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Driving a UK registered car

Driving a UK registered car

Old Jan 12th 2019, 8:11 am
  #31  
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Cool Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by tooc
I detect quite a lot of complacency throughout this thread. However, we are talking about the law, and we should be aware that the various types of police have different interests and policies in enforcing it.

The friendly local carabinieri might not be looking out for this type of offence but they would probably uncover it if they 'lollipopped' you for a routine check. Their computers have everything on them these days!

However, the traffic police, for example, are probably now on the alert. And so too, maybe, some of the many other types of police here in Italy.

Once you have got through the 'matriculation' paperwork and paid your dues, you then have to wait a couple of weeks for the new 'targa' and then you have to get the plates made up and fitted.

In the meantime, you might be able to get a permit to 'circulate'. But at that point, I think, your UK bureaucratic arrangements would no longer be valid. You would have to get insurance in Italy, the Italian 'MOT' (collaudo), and the Italian road tax (bollo). Can anyone confirm this?
Once you have started the process, your UK documents are still OK to circulate. You already have automatically third party risk insurance on your green card, which is all that is required in Italy. Paying the bollo, having the Italian collaudo, and getting your targhe are all done on the same day at the Motorizzazione if you have got all your paper work together. It's getting the paperwork, and the vehicle properly prepared for this final process that is the difficulty. Being RHD you need to change the rear light clusters, headlight dipping arrangements, and get a CoC (Certificate of Conformity) if the vehicle doesn't already have one.You also need a sworn translation of logbook, and MOT cert., a certificato di residenza, a translation of the CoC if it is in English; and have the luck that the inspector who does the final collaudo doesn't send you packing because he was very picky.
Took me about 4 months and going on 1800 eurines. And I was lucky because it was a LHD vehicle anyway, but of course lighted up to UK requirements.
ciao for now,
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Old Jan 12th 2019, 8:23 am
  #32  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

ononno, my congratulations on the job well done!

Would you mind to share a bit more details about what does this sum consist of? Or at least how strongly it depends on engine volume or hp or co2?
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Old Jan 13th 2019, 8:15 am
  #33  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by AndyPT
ononno, my congratulations on the job well done!

Would you mind to share a bit more details about what does this sum consist of? Or at least how strongly it depends on engine volume or hp or co2?
In my case, 2011 costs, the most expensive bit was changing rear lighting clusters, and getting engine turbo right for the emissions test. I don't have the exact figures to hand, but will dig them out when I can find them. The rest was mainly chasing up the CoC, getting the documents together and translations, and then the various payments at the motorizzazione for Italian log book, Italian plates, and other bolli that they like to invent to get a bit more cash out of you. I also spent quite a bit on fuel as I live about 70 kms from Naples, and had to make quite a few trips back and forth. The final hurdle took a full day. A surprising number of RHD vehicles queued up for testing. They must have given us all the same day for the job. Before me were an old classic Morris Minor, and a double decker London bus, and a white van man van. After the final test and issue of the clearance certificate it takes an hour or two to queue at the various sportelli to pay different bolli and then pick up your targhe. And away you go. I still have the old UK plates in my garden shed.
ciao for now,
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Old Jan 13th 2019, 8:27 am
  #34  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

'o nonno, thank you very much, it is the most detailed description I have seen so far
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Old Jan 14th 2019, 8:12 am
  #35  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

If I had lived further North it would probably have been easier.
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Old Jan 14th 2019, 9:06 pm
  #36  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Thanks for all the useful advice and comments about this troubling issue. Having gained residency in December I was confidently thinking I had a year to sort out what to do with the two vehicles I have here. I was already thinking it would be better to sell one (our car) in the UK and perhaps register our campervan here...but now I think, having read onono's comments that we'll have to take them both back to the UK in the next few weeks...and our furniture arrives Wednesday and I start a new work contract the week after...sigh!!
Reading what was said about complacency, I wanted to make a point about insurance (as an ex insurance underwriter). If you have not completely openly declared that you are living here then you have misrepresented your position and technically your insurance is invalid, because one of the key rating factors in calculating quotes is where you live. You will probably get away with it if you are stopped by the Italian police, because your documents will look valid. But if you try to make a claim, and your insurer finds out...which they will if you are in the process of registering a car here...then they will reject your claim on the basis of your non disclosure...especially if they would not have quoted if they knew the full facts. They would probably have to pay a third party claim, especially if it is a large amount, but they would have the right to sue you for their money. This applies even if you do have an annual green card from the likes of SAGA.
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Old Jan 18th 2019, 3:53 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

The police are out hunting foreign number plates around Trasimeno. They are probably getting a bonus for everyone they find.
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Old Jan 19th 2019, 8:06 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

We have insurance, underwritten by AXA, which provides for unlimited time cover outside of the UK (unlike Saga where it is limited to 90 days]. We have to have a UK address for this insurance, but that is also true for the registration and car tax as with everybody else, I guess. So its interesting that you imply that the insurance might be invalidated because that is not a residency address. My experience is that insurance premiums are to provide a legal right to drive but in the event of requiring to claim on the cover any slight deviation will be used to avoid settling a claim. It keeps the premiums down but doesn’t really do the policy holder any favours.

