagboy
Nick is right, you can get it now, but dont have to as long as you are a temp visa holder. Dagboys still on his UK one (but time is running out for him ).

They must have changed it since you tried Ceri.

So what you're saying it is only opitional for a temp visa? But you can get one if you want one? Or if you don't want one - there is no need, you can drive on your Brit one?

I tried before the year 2000, maybe 1998, but definitely it was before 2000.... and a temp visa could not get a hold of one - or so I was told in my local transport office

Cheers

When I'm stopped - I actually use the excuse of being a temp.. they never ask to see your passport, just your Brit licence.. Been stopped a few times since becoming PR.. no worries (PS please do not do as I do you law abiding PR's)
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 3:47 am
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Originally posted by Ceri
So what you're saying it is only opitional for a temp visa? But you can get one if you want one? Or if you don't want one - there is no need, you can drive on your Brit one?

I tried before the year 2000, maybe 1998, but definitely it was before 2000.... and a temp visa could not get a hold of one - or so I was told in my local transport office

Cheers

When I'm stopped - I actually use the excuse of being a temp.. they never ask to see your passport, just your Brit licence.. Been stopped a few times since becoming PR.. no worries (PS please do not do as I do you law abiding PR's)
Ceri, from what Dagboy has said, yes. He doesnt have to have a Qld licence as hes on a temp visa, but AFAIK if he wants to change over he can. Hes working at QT, I'll get him to check, but Im pretty sure thats what he told me.
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Old Nov 21st 2003, 3:53 am
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that's the way i read it. as a temp res you can drive on a brit license indefinately, but can get a qld one if you want. i wanted one as it helped get the 100 points for id easier.

Originally posted by MrsDagboy
Ceri, from what Dagboy has said, yes. He doesnt have to have a Qld licence as hes on a temp visa, but AFAIK if he wants to change over he can. Hes working at QT, I'll get him to check, but Im pretty sure thats what he told me.
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Old Nov 27th 2003, 1:45 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

Originally posted by topcat
If I owned a car I
I understand that after 3 months (in Queensland) I'd have to trade my UK license in for an Australian one, but
as a temporary resident, do I need to have an Australian driving license to hire a car, say for a weekend?

TC

dispelling a myth...

the three month rule... been PR for over two years and have been driving on my brit licence (not supposed to) .. I did my test this morning .. and now have got a piece of junk called a qld licence.. I only had to do the theory test... what a load of rubbish that is too.
30 questions divided into 10 and 20.. you are allowed one question wrong in the first 10 and two in the twenty. Questions are mostly on who's right a way it is.. junctions , crossroads and roundabouts... easy.

then you have a few signs, and really stupid questions.. I got one wrong.. one how much alcohol are you allowed I said 0.1.. the answer was 0.5 - why they marked me wrong I don't know.. who's the safer one???

I opened the transport book 15 minutes before I went to take the test.. flipped through it.. and passed no worries. Now Hubby did his as well and he failed ...lol - sorry I'm still laughing . he got the alcohol one wrong too,not sure what other question he got wrong.

Anyway, just dispelling the myth of this three month rule.. and if you leave it you will have to take the practical too.

She didn't even want to see my visa.. just looked at my passport number and photo and not at the page of my stamp.

Right I'm now "legal" for once.. should I start driving like the Aussies now and forget everything safe thing? hang on while go scratch someone's car.. and hog the right hand lane.. and overtake on the left.. whoopee I'm a hoon


cheers

P.s anyway don't worry about it if you do take the test.. it's just multiple answers.. easy.. flick through the transport book for a swot.. 10 long minutes will do it.. then chuck in the bin.. where it belongs. If you fail.. you can take it again the next day (24 hours).
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Old Nov 27th 2003, 1:52 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

We were slightly over the 3 months when we took the test, we just 'forgot' to take our passport in. they aked for it but it didn't seem to matter.

We also took our practical test as in SA you had to....unitil 4 days after we took ours then they changed the rules, bugger!!

So at least we have the satisfaction of saying we passed the full test. Many things are much easier with Aussie ID, so worth it just for the plastic card with photo on it!

Mash

Originally posted by topcat
If I owned a car I
I understand that after 3 months (in Queensland) I'd have to trade my UK license in for an Australian one, but
as a temporary resident, do I need to have an Australian driving license to hire a car, say for a weekend?

TC
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Old Nov 27th 2003, 2:02 am
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What happens to the insurance if you want to claim whilst driving illegally on a foreign license? My thoughts is that doing so invalidates the insurance making one as responsible as someone who does not buy any insurance.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
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Old Nov 27th 2003, 2:32 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

Originally posted by Ceri
Right I'm now "legal" for once.. should I start driving like the Aussies now and forget everything safe thing? hang on while go scratch someone's car.. and hog the right hand lane.. and overtake on the left..
If you had read that book you threw in the bin Ceri you would know that you are allowed to overtake on the left on any multilaned road .

Bondi, correct, insurance is null & void if you dont have a valid licence. So not only are you in trouble with the police for, in fact, driving without a licence but insrance wont cover you. Add that to the fact that you paid an insurance premium for no reason. No win/no win/no win.
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Old Nov 27th 2003, 2:39 am
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Default ... in excess

Thanks for all the posts people.

I've just been struck dumb by the hire car companies. Most want 20$+ per day on top of the usual car hire price if you want to reduce the excess from around 2000 dollars(!) to 350 (payable by yours truly even if the accident was entirely some one else's fault apparently).


Is there anyway around this or is this `normal' out here? I remember being stung in America in a similar way, but for a good, ha well more reasonable, reason: you could be covered under your own car insurance when hiring another car.

TC
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Old Nov 27th 2003, 3:39 am
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Default Re: Driving license deadline

Originally posted by Ceri
dispelling a myth..
the three month rule... been PR for over two years and have been driving on my brit licence (not supposed to) .. I did my test this morning .. and now have got a piece of junk called a qld licence.. I only had to do the theory test... what a load of rubbish that is too.
30 questions divided into 10 and 20.. you are allowed one question wrong in the first 10 and two in the twenty. Questions are mostly on who's right a way it is.. junctions , crossroads and roundabouts... easy.

then you have a few signs, and really stupid questions.. I got one wrong.. one how much alcohol are you allowed I said 0.1.. the answer was 0.5 - why they marked me wrong I don't know.. who's the safer one???

I opened the transport book 15 minutes before I went to take the test.. flipped through it.. and passed no worries. Now Hubby did his as well and he failed ...lol - sorry I'm still laughing . he got the alcohol one wrong too,not sure what other question he got wrong.

Anyway, just dispelling the myth of this three month rule.. and if you leave it you will have to take the practical too.

She didn't even want to see my visa.. just looked at my passport number and photo and not at the page of my stamp.

Right I'm now "legal" for once.. should I start driving like the Aussies now and forget everything safe thing? hang on while go scratch someone's car.. and hog the right hand lane.. and overtake on the left.. whoopee I'm a hoon


cheers

P.s anyway don't worry about it if you do take the test.. it's just multiple answers.. easy.. flick through the transport book for a swot.. 10 long minutes will do it.. then chuck in the bin.. where it belongs. If you fail.. you can take it again the next day (24 hours).


Hi Ceri
Are you sure about the 0.5 I thought it was 0.05 it is in Victoria.
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