A car for visiting parents and family in Brisbane

First decide: who will drive the car?

Families usually picture one car shared between everyone. With a hire car, the rental agreement decides who may drive, so settle this before you book. There are three common set-ups:

• You drive, they ride. You're the hirer and the only driver. It's the simplest arrangement, but your parents depend on your free time.
• They drive themselves. One parent is the hirer, using their own licence, and they meet the rental company's driver rules. This suits visitors who are confident driving on the left and want to get about while you're at work.
• Both. A car that more than one person drives needs a rental company that allows additional drivers; read our guide to adding a driver to a rental car.

Can visitors drive on their own licence?

Yes, as visitors. The Department of Transport and Main Roads lets a visitor drive on a valid overseas licence for the class of vehicle and conditions it shows. If the licence isn't in English, they need an English translation, carried with the licence and shown to police on request; the department points to accredited translators.^[1] The page sets no time limit for genuine temporary visitors; the 3-month limit applies to people who come to live here as citizens or permanent residents.^[1]

A visitor's right to drive on an overseas licence can be withdrawn if they're not medically fit to drive.^[1] Queensland licence holders aged 75 and over must carry a current medical certificate whenever they drive, and can be fined more than $170 without it.^[2][3] The department's pages don't say how that applies to an overseas licence, so an older visitor should ask the department before they drive, and check the rental company's maximum age.

Driving on the left, roundabouts and Queensland's speed and phone rules are covered in road rules for visitors; the licence detail is in driving on an overseas licence.

How long can they stay, and how long do you need the car?

On a Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Tourist stream, the usual stay is 3 months, and up to 12 months may be granted. Visitors can't work. Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may be granted a visa valid for longer than 12 months, but can't stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period.^[4]

In the Sponsored Family stream the standard stay is also 3 months, up to 12 in limited circumstances, and the visa carries a No Further Stay condition, so it can't be extended in Australia.^[5] Book the car for the dates on the visa grant, not the dates you hope for.

A long visit rarely needs a car every day. A common pattern is no car for the first week, while everyone gets over the flight, then a car for the weeks of outings, then public transport for the last days near home.

Health cover for visiting parents

Home Affairs strongly recommends that visitors take out adequate health insurance, and some visas carry a condition requiring it.^[4]

Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Under the UK agreement, for example, visitors are covered for medically necessary care outside hospital, public-hospital treatment as a public patient and some subsidised medicines, but not if they travel here for treatment. They enrol with their passport, visa and proof of residence in their home country.^[6]

Agreements differ by country, so check the one that applies before relying on it. Visitors from anywhere else need their own insurance from day one, ideally one that covers them as drivers too.

Choosing and preparing the car

• Size. Count adults, luggage and any grandchildren's car seats at once. An airport run with two big suitcases each won't fit a small hatch.
• Child seats. If grandparents will drive the children, they need the right restraints fitted correctly; see child car seats in Queensland.
• Getting in and out. Older passengers often find a higher seat, like a small SUV's, easier than a low hatchback.
• Collection. Rental pickups are usually in business hours, so collect the car the day before they land rather than the night they arrive. Meeting them by car is covered in picking someone up at Brisbane Airport.
• Parking at home. If you live in a permit area, a visitor permit can keep their car legal on your street: resident parking permits.

Renting for a family visit from Hendra

If the visit is shorter than the minimum rental, or no one in the family meets the driver rules, a mix of public transport, taxis and your own car for outings will cost less.