how to insure a bike with an international licence in Oz ?
 

Hi everyone.
I'm french, have my licence since 1997 and I'm about to buy a bike in Adelaide. Problem : insurance : I can't find one since I don't have australian licence. I'm on a working holiday visa so not sure it worth to redo my licence here ?
Any advise ?
Thanks

hey bud
 

Hey bud
Did you try swapping your license for an Ozzy one,contact the RTA and they'll let you know. I think that you can do this in Western Australia but I'm not certain .
Good luck

you dont need a aussie licence
 

only if your here more than a year
insurance can be a little tricky ,i used to run a backpackers and we had heaps of guys buying cars and the odd bike ,insurance is not compulsory here ,you get 3 rd party with the rego try contacting the kings cross car market ,they had a deal ,but i cant put my finger on the company we used to go through but they were way cheaper

As has been said, surely the bike you buy will already have third party insurance with the "rego". What you'll be looking at is upgrading that to fully-comp (tous risques) but depending on the cost of the bike you might actually feel you don't need extra insurance and instead keep a bit of money/credit card for emergency travel if the bike is written off.

the third party with the rego is only for human damage. Third party for other damage; Type "Don Hutton Brokers" in google and you find a company
Metita

eBike Motorbike Insurance - Welcome to eBike motorbike insurance.

Try them, they offer online quotes, you need to give an Australian address.

In Oz, there are 3 levels of insurance:
1) 3rd party persons (part of the rego and it doesn't matter where you're from)
2) 3rd party property (covers their vehicle but not a requirement)
3) yourserlf and your bike

I recently had my UK bike in OZ and went just for number 1. Consider that most of the time you'll be in the middle of nowhere and the only damage will be to yourself. In cities, of course, there is a risk that you'll bump into a Merc or BMW. If you do want 'number 2', then call up 'Northern Territory Tours and Travel'. They're in the Air Raid Arcade on Cavenagh Street, Darwin. They definitely insure foreign license drivers.

Charles

Thank you. I'll stay with the rego for now and try to get australian licence. :thumbup1:

Good on you Kilhal. I've been riding for 36 years, am 54 years of age, have travelled extensively on bikes across all continents, except Antarctica, commute daily on my bike and have NEVER taken out anything except compulsory 3rd party person (compulsory) insurance. In most countries I have even gone without that.

Live dangerously, enjoy yourself and relax! There are more risks and dangers in your head than there are on the road. :)

Garry from Oz.

P.S. for those readers who feel I am being irresponsible in my comments, consider that I am married, have two children, have considerable assets, and am a small business owner. We only live once, enjoy it!

I got my insurance from Sun Corp I think even though I only had a UK licence. I just called a few and they were one of the few that would insure me without an Australian licence.

my insurance history
 

I got my compulsory third party in queensland from suncorp without any questions at all. (think i didn't even flashed a drivers licence)

Got in the meantime a oz drivers licence in victoria (all you need is a proof of current address, e.g. telstra bill, an appointment and about 150AUD for a three year licence)

Using this licence I got another insurance now from vicroads (ctp is bundled with rego in victoria)

By the way, a short list of "magic words" to get your bike legal in the following states in oz (feel free to complete)

QLD: ask for a "OVERSEAS VEHICLE PERMIT"
VIC: ask for a "unregistered overseas vehicle permit" or "APPLICATION FOR NON-REGISTERED VEHICLE TRANSPORT ACCIDENT COVER"
NSW: Nothing (sic!) (according to the document called "Vehicles from interstate or overseas": TAS: ??
SA: ??
WA: ??
NT: ??
ACT: ??

I am currently trying to get a third party property in vic. I already failed with the RACV, because my bike doesn't even show in their system. I will try others next week, stay tuned :-)

Oh yeah, bring the summer on down here, it's about time. :palm:

Sorry to bring up an old post but could someone explain how to go ahead and insure a bike in Oz? I'm on a full irish license and should be in Oz by november/december this year. Hoping to buy a bike then. With this "rego" you guys talk about is that automatically done? Also what about motorcycle tax, would there be any?

cheers!

For our recent trip to Oz we got insurance no problem through Swann for NZ bikes + NZ licensed riders, give them a call. Several other companies I called, including Suncorp, would not insure us.

Rego or registration, tax & other requirements vary by state, so check out the transport agency website for where you are going.

Cheers
Clint

A few different issues here guys.

Generally IF YOU ARE LIVING IN AUSTRALIA you are required to have a driver/rider licence issued by the state/territory in which you live.

If you change residence from one state/territory to another you are supposed to change your licence. Similarly your vehicle is supposed to be re-registered. It's a tedious fact of living in a country that isn't governed as a single country.

A prerequisite for registration is CTP - that's Compulsory Third Party personal injury insurance. You won't be able to register a bike without it, but if the bike is sold (and the registration has not expired) the CTP remains valid and automatically transfers to the new owner.

Any other form of insurance is optional, but I recommend at least getting cover for third party property damage. It will be very handy if you run up the arse of a Rolls-Royce, for example.

Then there's comprehensive insurance which covers pretty much anything.
If you're in a big city and don't have insurance against theft, keep your bike well secured. That's a lesson I learnt the hard way.

So what would happen if you buy and register your bike in NSW and ride it to WA? What would happen if you're caught? Do it count only if you're staying in a particular territory for X amount of months? I'm sure people drive between territories somewhat regularly and you can't change the registration everytime?

cheers for the info!
will