Kat BPM

Whao thanks Kelissa, thats good to know, because I just bought a little left hand drive (english plates) because i thought, at least i can drive around for 6months in Portugal legally and if I can't matricate it then I will just bring it back to uk and sell it here as it is 14 years old already its value shouldn't decrease too much, and if I decide to settle in Portugal i hope I will be lucky like you and find it fairly plain sailing! Thanks for the optimism! but am also very glad to know how difficult it can be so Im prepared either way! Best wishes Kat

kelissa

Hi Kat..

Only thing to be aware of is insurance.
English policy usually only allows you to drive maximum 90 days in Europe.
Portugese policy is on the car, not the driver.So on portugese policy you can only drive your car in UK not any other car.

Have fun.
Kelissa

Kat BPM

Yes i did a fair bit of internet surfing to find a company that covers for more than 90 days with not much joy! Thankfully i went back to my insurance brokers which i used to use years ago "Stewart and Partners" in Welling who finally found one although only fully comp for 2months then is just 3rd party but will be insured, I can't remember which insurance company was with as i forgot to ask but i got so much help and patience from Sean (http://www.stewartandpartners.co.uk) who went over and above the call of duty to help sort me out! And got me a better deal than any of the online companies!

Thanks again Kelissa all the best Kat

Fredbargate

Try http://www.ibexinsure.com/

EMR

Note IBEX is a Gibralter based company which sells a policy designed for SPAIN through agents in PORTUGAl.
They hava e clause in their policy that states that if you DO NOT Comply with the rules of the country ( ie Portugal ) your insurance could be invalid.
Something that those who drive UK reg cars without UK road tax or UK MOT seems to overlook or be unaware of.

Fredbargate

I think you will find that the Ibex policies are designed for the Iberian Peninsular, that is Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal. ( Note Gibraltar spelling )
You are correct that cars must be road legal, but in their country of their registration.
Also in recent times there have been cases of forged Ibex documents and now the company is using specially produced paper to combat this.



Ibex Insurance Services Limited, Sucursal em Portugal:
Ibex Sucursal Portugal is the branch operation of Ibex Insurance in Portugal and is licensed to operate in Portugal as a 'Corretor de Seguros' (Insurance Broker). With 2 offices located in Portugal, Ibex Portugal offers the full range of Ibex policies together with a range of other insurance products from ISP regulated and authorised insurers. Ibex Sucursal is fully authorised by the ISP.

http://www.ibexinsure.com/ibex-offices

EMR

JUst a tiny legal point but there is no such legal entity as Iberia. as such it would concern me that the policies sold in Portugal do not refer to Portugal , its rules for vehicle tax etc etc.
I am told from those who have used Ibex that Ibex will accept a PT mot for a UK reg vehicle when as such it is a wortless piece of paper as the only valid MOT is one done and issued in the UK.
In todays litigeous world such thngs can make the difference to claims being paid out or not.

kelissa

I think the insurance companies will continue to sell these policies
knowing full well that most of them are invalid for some reason or another.

They are merely in the business of selling a product.Two different companies quoted me for insurance on a vehicle that I told them was on a sorn.

Matriculation was so simple , I couldn't beleive it after all the horrendous tales I had heard.

EMR

Like many products in the financial sector insurance is often sold via agents who are rewarded on their performance.
Therefore it is no surprise that clients are sometimes not asked to show proof that their vehicle is legal has a valid MOT or is taxed in its country of registration.
Certainly this should be done when insurance is renewed.
Does Ibex carry out such checks ?? .

Fredbargate

The Iberian Peninsula commonly called Iberia, from wikipedia.

The days of Ibex accepting a PT mot for any vehicle other than a PT plated one are long over.
This was a practice allowed by many insurance companies over an extended period but I believe is now no longer.
That is why I said earlier "You are correct that cars must be road legal, but in their country of their registration."

EMR

Does IBEX check that UK reg cars have valid UK road tax and a valid UK mot before issuing an insurance policy.
The IBEX policy I was shown did say that a local MOT was acceptable albeit a Spanish one and this was interpreted and sold as meaning a PT one was also valid.
We will agree that IBERIA is a geographical area not a legal entity.

kelissa

Neither my road tax, nor my MOT were questioned when I
approached IBEX for insurance.

Fredbargate

In 50 years of motoring no insurance company has ever checked my MOT or Road Tax, even on the very rare occasions I have made claims.

loonytoon

why should they? it's up to you to be legal and if you claim, a quick check via a computer will tell them if you are road legal. if not, your claim goes up the swanny and for that i would not blame the insurance company/broker.

jeff

liveaboard

I only found out my insurance was invalid when I had an accident; at the time, I'd been in Portugal for several months but hadn't moved here in any sense.
Read the fine print they said; my policy specified cover for only 3 weeks abroad!

Amazingly, they agreed to cover me anyway; I'd had a car, motorbike, and a house insured with them for decades without a claim.

When I returned to Portugal to live a year later, I bought a Portuguese car and got Portuguese insurance for it.

It still needs some attention; remembering to get my road tax paid on time and get the MOT done. and yes, I got less car for the money.
But it's so much simpler.