insurance in australia
 

Hi all
we would like to make a trip through Australia in oktober- november of this year, we want to bring our own motorbikes, 2 bmw R 1200 GS. we already got a lot sorted out, but the only thing we can't arrange yet is how to get an Insurance for the bikes, we know that at least we need a CTP but we can't find a company that can provide us with such an Insurance. I know we are not the only ones bringing their Bikes over so how does anybody else arrange this????

bye bye Betty

no problem contact these guys:

Motorcycle Insurance Cover Quotes Australia - Save 25% | InsureMyRide

we took them, didn´t had an crash or something to try it but at least we got an insurnace... the locals use them too, so they can´t be that bad...

maybe they will insure beemers as well... ;)

This is how I took my bike from Dili to Darwin: Process to get bike from Dili to Darwin | Where is Hemuli?

You can get the mandatory CTP insurance when you do inspection for your bike.

See http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ance-nsw-74633

If you arrive anywhere other than NSW then you need to go through the process of getting the equivalent of an "overseas registered vehicle permit" which will come with CTP (third party INJURY) but not any vehicle insurance. Once you have the permit number and/or temporary plates then you can buy vehicle insurance online.

You do not register your bike to Australia - no temporary plates (you do not need to do this), but if you have Australian address, then you can quite easily get also other insurances for your bike.

Australian Licence
 

I know it can't be done online because it askes
Do you hold the appropriate Australian Licence to ride this bike? Yes No


Once you say NO... it stops the process and says unable to provide insurance. :frown:

So I have emailed them asking if an overseas rider can take out insurance with them... lets see! Insure My Ride answer: At InsureMyRide we do not currently provide coverage for bikes that are temporarily imported via carnet, we are unable to offer a quote and provide cover on the bikes.

That was for the NT, other States vary in how they allow an overseas registered vehicle onto the roads. NSW is by far the easiest as all you do is go to the docks and ride your bike out the gates (after paying of course), there is no roadworthy check or buying third party insurance.

The other States have anything from a full compliance inspection to a very basic roadworthy inspection.

Australia is a federation of States and they can/do have slightly different laws, the best way to explain this - The Federal Government controls Customs and Quarantine, the State Governments control road laws, Local Government can control access to their roads - road closures in the Wet, etc.

I think that NSW authorities have just said "its all too hard" and just accepted that overseas registered vehicles on CDPs are hardly likely to swamp the roads and that they are rarely involved in accidents - so financial risks are also very low. Plus its a good way of getting tourists into their state.

The issue that confronts the other States is that there is an agreement to recognise insurance/vehicle standards/road laws from one State to another. So if a vehicle is legal in NSW it must be legal in the other States.

Australian Insurance
 

Agree with the comment about NSW.

The issue about FULL COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE which will protect an overseas bike traveling in Australia is not as clear cut, though RTWbyBike had no problems with Insuremyride!
To RTWbyBike....Could we have the details of how you were able to get insurance with Insuremyride.com.au as an overseas rider. It would certainly short cut this thread.

I tried Insuremyride.com.au with an on-line quote and got stopped... see above post... and in the FAQ question section this comes up:
Do I need to hold a current motorcycle licence to get insurance with InsureMyRide?
You need to hold a current Australian motorcycle licence to insure any Registered bike. We realise that you don’t need a licence to ride an unregistered Dirt bike, so we can insure your Dirt bike even if you don’t have an Australian motorcycle licence.

So if there is a way around this it would be great to know.

There is no doubt that getting the manditory CTP/Green Slip insurance is easy.

Just to make sure that an overseas bike can travel all over Australia with the Darwin CTP, I have sent emails to each States Motor Registary Offices asking: If an overseas motorbike obtains CTP (Third Party Compulsory Insurance) or (Green Card) in Darwin the Northern Territory, are they able to travel throughout Australia and be covered.

I don't see why not, because as a Queenslander, I can travel anywhere in Australia on my Queensland CTP.

