British Expats - Car insurance

Quote:

Originally Posted by jools182 (Post 12288039)

I am travelling to Malta this month from the UK to start a new job

It will be on a 6 month basis, after each 6 months I will have a review to see if my contract will be renewed for the following 6 months

I am driving down in my car. I have only recently bought it as my previous car wasn't really fit for the journey.

I plan on getting the MOT renewed next week

What do I do about insurance when I am in Malta? Also do I keep paying UK road tax whilst it is on UK plates?

If the new employer likes me and I like the job and living in Malta then I will probably import the car, but until I have been there for a while I have no idea if I will be staying for a longer period of time

if you are bringing your car temporarily to malta then you would have to insure it in the UK for the full six months in malta, not sure if this is possible. I think it may only be three months or trips of not longer than a certain amount of days.

you can only get insured in malta if you can show ( document) you have informed the gov dept within 30 days of arrival and you intend to register it in malta and change the plates,
you can get your no claims bonus transferred over from the uk also.

As a tourist, you can drive the uk plated car here for up to six months and it will need to be uk taxed and MOt's ( here its called VRT). however you will be working and in theory you will need to apply for a residence card at 90 days and show yourself as employed/ self sufficient/ etc as per exercising EU treaty rights. So you will no longer be a tourist.

https://www.gov.mt/en/Life%20Events/...Transport.aspx

The police stop uk/foreign registered cars a lot as many people bring them in and are uninsured. Keep insurance papers on you at all times.

the second option, if you had owned the car for 24 months, you could bring it in with no tax charge in the taking up residency option. but then you have to inform the dept within 30 days of arrival.

So if you keep your car here after six months you will have to pay duty based on its value- calculate on link here- And register it and replate it. you may also have to go over to sicily so you can show the car entering again and then go to start the registration process within 30 days.

Malta - Used Motor Vehicle Valuation

there are options to bring the car over on a lo cost transporter, which many I know have done - from about 900 euros- ( can send u details of who does it )you take it to the depot in uk. takes a week. this is cheaper I am told, than driving, petrol, tolls, accommodation en route and safer as in Italy they tend to remove the tyres and anything else available.
you can also stuff the car with boxes and it will arrive safely.

Car hire is quite low cost here. Based on whether you can insure your car for a full six months, and given you will not be a tourist you may wish to consider trying the first six months work and see how things are going and bring your car over later.