With its wide open roads and great distances between major cities, the best way to find your way around Australia is with a hire car. However, in order to be eligible for car hire in Australia, you’ll need to meet a certain amount of minimum requirements. In this article, we’ll talk about the minimum requirements necessary for car hire in Australia, including age limits, required licence credentials and more.
Age requirements for car hire in Australia
While Australians can get their provisional licences from the age of 17 and be on their full licence by the age of 20, the minimum age requirement for hiring a car in Australia is 21. If you’re under 21, you will not be able to hire a rental car. Furthermore, drivers aged between 21 and 24 face restrictions in the type of vehicles they are allowed to higher and will be subject to a daily age surcharge. These surcharges are as follows:
- Avis: $27.50 per day
- Budget: $23.00 per day
- Hertz: $22.50 per day
- Europcar: $27.50 per day
- Thrifty: $22.50 per day
- Redsport: $20.00 per day
Licence requirements
To drive any vehicle in Australia you need a valid driver’s licence, so obviously to hire a rental car you’re going to need to show that your licence is valid. However, the requirements go beyond this. First of all, learner’s permits, provisional licences and probationary licences will not be accepted in Australia. You’ll need to have your full licence in order to hire a rental car. Additionally, in some cases, you’ll need to have heeled your full licence for a minimum amount of time — Avis and Hertz, for example, expect a one-year minimum.
While overseas driver’s licences are accepted, these need to be in English. That is to day, any licence issued by an English-speaking country such as New Zealand, the USA, UK, Canada, etc. will be valid here. However, if you hold a driver’s licence in a non-English speaking country, you’ll need to present either an approved English translation or an International Driving Permit in order to qualify for Australian car hire.
Credit card requirements
Another minimum requirement for hiring a rental car in Australia is that you own a credit card in your name. This must be presented in accompaniment to your licence in order for you to be eligible. The reason that a credit card is required is quite simple; if the car is damaged upon return — or in some cases, not returned at all — then the car rental company needs to have a means of charging you for the losses incurred. Additionally, the credit card acts as an additional proof of identity for the driver.
Insurance requirements
To be eligible for a driver’s licence in Australia, you need to have paid your CTP Greenslip (compulsory third party insurance), so in this sense you’ll be covered in your hire car if you’re involved in an accident where you were at fault. Standard insurance coverage is included in all rates, but the renter will be charged the full cost of excess if an accident occurs. Most rental car companies also offer optional insurance at an extra cost when you first pick up your rental, so it pays to compare car hire and see what insurance options you’ll have for a little bit of extra peace of mind on the road.
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