However CTP will NOT cover your bike in case of an accident.

I an attempt to get an answer on Fully Comprehensive Insurance, I have sent off nine (9) emails to Insurance providors that have been provided by NIBA - Need a Broker and Find an insurer

Hopefully there will be some answers forthcoming!

Hallo.
I shipded my Belgian Harley in 2011 from the UK to Melbourne,under Carnet de Passage,and went to the RACV at the 438 Little Collins Street office,and get insurance for a whole year,after 5 months they pay you back the rest,if you stop the insurance.
That,s what I did.
Chris.

Australian Insurance
 

Thanks Chris,
Can you rememeber the cost of the insurance and the type i.e. Comprehensive, Third Party?
I'll contact Northern Territory equivilant to the RACV and see if they will do the same.
Alex

NSW Green Slip
 

The issue with Green Slips in NSW is that they are now handled by the MAA (Motor Accident Authority) and they are compulsory to have. For Australians... Not required for overseas travelers. The only criteria is that the number plate is afixed to the bike along with any registration stickers that may come with the registration... WOW.. had to go thru three (3) Government departments to get that!!

The MAA website reads in part: A Green Slip is an insurance policy linked to your vehicle that provides cover for compulsory third party (CTP) personal injury insurance when you or the person driving your vehicle is the driver at fault in an accident, and in certain circumstances regardless of who was at fault.
So if you land in NSW, be aware that a Green Slip is compulsory.Incorrect... Visiting motorbikes do NOT require CTP in NSW! If you already have CTP from another State it wont change a thing... NSW is okay

As well as looking for Insurance cover I am also double checking that an overseas bike with a Northern Territory (Darwin) Green Slip is able to negotiate all Australian States. I'm sure it will be okay, but happy to cross the "t's" and dot the"i's" for future visitors.

NSW is clear for overseas motorbikes :)

Good to see the ozzies are keeping things nice & confusing for everyone doh

When we travelled over in 09 we had the opposite of the above - a temporarily imported vehicle being road legal in NSW was definitely not enough for it to be also legal in VIC & SA, further fees & paperwork required...

We also could not get a CTP in NSW as it was not required for a temp import.

Of course it took a lot of emails & ph calls to various corridors of the Oz transport bureaucracy to work all this out at the time.

We got full insurance from Swann for that trip. Took the pay by instalment option & cancelled the policy when we left.

Cheers
Clint

Australian Insurance
 

Swann wont give Insurance on bikes from overseas under Carnet... they told me the policies have all changed recently!!! doh

Insurance in Australia
 

It is, IMHO, impossible to insure an Overseas Registered Motorbike, arriving under Carnet de Passage and visiting Australia for 2-3 months, then leaving!

When I am talking about Insurance I mean Comprehensive or Third Party Insurance NOT the CTP insurance.

The main hurdles are:
1. The owners are not permanent residents or visitors applying for residency
2. They have no permanent address in Australia
3. They do not have an Australian Licence

One or all of these come into play as soon as I start my enquiries.... There may also be the issue that the bikes are coming into Darwin, which also seems to create an air of disinterest. ... though I doubt arriving at any other port of call would change the outcome.

Insurance companies tried:
Aon .com.au - this one goes thru AMP
Swann, TIO, ACME, QBE, TIOFI (NT insurer), Insure My Ride, GIO, Elders, RACQ, NRMA, SGIO, Real Insurance.com.au, Famous for Bike Insurance ....

The only light at the end of this tunnel, is a personal call to Shannon’s Insurance by the bikes owners MAY provide the needed cover. (Betty I have emailed you these details)

NOTE: Shannon’s will not speak to anyone other than the owner/s of the bike, as I found out and had a bit of a run-in with them!

The other issue is CTP or (Greenslip in NSW)
You must get CTP, even for overseas bikes, which is compulsory in every state, except for NSW (Overseas bikes only..Australians must have Green slip in NSW).. So travelling in NSW is not a problem.

