FenTiger

I called my car insurance provider asking if I would be covered when driving from UK to Hungary in a few months time once our house sale contract has been completed. They stated that as I would no longer have a UK address my car insurance would not be valid. Does anyone know of a solution? My car insurance provider did mention there may be other providers who specialise in this area.
The worst case scenario is I would have to drive the car over before we complete contracts on the sale of our house! We'd definitely need a car to get around and take stuff down to the rubbish tip before we move out of our house. Or I could leave the car just around the corner, fly out to Hungary, sort out car insurance with Hungarian insurance provider and Hungarian address, fly back, spend a night in UK, then drive to Hungary!

I've also been trying to call my breakdown recovery but have not been able to get through. I assume it will be the same as above!

Sachina

Would you be able to insure a UK registered car in Hungary, if you're not resident in Hungary?

When I first moved here I couldn't buy a car because although I owned a house I didn't have a residence permit. My son bought a car in the UK, registered, and insured in his name and brought it over to Hungary. I drove it perfectly legally for a year at the end of which he took it back to the UK and sold it!.

FenTiger

I think the only way round this is to take out temporary car insurance via companies like this: https://www.tempcover.com/temporary-...ce/expatriates . Expensive but don't have much choice!

Sachina

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I can see this insurance only covers you for driving in the UK. It doesn't seem to cover you when you're driving through Europe on your way to Hungary????

wolfi

The situation that Sachina describes might be dangerous today!
After I met my "Hungarian girlfriend" (we were both already over 60 ...) I lent my second car (with German licence plates) to her son who took it all around Europe for holidays - from Germany to Croatia.
But some years later the police told him they'd have to confiscate the car because a proxy like the one I had written would only be valid for a short time. Only when they saw the baby they relented. So I sold the car to him and he got a Hungarian licence plate.
Afaik if you are a resident here after 3 months you have to get Hungarian licence plates.
My situation is different - Hungary is "only" my second residence and I drive regularly to Germany.
So try to get up to date information on this!

FenTiger

I have also emailed the company to find out if I could insure my car via them to drive to and around Hungary for a short period. Think I may have to buy and insure a car via the sister-in-law which as an EU citizen I should be allowed to do so until the Brexit transition period ends. Obviously, I will change my UK driving licence to Hungarian after 90 days.

hobgoblins

Tempcover does have a European insurance cover scheme ... I used it a few years ago when I borrowed a friends van to drive a load of my things to Hungary....

Sachina

It was 12 years ago and I was one of the named drivers on the insurance policy. During the time I drove the car I was stopped several times by the Hungarian police who never mentioned anything was untoward.

Fen Tiger. Just found this ......

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizen...y/index_en.htm

Car insurance validity in the EU

enter

If my memory serves me then I think my UK insurers Liverpool Victoria insured EU travel for 3 months but only on third party liability. I provided a temporary UK address.

FenTiger

That's good to know. I hope I manage to find a company willing to insure my UK registered car in Hungary for a few months so we can get around.

FenTiger

My car is insured via Liverpool Victoria and it was them I called this morning. I'll keep researching. I'm sure I will find something but it will be expensive!

hobgoblins

I had a look at the old Tempcover policy I had and it was £120 for two weeks.
I did read somewhere about a UK insurance company that does do long term insurance for UK registered cars in Europe. It may be the one mentioned in the link below ... some useful info in there ...
https://www.portugalist.com/european-car-insurance/

Peter_in_Hungary

FenTiger, If you need a UK address do you have a relative with whom you can declare your change of address to the insurance company. Probably the easiest, quickest and cheapest solution. Whilst the EU is good at a lot of things and people have freedom of movement unfortunately cars do not and this causes no end of problems and expense for those exercising their freedom of movement rights.

BTW congrats on getting an offer on your UK house, I trust it will all go well. Getting the UK end sold puts you in a good position to purchase here but will probably focus the mind on the goods and chattels with regard to storage, garage sales, moving firms and what really is worth keeping!

FenTiger

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Relatives - unfortunately not. Both parents are deceased and not been in touch with sister for years. Other relatives are not particularly close. No idea why!

Chattels, goods, furniture, etc.. we've been sorting through the stuff in garage and loft and I'd say we are 95% there. We put alot of stuff on Freecycle or took it down to the rubbish tip. One more very big job tomorrow to the rubbish tip. It'll be first time for my wife to visit that place. As my wife has now retired we can concentrate on boxing things up and organising removals.

Dog - wife has decided better for him to fly on same plane as her in the hold. I did tell wife I would drive him over but wife prefers to fly. She did make the road trip with her ex-husband before we met. Think she hated sitting on her butt for too long. But to be honest whenever we drive more than fifteen minutes she falls asleep. One reason for her to fly is to be at our rented accomodation or wherever to ensure everything in unloaded and accounted for.

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FenTiger

I've just read the link above. Looks like LV= gave me wrong answer when I called them. I will check their website again tomorrow.