Driving A Car And Transport
Obtaining a Licence to Drive
New overseas residents who hold a permanent visa may drive (or learn to drive) on an overseas licence/permit for a period of three months after which time, a state licence must be obtained if the holder wishes to continue to drive. This three month period commences from the date of arrival in Australia where a permanent visa is issued on or before entry into Australia, or from the date a permanent visa is issued where the person has been a long term resident of Australia on a student/temporary/bridging etc visa. To get a state driving licence you will need to pass a knowledge test, a practical test and an eyesight test.
Transferring Your Overseas Driver’s Licence
The Australian State and Territory Driver Licensing Authorities recognise certain driver licences from a number of overseas country's. Certain Individual applicants from overseas countries are exempt from undertaking a knowledge and drive/ride test. For more information on the countries whose drivers licence is recognised please visit http://www.austroads.com.au/overseas.html
To transfer your overseas driver’s licence you must personally attend a licensing centre or licensing agent. Visitors, including temporary visa holders, can drive on an overseas licence for up to 12 months after arrival. However should you intend to take up permanent residence, you will need to apply for a state driver’s licence within three months of your arrival as you will no longer be considered a visitor. You will need to take your overseas driver’s licence as well as proof of your identity and residency in to a Licensing Centre to apply for the transfer and pay a fee.
Other information
The Department for Planning and Infrastructure: Licensing Services website provides a range of information for:
- Requirements of registering a car
- Registration and licensing fees
- Traffic information
- Road Safety Information
- Handbooks and forms
The handbooks available through the Department for Planning and Infrastructure are:
- Drive Safe Handbook
- Overseas Drivers driving in Australia information booklet
For further information and to download these booklets please visit the website http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au.
Buying a Car
Acquiring a new or second-hand vehicle can be relatively easy as you can find advertisements of cars for sale in newspapers and magazines. New and second-hand cars are also sold at car dealerships.
Stamp duty, compulsory insurance or the transfer fee if the car is second-hand is generally not included in the purchase price.
Car dealerships can be found in the Yellow Pages telephone directory online at http://yellowpages.com.au.
For information on vehicle inspections for second hand vehicles, insurance and road side assistance, visit the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) website on http://rac.com.au/.
Public Transport
Australia has a very modern public transport system that combines the use of all modes of transport which includes trains, trams, buses, ferries. There is also a free bus service in some of the major cities.
Each state has its own supplier for public transport and this can differ from metro to regional. For more information please visit http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/transport/.
Pets
Australia has very strict rules on the importation of animals, as they control the types of animals that can come in to the country and from which country they are coming in.
The rules are set by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). Please click here (www.daffa.gov.au) for further information.
Dogs, cats and horses may be brought in from a number of countries around the world, however this is subject to quarantine controls. Most cats and dogs coming from the UK will be required to spend a minimum of 30day in quarantine.
Because of the strict rules most other household pets, for example hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets and caged birds are generally prohibited to be brought into Australia. Just because you can not bring these pets into Australia doesn’t mean that you can buy these animals from pet shops or breeders in Australia.
