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Driving in Ireland with Oz licence - insurance

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  • 02-03-2016 5:04pm
    #1
    hexagramer
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭


    Hi folks

    Im back in Ireland, and im having trouble getting insurance for my small Fiat Punto. Each company have their own policies regarding insuring a vehicle thats over 10 years old and myself with an open Queensland licence.

    Alliance and Hibernian Aviva are willing to cover me, but i need a no claims bonus from oz from the last 5 years otherwise i cant be entertained.

    I dont want to transfer my Oz licence to an Irish one because i will only be here in Ireland for a few months, aswell as the fact that i have to surrender each licence to receive the other, in both countries.


    My question - Has anyone had this issue in getting their NCB from Oz?


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    #2
    pete4130
    Registered Users Posts: 3,944 ✭✭✭pete4130


    Just call them up and they should send it or email it. I can't see why it would be an issue for them? I'm sure they deal with it all the time.


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    #3
    NIALL D
    Registered Users Posts: 671 ✭✭✭NIALL D


    Surrender your licence ?
    Who told you that ? Its bull , i have both full licences. And i know loads of people who have went both ways and never had their licence taken when recieving the other !.


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    #4
    Speedwell
    Registered Users Posts: 3,809 ✭✭✭Speedwell


    I'm from the US. Allianz were willing to write me a policy in Ireland on an over-10-year-old car with my American license. I believe they structured it on the same coverage as a learner driver, so when I did get my Irish learner's permit, the coverage and price did not change. I was even able to prove my case for a no-claims bonus based on my driving history in the US (I had to broker some paperwork between Allianz and my US insurance company). Since I'm a middle-aged woman living in the country, the final cost was actually less than I would have paid for the same coverage in the city I moved here from!

    Surrender my license, hah. Nobody's ever mentioned such a thing to me. I'd be in a bad way if I had to drive elsewhere in Europe and they had taken my (valid) US-state-based license.


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    #5
    Hasmunch
    Registered Users Posts: 927 ✭✭✭Hasmunch


    NIALL D wrote: »
    Surrender your licence ?
    Who told you that ? Its bull , i have both full licences. And i know loads of people who have went both ways and never had their licence taken when recieving the other !.

    You are supposed to surrender your licence in Ireland, most people "forget" to declare the foreign licence and send it in.


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    #6
    CabanSail
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 9,047 CMod ✭✭✭✭CabanSail


    When I moved to Dublin in 2006 I bought a car and found some companies would not allow insurance on my Aussie licence, some would but would not give any NCB from Australia and a few did. I ended up going with FBD as they gave me the full no claims discount and treated my NSW Gold Licence as a Full Irish Licence. Our car in Dublin is still insured with them and have not has any problems.

    I did look at changing over to an Irish Licence but it was not practical. To do the exchange I had to show paperwork where my NSW License was cancelled. The rules were that the NSW Licence was able to be used for 12 months or longer if there was a strong connection with the other country. I spoke to them and having Australian Passport, owing a house in Australia and being one extended leave from a permanent job in Australia was considered a strong connection. I just renewed my license on a trip home. It did mean that I was outside the point system if I did get any there, but that was never an issue. To get dual licenses I would have had to get a Provisional Licence and then done the test etc. and "forgot" to declare I had another overseas licence. My wife's licence expired and she surrendered it and got the Irish one and is now using it here in Australia. As long as she returns to Ireland each year it will remain legal.

    I would like to have dual licences but not if it's a hassle.


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    #7
    NIALL D
    Registered Users Posts: 671 ✭✭✭NIALL D


    CabanSail wrote: »
    When I moved to Dublin in 2006 I bought a car and found some companies would not allow insurance on my Aussie licence, some would but would not give any NCB from Australia and a few did. I ended up going with FBD as they gave me the full no claims discount and treated my NSW Gold Licence as a Full Irish Licence. Our car in Dublin is still insured with them and have not has any problems.

    I did look at changing over to an Irish Licence but it was not practical. To do the exchange I had to show paperwork where my NSW License was cancelled. The rules were that the NSW Licence was able to be used for 12 months or longer if there was a strong connection with the other country. I spoke to them and having Australian Passport, owing a house in Australia and being one extended leave from a permanent job in Australia was considered a strong connection. I just renewed my license on a trip home. It did mean that I was outside the point system if I did get any there, but that was never an issue. To get dual licenses I would have had to get a Provisional Licence and then done the test etc. and "forgot" to declare I had another overseas licence. My wife's licence expired and she surrendered it and got the Irish one and is now using it here in Australia. As long as she returns to Ireland each year it will remain legal.

    I would like to have dual licences but not if it's a hassle.

    Dont see it been a hassle..
    As i mentioned already i have both.
    I know at least 10 people that have both full licences .. And probably more often heard friends of friends talking about it ..
    When you go to rta here they jus keep a copy of your irish licence , let you keep it and also give you the full oz licence .


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    #8
    CabanSail
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 9,047 CMod ✭✭✭✭CabanSail


    NIALL D wrote: »
    When you go to rta here they jus keep a copy of your irish licence , let you keep it and also give you the full oz licence .

    ..... but I am going the other way.


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    #9
    bruschi
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 4,141 Mod ✭✭✭✭bruschi


    CabanSail wrote: »
    When I moved to Dublin in 2006 I bought a car and found some companies would not allow insurance on my Aussie licence, some would but would not give any NCB from Australia and a few did. I ended up going with FBD as they gave me the full no claims discount and treated my NSW Gold Licence as a Full Irish Licence. Our car in Dublin is still insured with them and have not has any problems.

    I did look at changing over to an Irish Licence but it was not practical. To do the exchange I had to show paperwork where my NSW License was cancelled. The rules were that the NSW Licence was able to be used for 12 months or longer if there was a strong connection with the other country. I spoke to them and having Australian Passport, owing a house in Australia and being one extended leave from a permanent job in Australia was considered a strong connection. I just renewed my license on a trip home. It did mean that I was outside the point system if I did get any there, but that was never an issue. To get dual licenses I would have had to get a Provisional Licence and then done the test etc. and "forgot" to declare I had another overseas licence. My wife's licence expired and she surrendered it and got the Irish one and is now using it here in Australia. As long as she returns to Ireland each year it will remain legal.

    I would like to have dual licences but not if it's a hassle.

    I definitely know that you can have an Australian license here as well as an Irish one. It did happen a few years ago, but I can tell you 100% you can have an Irish license and Australian one here and that the Australian license was used to get a full Irish one.


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