The issues begin when I ask each Australian State’s road Authority:
“Can an overseas Registered motorbike, with Northern Territory CTP, drive through Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania and be COVERED by the Northern Territory CTP for legal liability for injury and death as a result of an accident for which the insured is responsible – be it for other drivers, passengers, pedestrians or cyclists


The answer to this question is still out there with the relevant Govt. Departments. I will add to the post when it’s all sorted out, but that could take anywhere up to 4 weeks.

It’s such a pity that Australia, an Island if you will (sorry Tasmania, but you know what I mean) has such different laws, rules and regulations. !!!

So as far as CTP is concerned, at the moment, we know it’s easy to get when you land in Darwin

It’s a bit like riding in Vietnam... it’s illegal to own a bike as a non-Vietnamese, the majority of visitors don’t have a Vietnamese License, yet thousands do the Vietnamese bike trip each year!

Yeas, I sympathise. Sometimes you get two different answers from two different people. Even Aussies are equally screwed in certain cases when crossing state borders.

Uncertain answers from Australia
 

Yes, I'm getting that now!
Different Depts. in the same State are giving me different answers. Perhaps the reason it's so difficult is that this scenario is not written into any of the State road rules and it becomes an issue of interpretation?
So they seem to be unable to give concrete answers! :rolleyes2:

I can better understand the reason why Australians have to re-register their cars and change their licenses within 3 months of moving to another State. If they don't and try to claim compensation through CTP there may be deniel of this service from their previous State... Non compliance with the law!

When I moved from NSW to VIC the cops gave me merry hell. I was pulled over five times in a month for checks because I had NSW plates. I managed to string it out for several months as I was only on a three month trial at my new job and uncertain if I was staying permanently.

My most recent vague issue was visiting Western Australia. Apparently Western Australia may or may not recognise Victorian "Club Permit" plates for historic vehicles. (Vehicle over 25 years old on a 45 or 90 day log book system at a very cheap price.) Some people with these plates have been stopped at the border until they paid for an Unregistered Vehicle Permit over the phone. But most seem to get through without an issue. Talking to the relevant WA registration department, they referred me to the Police. The Police referred me back to the registration department. Neither would give me a ruling in writing, so I just risked it. I crossed from NT to WA in a lonely place so that probably helped. bier

Traveling by motorbike in Australia
 

I'm starting to get the feeling, that if Betty's bikes (there are two BMW 1200GS) have

• A number Plate
• An up to date registration sticker
• The relvant CTP paperwork from Darwin
  and the Carnet, Home insurance policies and what ever else

...that would more that satisfy any police person and all would be well.

It's the off chance of an accident that will test this theory! :confused1:

I only have experience with Swan, Shannons and Insure my ride. Of these, ImR has been the least hassle. When I originally brought in my Africa Twin to Australia, they were also the only people prepared to help me with insurance before the bike was 'released' from customs or registered. They accepted the overseas rego and told me just to call with an Australian rego if/when I get one.

Also had a crash few years ago and totally destroyed the AT whilst doing trail-riding. No hassles in payout. They also sold the wreck back to me (no hassles), whereas Swann's wrecks go out on auction. After rebuilding it, I re-insured the bike with them again. Again no hassles and the premium was exactly the same, despite my previous 'record' and me declaring several modifications to the bike.

Only reason some of my other rides are with Swann and Shannons- there was a huge difference on price there, so it might be worth shopping around.

I should have added this link about NSW registration and third party insurance. Visiting overseas vehicle < Get a new rego < Registration < Roads and Maritime Services

Insurance in Australia
 

Thanks Squily,
I have taked to Swann and Insure My Ride and neither will provide Insurance. When I told Swann that there was evidence on this forum that other overseas riders had obtained insurance, they explained that their policies had changed since then.

Betty, the owner of the bike, will have to speak to Shannons, as I mentioned on a previous post .. I was not allowed to.

