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Car hire in Australia

Visitors can drive a hire car on a current overseas licence, but carry an IDP or an English translation if the licence is not in English. Time limits differ by state: 3 months in the Northern Territory, 6 months in NSW and Victoria. Most surprises come from the rental terms, not the road rules: minimum age, card and bond, tolls, unsealed roads and ferries are set by each company, so read them before you pay.

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Compare carsWhere to fly in
Map of Australia showing the main airport in each stateDarwin AirportHobart AirportAdelaide AirportPerth AirportBrisbane AirportMelbourne AirportSydney Airport
Map of Australia showing the main airport in each state
Car hire in Australia illustration showing a parked compact car at a coastal lookout beneath a red-rock formation.

Where to fly in and hire, by state

Sydney Airport (NSW)Best for: Sydney, the NSW coast and the Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane drivesSydney is one of the three cities Linkt covers for visitor tolls. NSW lets a temporary overseas visitor drive for up to six months; Sydney to Melbourne is about 877 km and Sydney to Brisbane about 922 km (CBD to CBD).Melbourne Airport (Victoria)Best for: Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and the drive to AdelaideVictoria allows an overseas licence if you will be in the state less than six months. Melbourne has toll roads, so ask how your rental company charges them. Melbourne to Adelaide is about 725 km.Brisbane Airport (Queensland)Best for: Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts and the start of a northbound coast driveQueensland asks for a recognised English translation if your licence is not in English and its page gives no visitor time limit. Brisbane has tolls, and some rental agreements bar island barges, so check yours before planning K'gari or Moreton Island.Perth Airport (Western Australia)Best for: Perth and the south-west, or the start of a long drive northAdelaide to Perth is about 2,692 km by road, so plan that drive as a separate trip. Western Australia wants a translation certified by your consulate, diplomatic office or mission if your licence is not in English.Adelaide Airport (South Australia)Best for: Adelaide and the Kangaroo Island ferryThe gateway for Kangaroo Island. SeaLink's online booking has a 'This is a hire car' tick box and asks you to phone after pickup with the make and model; your rental company decides whether the car may cross, so ask before you book the ferry.Hobart Airport (Tasmania)Best for: Hobart, the east coast and the south of TasmaniaHiring in Tasmania saves asking a mainland rental company for permission to take its car on the Spirit of Tasmania, which some companies require in advance.Darwin Airport (Northern Territory)Best for: Darwin, Litchfield and KakaduThe Northern Territory has the shortest visitor licence limit at 3 months. The default limit on open roads is 110 km/h, and road trains can be nearly 60 m long, so allow plenty of room to overtake.Canberra (ACT)Best for: Canberra and a stop between Sydney and MelbourneThe ACT accepts a licence in English, or an IDP, or an official translation from an embassy, the Department of Home Affairs or a NAATI-certified translator.

Rules that decide whether your booking works

Licence, IDP and translation

Austroads says visitors without a permanent visa can drive on a valid overseas licence, carrying either an International Driving Permit or an English translation if the licence is not in English. Time limits: 3 months in the Northern Territory, 6 months in NSW and Victoria, and no limit for other states while the licence stays current. In NSW the six months applies to temporary visitors; other visitors get three. A licence written in English needs no IDP under this rule. Translations differ by state: WA wants one certified by your consulate, and the NT says a translation without an IDP must be done by an authorised translator in the NT.

Age, card and bond

Each rental company sets its own terms. Hertz Australia requires the renter and every driver to be 21 or over unless it approves otherwise in writing, and charges a Young Driver Surcharge to drivers aged 24 and under, capped at 7 days per 30 days of rental. It takes credit cards and Visa or Mastercard debit cards in the renter's name. A first-time renter living within 100 km of the pickup city can face a $500 bond ($1,000 for prestige vehicles) and a proof-of-address check. Other companies have their own figures, so check the one on your booking.

Tolls and fines

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are the cities Linkt covers for visitors. Budget and Avis both say Linkt bills the tolls plus a $3.30 fee for each day you use a toll road, charged to the card on the booking. Hertz passes on the toll plus a processing fee unless you buy its Toll Service. Traffic and parking fines also reach you through the rental company, which adds its own processing fee.

Unsealed roads and prohibited areas

Hertz's terms list unsealed roads as a prohibited use, except roads under repair and access roads to recognised camping or accommodation. Its Annexure 7 goes further: 4WD only on Western Australia's Gibb River Road and Tanami Road and South Australia's Strzelecki, Oodnadatta and Birdsville tracks, no vehicles at all on K'gari, Moreton Island, the Old Telegraph Track or the Canning Stock Route. This is one company's list; others differ, and the rule that binds you is in your rental agreement.

Ferries

Hertz allows its cars on certain ferries only with its permission beforehand, and a Ferry Fee applies at some locations. For Kangaroo Island, SeaLink asks you to tick 'This is a hire car' when booking and to phone with the make and model after you collect the car. Do not assume a hire car may cross; get the company's permission in writing first.

Left side, wildlife and distance

Tourism Australia says the most important thing to know is that Australians drive on the left. Tourism Australia advises against driving at night in outback and country areas because kangaroos are hard to see in the dark, and Road Safety NT notes it can be hundreds of kilometres between water and petrol stops. Sydney to Melbourne is about 877 km, and Adelaide to Darwin about 3,027 km, so a day's driving is often more than it looks on a map.

When the north is wet and the south is cold

October to April (tropical wet season)

The Bureau of Meteorology puts the wet season in Australia's tropical north at October to April, with the dry from May to September. Plan Top End, Kimberley and Cape York road trips for the dry, and check road reports before any drive in the wet.

November to April (company road limits in the NT)

Rental companies can restrict roads in the wet. Hertz, for example, treats November to April as the NT wet season and bars its cars from Lost City Road in Litchfield and from Jim Jim and Twin Falls in Kakadu, and from any road Road Report NT shows closed.

May to October (outback tracks)

Some outback tracks are only allowed in the dry. Hertz permits its 4WDs on listed routes such as the Oodnadatta Track and the Finke Road between Alice Springs and Oodnadatta in May to October only.

Winter in the alpine areas

In the snow, the rental company decides whether a car is fit for the trip and whether you may fit chains. Hertz tells renters heading to the snow to check this with the pickup location and to fit chains correctly.

Drives and rules across Australia

Adelaide to Darwin driveabout 3,030 km (846 km to Coober Pedy, 685 km to Alice Springs, 1,498 km to Darwin), about 14 to 18 hours of driving to Alice Springs, then a further 1,498 km to Darwin; the Explorers Way is recommended over at least 14 daysAirport versus city car hireBest time for an Australia road tripBrisbane to Cairns drive1,671 km on the Bruce Highway from Pine River to Cairns, Long days on the Bruce Highway, with legs of 110 to 509 km between the main stopsCar hire age rules in AustraliaCar Hire Cost in AustraliaCar Hire with a Debit CardCar hire excess insurance in AustraliaChild car seats in Australian hire carsDriving at dusk and wildlifeDriving in Australia as a TouristDriving in Australia with a UK licenceDriving in Australia with a US licenceElectric car hire in AustraliaHire Car Fines in AustraliaHire Car Rules by CompanyHire Cars on Ferries in AustraliaLong term car hire in AustraliaMelbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road989 km over four days via the Great Ocean Road (728 km direct), about 12 hours of driving over four days (direct: just shy of 8 hours)One-way car hire in AustraliaOutback driving, fuel and distanceOverseas Licence Rules by Australian StatePerth to Broome drive2,932 km on RAC's coastal itinerary via Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Coral Bay, Karratha and Eighty Mile Beach, About 33 hours of driving on the coastal itinerary, spread over six daysSydney to Brisbane driveAbout 1,000 km on the touring route, Around 10 hours on the Pacific HighwaySydney to Melbourne via the Hume HighwayAbout 880 km, at least nine hours without stopsTolls in a hire car in AustraliaUnsealed roads and hire cars

Cost the trip before you book

Road trip fuel cost calculatorLitres and dollars for your routeWhole rental costRate, extras, tolls and the bond kept separateAirport or city pickupWhich saves more on your dates

Car hire by state

New South Wales & ACT9 pickup guidesVictoria4 pickup guidesQueensland10 pickup guidesWestern Australia4 pickup guidesSouth Australia5 pickup guidesTasmania5 pickup guidesNorthern Territory4 pickup guides

Australia car hire questions

Where the answer depends on your rental agreement, we say so rather than guess.

What do I need to hire a car in Australia?

A current driver's licence in your name, an IDP or English translation if the licence is not in English, and a card in the renter's name. Hertz, for one, asks for renters and drivers to be 21 or over unless it approves in writing, and asks for an English or translated licence. Other companies set their own age, card and bond rules, so check the terms on your booking.

Do I need an international driving permit to hire a car in Australia?

Under the Austroads visiting-driver rule you carry either an IDP or an English translation, but only if your licence is not in English. If your licence is in English you do not need an IDP by law. The Northern Territory wants an IDP before you travel if your licence is not in English or the vehicle class is hard to recognise, and Western Australia asks for a consulate-certified translation.

Can I hire a car in Australia with a debit card?

It depends on the company. Hertz Australia accepts Visa or Mastercard debit cards in the renter's name and authorises an amount plus a bond on the card at pickup, though some locations also take cash on return. Some renters see a $500 bond ($1,000 for prestige vehicles) if they are first-time renters living within 100 km of the pickup city. Confirm your company's card rule before you travel.

How long can I drive in Australia on an overseas licence?

As a visitor: 3 months in the Northern Territory, up to 6 months in NSW for temporary overseas visitors, and less than 6 months in Victoria. Queensland's page gives no visitor time limit, and Austroads says the other states allow driving indefinitely while the licence is current. Tourism Australia's own guide says three months, so check the state page for where you will be staying.

Can an American rent a car in Australia?

Yes. A licence in English does not need an IDP or translation under Austroads' rule, but you must carry it at all times and drive on the left. Check the 6-month limit in NSW and Victoria if you are staying long, and read the company's age, card and bond terms. Tolls in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are billed to the card on your booking.

Can I take a hire car on unsealed roads or a ferry?

Often not without permission. Hertz's terms prohibit unsealed roads except roads under repair and access roads to recognised camping or accommodation, and allow only certain ferries with prior permission. Other companies have their own rules, which you must find in your rental agreement before travelling.