Navaronuk1967

I've been investigating the car insurance situation while myself and my wife are out of the UK. We will make occasional trips back to the UK to see family and friends etc, and want to keep out car tax and insured and on our driveway. Now we have been told by someone working in the insurance industry that when we become UK non-resident our UK insurance will be invalid

Does anyone have any experience of this kind of situation as it may be easier to sell the car and get rentals when we return

mikewot

Quick search brings up this emotive thread
http://britishexpats.com/forum/middl...car-uk-835532/

mikelincs

I think a lot may well be due to the risk of the car being left as there will be no-one to check on it, as far as the insurance companies know, and it may be damaged or even stolen from the garage at sometime during your absence and you would only be able to report it when you found out, also if it had been stolen, it might well have been driven miles and had accidents. The insurers do not know of your individual circumstances, so set a generic set of rules whichh is based, presumably, on risk assessment.

Navaronuk1967

Thanks for the info guys, yes I spotted quite a lot of highly charged threads here and elsewhere, seem to be a big issue with expats. I can understand the risk element and the possible need to hike premiums, but from what ive read most UK insurers just don't want to know.... that's the annoying thing

mikelincs

You may well find it would be the same in any country, not a resident, then either steep premiums, or no cover.

Navaronuk1967

yes it looks likely that's going to be the case/.

Meow

Check the terms and conditions of your policy. You will probably find a clause in the fine print stating you have to be UK resident for the policy to be valid.

You can get cover as a non-resident but it's more expensive.

mrkjd

I have a rotational job in the oil industry 4/4. I'm frequently back in the UK but "non-resident for tax purposes". As I understand it, that is a HMRC designation - it does not mean that I am non-resident per se. I have property in the UK etc and that is all considered in assessing my domiciled status, and I am a British citizen. I'm not sure what the insurance company's definition of "non-resident" is so I always just tick that I am. 'Cos I have a home there!

I have claimed vandalism on policies in the past and had no issue. I would agree I was walking a fine line but not sure it is "wrong". Why does it matter to the Insurance Company whether I am resident or not? Why do they ask this? It seems to me to be an infringement on my human right to live a private life and are not required in a democratic society.

busybee2

its more to do with the security of the vehicle i would say.... if its left on its own for a long time etc etc. working on a rotational job as you do is very different than an expat from mena who only goes back once a year!

the other way around it is to go on someone elses policy obviously declaring to the insurance company etc

busybee2

what would i be classed as i dont work here, but dont live in the uk, have a residence visa for here, have a uk property etc, but would i be classed non resident for uk purposes ??? who knows.... i would imagine so, because I am not living there

OleJanx

All this business of car insurance is interesting. Whilst I was in the Gulf, I owned a property in the UK, and also owned a car. Whilst I was working abroad, my car was run by some friends who were named on my insurance policy, and were named as the keepers. When I came on leave, I used the car, and the insurers were aware that I wasn't normally resident but the owner of the car. As I recall I paid a 20% premium on top for my troubles, but they were aware of what usage the car, an elderly Sierra, had and that they had no problems with such coverage.

gottheTshirt

Insurance companies generally consider absence from UK for more that 183 days per year to be non resident

mikelincs

Where do you live most of the year, if you are in a country more than 183 days a year, then you are, to all intents and purposes, a resident there, and you should have registered as such.

busybee2

exactly.. i know i know... was just trying to make a point..... as we have residence visas here and are out of the uk for a long time, so wont be classed as resident there.

mrkjd

That's useful to know - thanks.

What if I don't stay in any one country for 183 days a year - I don't - I work ME, have home UK, place in France and a couple of 2 weekers somewhere a year. Does that mean I'm not a resident anywhere on Planet Earth!