My car is UK based, there is nothing that connects it to my Italian address. So, the problem is my residency not the status of the car.

True story: a friend of mine was injured when a car swerved across the road and hit him head on. The other driver was said to have had a heart attack just before he lost control of the car so, as he was dead at the point of impact, would not have been covered by his insurance, dead people not being able to get cover. The claim was paid,eventually, but only after being taken to court.
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Old Jan 19th 2019, 8:10 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by philat98
The police are out hunting foreign number plates around Trasimeno. They are probably getting a bonus for everyone they find.
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Sounds like they are targetting Eastern Europeans. We’ve just bought an Italian car, waiting for insurance quotes and transfer of ownership before we can pick it up. What’s the chances that we will get lollipopped on the way to pick the car up...
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Old Jan 21st 2019, 8:56 am
  #40  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by arjacey
We have insurance, underwritten by AXA, which provides for unlimited time cover outside of the UK (unlike Saga where it is limited to 90 days]. We have to have a UK address for this insurance, but that is also true for the registration and car tax as with everybody else, I guess. So its interesting that you imply that the insurance might be invalidated because that is not a residency address. My experience is that insurance premiums are to provide a legal right to drive but in the event of requiring to claim on the cover any slight deviation will be used to avoid settling a claim. It keeps the premiums down but doesn’t really do the policy holder any favours.

My car is UK based, there is nothing that connects it to my Italian address. So, the problem is my residency not the status of the car.

True story: a friend of mine was injured when a car swerved across the road and hit him head on. The other driver was said to have had a heart attack just before he lost control of the car so, as he was dead at the point of impact, would not have been covered by his insurance, dead people not being able to get cover. The claim was paid,eventually, but only after being taken to court.
Having been insured with Saga for the last 5 years,unless there has been a drastic policy change,our cover is unlimited,not 90 days.
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Old Jan 21st 2019, 4:01 pm
  #41  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Apologies, yes, it was unlimited when we had it for the 8 years we spent the summers in Greece but you had to be a UK resident, I think.

Anyway, our AXA insurance was cheaper!

Last edited by arjacey; Jan 21st 2019 at 4:04 pm.
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Old Jan 21st 2019, 7:32 pm
  #42  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by arjacey
Apologies, yes, it was unlimited when we had it for the 8 years we spent the summers in Greece but you had to be a UK resident, I think.

Anyway, our AXA insurance was cheaper!
No probs,you had me worried for a minute.cheers,Brian.
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Old Jan 22nd 2019, 2:20 pm
  #43  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

This from the Independent today:
The Foreign Office is advising British people living in EU countries to give up their UK driving licences in order to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

British embassies in a number of member states have said that “holders of UK driving licences who are resident in an EU country should exchange their UK licences for a driving licence from the EU country you are living in before 29 March 2019”.

The advice is being issued because in the event of a no-deal Brexit it will become impossible to exchange your UK driving licence for a local one without re-taking your driving test – a potentially expensive and difficult experience.
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Old Jan 22nd 2019, 8:52 pm
  #44  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by BRIAN 1
Having been insured with Saga for the last 5 years,unless there has been a drastic policy change,our cover is unlimited,not 90 days.
Yes, I am also insured with Saga and they include unlimited cover for trips in Europe...many uk insurers do at the moment. But on the basis that you gave accurate information when you completed the proposal form. First question on the proposal form after your name would have been something like, 'Where is the vehicle usually/normally parked overnight?' If you gave your uk address but in fact you usually keep the car here in Italy...well you can see the potential issue. There are people who have holiday homes here who may be able to win an argument with their insurers about this if they spend most of the time in the UK...it should be quite clear cut. But if you are resident in Italy...
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Old Jan 23rd 2019, 7:56 pm
  #45  
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Default Re: Driving a UK registered car

Originally Posted by modicasa
This from the Independent today:
The Foreign Office is advising British people living in EU countries to give up their UK driving licences in order to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

British embassies in a number of member states have said that “holders of UK driving licences who are resident in an EU country should exchange their UK licences for a driving licence from the EU country you are living in before 29 March 2019”.

The advice is being issued because in the event of a no-deal Brexit it will become impossible to exchange your UK driving licence for a local one without re-taking your driving test – a potentially expensive and difficult experience.
I’ve been living here since Jan 1st but probably can’t apply for residency until mid Feb due to waiting for a payslip, would I be able to apply at the moment?
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