Interesting note. Insure My Ride and Shannons are the same, different companies in name but same business. Shannon handles the up market specialty insurance and Insure My Ride the bottom end, the general insurance.

latest update
 

well I did call shannons and they don't insure because we don't have australian driverslicenses, she adviced to call insure my ride, I also did, and same problem. now I also called RACV and if we have a victorian based adress they can give ( sell of course) us insurance, also called NRMA and if we have our bikes registered in NSW we can get insurance with them, so now we are going to get everything organized for the trip over :clap:
I want to thank everybody and especially Alex for all the information you gave me I hope sometime we can bier somewhere in australia or if you come over to europe then please be :welcome:

I just did a couple of online quotes for Shannons and Insure my ride and neither asked me if I had an Australian licence - maybe their programming is recognising your ISP and forcing you to phone.

Shannons asked if I held a valid driver's licence - which is yes even if it is an overseas licence if it is accepted in Australia.

Just got this reply (at last) from VicRoads



Thank you for your reply email. My name is Lee and I am able to assist you.

We need to confirm the following information:

. is the vehicle registered in your home country
. are you visiting on a temporary basis.

If so, it can be driven in Australia if it meets all of the above conditions. Also, it must have appropriate transport accident cover. By having coverage in NSW, you should be fine to drive in Victoria during your stay.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

If you do have any further questions, please do not hesitate to email us back through the link Feedback & enquiries : VicRoads, providing your email reference 500669881. We will then aim to respond within seven working days.

Alternatively, you may contact the VicRoads Call Centre from overseas on 03 8391 3216 (8.30am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 2.00pm Saturday AEST), to discuss your enquiry further with a VicRoads consultant.


Kind regards

Lee
Customer Resolution Team
VicRoads Contact Centre



I asked if an overseas registered vehicle arriving from overseas in NSW on a Carnet de Passage would be allowed to travel in Victoria using the NSW third party arrangements and gave the weblink to Visiting overseas vehicle < Get a new rego < Registration < Roads and Maritime Services

NT CTP Insurance
 

Great information....thanks.

Betty and Arnold are arriving in Darwin where they will get there CTP insurance. The question is, does Northern Territory CTP cover them for all the other states, which is an answer that is still being waited on. They will not be getting CTP insurance in NSW, because NSW does not require that a visiting overseas vehicle apply for CTP!See your link at the end of your post.

When I have asked if NT CTP will cover Betty and Arnold, all the other states have pointed me back to the NT and said "Find out if the NT CTP covers you for travel in other Australian States"... So we are waiting to find out if NT will cover in ALL states. The other alternative is to get CTP in each state, excluding NSW??

Do you think the person who sent the email is offering a personal viewpoint or a point of law?

Also, it must have appropriate transport accident cover. By having coverage in NSW, you should be fine to drive in Victoria during your stay.
CTP (Transport accident cover??) is not neccessary in NSW for a overseas visting vehicle... and "you should be fine" ...where does it say that?

I have found it sadly frustrating that clear answers are not forthcoming, but its well know each Australian State has its own way of doing things, and as bnicho from this forum pointed out, even Australians get caught in the mess>>

Alex

I asked in Darwin (while getting my CTP - Compulsory Third Party insurance) inspection site if NT CTP covers me in all states. No-one could say definitely Yes… So, it seems like everyone over there are just guessing.

The thing is, CTP issued in one state is valid in all the others provided the vehicle is on normal Australian registration. If the vehicle is on the National Registration Database, then it has CTP cover or would not be on that database. That's what the Police check if they pull us over. It only gets murky with overseas vehicles (and my Club Permit cars) because they don't appear on that database.

