How to Buy a Car in Australia as a Canadian

• Dec 31, 2022

Like most other countries, Australia doesn’t prevent foreigners from buying a car or investing in real estate in its territories. Instead, you will need a driving license to show your capability to drive on Australian roads.
Coming from Canada, you have to take the following steps to get a car in Australia.

Get an Australian Driving License

This is an optional step and will only come into force if you never had a driving license in your home country or you plan to spend more than three months in Australia.
If you didn’t have a driving license, to begin with, you need to start licensing process in Australia. Note: once successful, you can convert this license to a Canadian license back home. The licensing process includes passing the theory test, practicing driving under supervision, and passing the driving test. Note that the entire process can take years to complete. So, only start the process, if you are sure of a long stay here.
If you had already acquired a driving license in Canada – which you can get without passing Canadian citizenship test or becoming a citizen, you can convert it into an Australian license within three months of your stay here.

Search for the Right Car

Know your standards for the vehicle and start your search. You can choose to get it from a dealer or directly from a seller. This search can be conducted online as well as offline. This search process will be straightforward if you want a brand-new car. But getting a used car will be a little tricky and you need to exercise due diligence while assessing its condition.

Assess Its Condition

New cars wouldn’t need a detailed inspection. But you need to thoroughly assess it if it’s used. Mileage is an important feature to check out. Besides, use the services of a mechanic to get a detailed insight into the wear and tear it has undergone in past years.

Check Ownership Record

One way to ascertain the reliability and functionality of a car is to use history record checks. Australian VIN and Rev review option offers unique ease into the whole process of car purchase. You can use these tools to your advantage by heading to a Rev record-checking website. There, you will enter the VIN or Rego of the car you want to purchase and after paying fees, you will get the record of the car.
Here, you will obtain the major pieces of information like ownership transfers and insurance records. On the mechanical front, you will be interested in the accident and repair history of the car.
At this step, you also assess the Rego check of the car.

Buy the Car and Get the Toll Pass

Once you have authenticated the car and its condition, it’s time for purchasing it. Before you start driving it on the roads, don’t forget to get a toll pass to cross bridges, tunnels, and toll roads.

Take Away

Australia makes it easy for foreigners to get a car with its VIN, Rego, and Rev tools for authenticating the car’s history. Or you can get a brand new car if you want a higher level of certainty about the car’s condition.