northerner

Has anyone got their license since they've been over here? I see on the RTA website that there is a 'mature age exemption' which means you can go straight from L's to full license but it only says for holders of Aus/NZ licenses - does anyone know if they include UK licenses as well??

Seems odd that they wouldn't considering it took about 5 minutes to get my AUD car license once over here.

I wouldn't normally ask but have been on hold to the RTA for the last 20 minutes and it's doing my head in!

Graham

Clippy

I can't answer your question but just wanted to say hello!

Not seen you around for ages, but looked at your posts and seems I've just missed you as you've been about

Hope you get an answer to your question

Sandra

Do you mean you have a UK bike licence and want to swop for an Aus one.

At the time we swopped licences we had to do the tests (just the computer one) Hubby did car and bike and was given the transfer of car and bike licences.

I would assume you can swop over both bike and car now without the test in NSW.

Sorry if I misunderstood question.

Cheers

northerner

Hi Sandra,

No I only had a car license in the UK so am starting from scratch in terms of the bike. Thanks for the post though,

and Clippies! Yes I have been around but only occasionally to be honest - been busy! Found an excellent music festival just north of Sydney which we have just bought tickets for - I thought of you I really did! Can't remember where you are - Brissy??

Graham

Wendy

If you're starting from scratch for a bike licence, won't it be an Australian one?

northerner

Sorry I mustn't have been very clear. In NSW - if you are over 30 years old and have held a normal car licence for over 5 years (ie - you have never riden a motorbike before in your life) you can fastrack the bike licensing process - you don't need to go through the P plate bit - just do your test and go straight to a full license.

My question is - does the car license include UK ones? I have a NSW licence but but only for the last year and a bit.

Cheers,

Graham

Clippy

Yay!!!

I'm not there yet

We fly to Brissie New Year's Day. There's the V Festival on the Gold Coast I think but not booked for it, we've booked return flights, return to come back in June on the offchance we can afford to (GLASTONBURY!!!)

Found out the Foos are playing in Brissie, no standing left so...not booked, might ebay when we're over there.

Let me know how the Sydney festival goes

Kath

oh. p.s. Dale is hoping to do his bike licence over there, let me know how it goes

Wendy

Ah, I get it now

Well if a UK one is considered the equivalent of an Australian one then I can't see why not Just ask them, and if they say you need P plates then ask someone else a few days later, as they never give the same answer twice

Swerv-o

I was with you from the beginning. I went through all of this earlier in the year. Apparently, tenure on a non Aus/NZ licence doesn't count towards the 5 year requirement to hold a licence before the P exemption cuts in. It's something to do with getting a 'Gold' licence, which you can only get after holding a NSW licence for 5 years. Though in saying this, another member here recently posted that he was granted a Gold licence on exchange of a UK one, whilst on a 457 visa, so maybe policy has changed since I started investigating.

I have an Email from the RTA somewhere. I can dig it out for you if you like. Did you ever get to speak to a human at the RTA? I would be interested in hearing what they had to say on this...


S

northerner

Hi Swervo,

I'm not sure if the 'gold' licence thing just relates to the length of time you pay for when you get the licence - ie you can pay for 1, 5 or 10 years I think. I've got a 5 year one. Not managed to speak to anyone at RTA yet but am going to try over lunch...

Cheers,

Graham

Red_V_Roger

Yep I confirm - they gave me a gold NSW CAR licence straight away...nothing to do with what duration I bought. BTW my UK licence was issued in 1989 and was clean.

Swerv-o

Cheers Red - I knew I had seen it somewhere...


S

Sandra

I have always understood the licence you get denotes the number of years you have paid for. As Swero said when we came over I was not allowed to purchese a Gold licence when transfering from the UK in NSW. We had to do the three years one first. Bit miffed when they changed the rules after the event! But then again it could have been the day of the week I did my transfer.

Cheers

Red_V_Roger

I also only bought 3 years....!

What benifit is a gold licence anyway?

Swerv-o

Just as an update to this thread, I received my licence renewal reminder yesterday, and apparently, I am know eligible for a Gold licence when I renew, so there must have been a change in thinking from when I initially enquired about it from a motorcycle learners perspective.

I may think about doing the course now, as the gold license means you can waive the P plate stage apparently.

Hope that helps,


S