P18PPS

Have just bought a car in the UK for when me or wifey are over there.

Any idea who I can get insurance through? The three companies contacted so far said I needed to be a permanent UK resident - which luckily I am not!!

gottheTshirt

No idea - I have had this problem for many years. Last time I tried to solve it we went to Swinton insurance and explained the situation. They arranged insurance with AXA but when I read the small print it does not provide cover if you are overseas for more than 180 days. I did have insurance with Churchill, but as soon as we inadvertently mentioned that we were overseas they immediately cancelled the policy. We now ignore the problemand take the cheapest. The only time I have had to make a claim no one asked if we were UK resident.

busybee2

yes you can but as you are not a resident you will need to find a company that does specially that expat insurance... you will pay a lot more.

busybee2

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=793409

maybe this will help

busybee2

http://www.keithmichaels.co.uk/speci...car-insurance/

b1ondini

give Adrian Flux in Kings Lynn, Norfolk a try - they do specialist policies for all sorts

gottheTshirt

deleted

hong_konger

As is usual with most UK bureaucracy it doesn't make any logical sense. If you are out of the country for a most of the year then you will be driving on the road in the UK for a much shorter period of time and your risk of having an accident is therefore presumably much lower !!! You would have thought that they would be offering huge discounts for expats who want to take out a full year of car insurance whilst working overseas and making it a condition that you do not drive in the UK for longer than xx days !!!

gottheTshirt

That is the argument that got my insurance cancelled by Churchill. I mentioned that my car was sat in the garage for 10 months a year and they immediately cancelled my policy. Insurance companies consider more than 6 months overseas in any year to be non-resident.

hong_konger

Do the Insurance companies think that it is a bigger risk to them if you leave your car in the garage for 10 months. Are they exposed to a higher risk because you have a non resident status, i.e. are they exposed to different liabilities. Or is it just "tick box" mentality. I just cannot understand the commercial sense in cancelling your policy. Surely your premium is money for old rope for them ?

P18PPS

Thanks for the name

P18PPS

Thanks, I have contacted them and waiting to see what they come back with.

P18PPS

This gave me quite a few leads so thanks.

It is a bit clearer now that being non resident means my license is invalid.

I can see a parent being utilised as a the registered keeper and policy holder and me being named driver coming on!!

mikelincs

Possibly it's because, depending on your country, you might well spend most of the year driving on the right, and then have to swap sides for your visit, maybe they feel you are somewhat more likely to have an accident. Also, with your car being left for severaal months, they have no real idea how secure it is, and they may think it's more likely to be stolen or vandalised. It's all to do with risk assessment.

gottheTshirt

No: 99% of insurance policies say you have to be resident in UK. It is a tick box. If you are not resident in UK then you cannot get insurance. I cannot find the 1% that might accept.