NSW is the only state (I think) where you arrange your own CTP seperately before you can pay your annual registration fees. In every(?) other state the CTP is just a component in the registration fee and you don't get to choose insurer for that. So it boggles my mind that you allegedly automatically have cover when entering through NSW?? I think what they mean is when you arrange the cover yourself like any other NSW resident then it is valid in all states. So then it is up to the INSURER that accepts your premium to tell you where the insurance is valid.

Personally I'd want something in writing confirming the cover from the insurer before assuming anything!

It really should not be this freaking hard. Every time I go down the Great Ocean Road I see at least one overseas plated car or bike. :eek3:

Any resolution?
 

I'm in NSW now and I have been trying to figure out insurance. I received this email back from NSW services.

Dear Noah

Thank you for your email

Visiting overseas vehicles may be used temporarily in NSW without being registered in NSW, if the vehicle is registered in its home jurisdiction and displays any required number plates and labels. It is also recommended that the overseas registration certificate be carried when using the vehicle.

These vehicles are exempt from NSW registration and Compulsory Third Party insurance. A NSW third party personal injury claim involving a visiting overseas vehicle is made against the Nominal Defendant Scheme. This scheme is administered by the Motor Accidents Authority.

Motor Accidents Authority: 1300 137 131

Fax No.: 1300 137 707

TTY: 8268 1450

Green Slip/CTP Hotline: 1300 137 600

Website: MOTOR ACCIDENTS AUTHORITY of New South Wales - Road Safety Research, Motor Accidents Compensation

To enquire about property insurance it is suggested you contact the NSW major insurance companies.

Kind regards

This just confirms what others are saying about NSW not needing insurance for foreign vehicles.

My question: Can anyone recommended an insurance company for the rest of Oz?

Who have you used? what worked? what didn't?

Thanks!

yesterday we shipped our bikes already to Australia. we will be following in september. we changed our plans a bit, we will arrive in Melbourne, and it appears that if you register your bike there and you can give a based address ( which might as well be a hotel) you get TAC which covers for personal injury, and that is also interstate. so last week I called vic roads and had it all sorted out in half an hour. so that was quite a relief for us. with all that sorted we now can look forward to come down to aussieland. we hope we meet some of you on the way and have a drink and thanks again to everybody who tried to help us out.

This is all fine and dandy. But with a carnet... I don't want to register my bike. I've called Swanns and they connected me to NRMA. NRMA wouldn't sell me a CTP insurance. So where can I get it? :confused1:

I found the following
 

I found the following on the site of the AAA, I hope this will be your resolution good luck

New South Wales
A vehicle that is in New South Wales (NSW) temporarily is exempt from NSW registration requirements providing that vehicle is registered in another, state, territory or in a foreign country (if you drive into one of our other state/territories it is compulsory to have Third Party Insurance).

If the operator of an overseas visiting vehicle requires Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance, the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) will collect payment through motor registries on behalf of QBE Insurance Ltd and issue a receipt to the operator.

CTP insurance cover can be obtained until the expiry date of the overseas registration up to a maximum of 12 months.

The cost of CTP insurance depends on the type of vehicle and duration of stay in NSW. CTP insurance for a car is approximately $400 per annum.

To obtain CTP insurance provide the following at a motor registry:

Current registration papers for the vehicle.
A NSW contact address.
Proof of identity (please refer to the RTA's website, or contact the RTA customer call centre on 132 213).
A Safety Inspection "pink slip" report for roadworthiness of the vehicle.
A completed Overseas Visiting Vehicle Declaration.

Hello
I had the same problem 2 years ago.
This information of the AAA website was bull**** back then.
If you enter Australia though NSW your doomed.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...nsurance-57660
While in NSW you can not get insurance because you already are insured by the CDP, when entering the next state you have to go to deal with them and then maybe they give you insurace that covers the other states.
good luck and enjoy OZ.
sushi

I did as well, arriving in Sydney in August '12. In the end I gave up and assumed the other states recognised my "insurance" from NSW. Got stopped once on the border of Queensland/NT and the police said have a nice day. [after a breath test] :thumbup1: :innocent: