duztee

'Just change the headlights'!!!!!!
I now know just what a mammoth task this simple phrase involves!
The whole of the front and part of the wings have to come off to get at the mounting bolts, Well done Mazda brilliant design, NOT!

So after 6 hours I now have a cross-eyed car with one light dipping left and the other dipping right, hopefully after a few more hours tomorrow, they will again be a matching pair.

flyer1946

Hi, just wondering how hard it is to re-reg a UK car in Hungary?

John

Pollypaprika

Hi,

There is a thread called Vehicle Registration which covers all this, you should find all the info you need there.

richardmc

See my comments as they are up to date and pain free if you live within a reasonable distance to Keszthely.

duztee

Just back from the Test centre.

Arrived at 8 and was next in line behind an ex-Austrian Renault which arrived at 6:30.
Handed in all the UK documents and took a seat.
20 mins and a guy came out and photographed the car and all the I.D. numbers ( I gave them a photo of the almost impossible to see engine number which I had already taken).

It took just under an hour for him to complete the import paperwork, I then had to have the MoT test done, which was basic to say the least, brakes, shock absorbers and headlights, No check of side, brake or indicator lights, No check of seat belts etc and oddly no emissions test although they did issue a 'Green' sticker with the paperwork, so all done in 10 mins.

the cost:- 22,800 for the Import paperwork.
17,090 for the test and 4,100 for testing it as N1 ( light goods vehicle) Total cost 43,990 fts.

I did ask about the N1 classification.
Although it is a pick-up because it has 5 seat it doesn't count as a commercial vehicle under the Hungarian regulations, but they cannot 'undo' the original UK classification, so it is tested as a Light Commercial Vehicle, but is exempt from the regulations.
BUT, there is always a but!
Because I have a tow bar fitted and can therefore legally exceed the 3.5 tonne train weight limit, I had to sign a declaration that the vehicle will never be used commercially, this got me an exemption certificate from tachograph regulations as well.
So total time was two and a half hour, two and a quarter of which was sitting waiting for paperwork and the queue for the test, so I think this was reasonably quick and stress free.

I now have to take all this paperwork to the local office to register and get the number plate. which will be more money.... and a follow up post.

fidobsa

I wonder if it varies from one region of Hungary to another? I'm told that parts of Bulgaria refuse to register RHD vehicles at all but in other areas it is quite easy.

richardmc

Admin charge from the Bosch garage Keszthely for my car, completing all forms/log book on my behalf and taking it to the MOT centre, dropping me back home/delivering the car back to my house, handing over my mot details, issue of an insurance cover note for the weekend was 20000ft so I think its a bargain. Also arranging comprehensive insurance at no extra charge with Allianz. They had the car for 3 days. My old headlights were in the boot in boxes. I now have my log book (in card form) great service

duztee

And it was going so well!
Then I hit the local council office bureaucratic wall!!!
Nagykoros can register as a third world country without any problem at all.

Went to the local council office with all my paperwork in hand.
Took a ticket, the screen pinged so I entered, not my number sent out despite me explaining there was NO ONE else out there!
Screen ping as soon as I left with my number so back in.
'Did I have my passport' 'No' (Ok so an oversight by me perhaps) so I asked what was the point of going all the way to Budapest and getting my passport and birth certificate checked and verified so they could issue my residence and address card, if they didn't accept them?
'No photo'
'But driving licence has a photo, and it is right in front of you and matches all the details on other cards and me!'
'Oh Ok'
She then went to a cupboard and took out a registration plate and put it on the desk, so I was thinking we are ok now.
Then the bit no one mentioned on this forum!
'You have to bring the English Plates in to exchange'
Of course I just cleaned the whole car out to go to test, so do you think I had anything to remove the old screws with, after a lot of words which are clearly understood in any language I managed to get the old plates off and took them back into the office.
'You must write a declaration that you are the vehicle owner (in Hungarian)'
Got that done, took it back.
'You need two witnesses on it'
managed to find two sensible intelligent people to sign for me.
Took it back.
'Sorry but the vehicle VIN doesn't exist, we need to send all the papers to head office'

By this time I had had enough so I told her very clearly that I had just come straight from the Test Station where they had photographed and checked the VIN and confirmed it as correct when they did the import document that was right in front of her face!
Everything she needed was right there on her desk, all checked, certified and stamped. But No, no good you cannot argue with bureaucracy like 'The local council system is different from the one at the Test Centre! and the only way is to send all the papers to head office.'
'How long' I asked.
'Might be tomorrow.....or 3 or 4 days'
'and what about the number plate?'
'Oh you can put the old one back on'

So I would now happily have paid double Richard's costs to have let someone else deal with this mind bogglingly stupid officialdom.

Watch this space....tomorrow.....or next week...or next month!

Pollypaprika

Oh dear, sorry to hear this. You have hit what my husband and I call a Hungarian curve ball...nothing is ever simple. Hopefully it will all be sorted soon

duztee

A curve ball Pol?
there was nothing curved about it! it went, hit the bureaucratic wall and came absolutely dead straight back at twice the speed it had left at!

Pollypaprika

Know that one all to well Duztee

richardmc

Sorry forgot to mention besides my old headlamps in the boot they gave me my old plates as well which are now on the wall in my garage.

Rural Hungary

There is a list somewhere of the documents and requirements plus current costs for the registration process - guessing you didn't find it before going

The list is so long, I got half way through and gave up reading.

This is one instance were it's worth paying.

PaulinEger

% years ago we wanted to buy a spare vehicle (old MZ motorbike, just incase). A Hungarian friend phone the okmanyiroda to make sure we could complete the process and the answer, of course, was yes. We bought the bike and proceeded to try and register it only to be told that we couldn't. After much frustration the "jobsworth" said that we could but needed to get some checks done. We got them done and returned (to the same jobsworth) 2 days later who immediately said that we couldn't register the bike in (my wife's name). After much frustration and many arguments we walked away with the registration document
BE PERSISTANT. Many of the people that have to deal with are totally incompetent!!

duztee

All the documentation was there and correct, the only problem is that nagykoros council's steam driven computer is not up to date, and the stoker they employ to feed it couldn't simple use the paperwork the Test Centre had supplied to update it herself. That is not her job.

Thanks Richard, chuck some petrol on me when you've finished rubbing the salt in