6 month rule for U.K. cars
Apr 11th 2019, 10:06 am
#1
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 98
6 month rule for U.K. cars
We are UK residents and likely to have our UK reg car for 200 days this year at our house in the Algarve. We know we face some risk re the 6 month max rule and wondering if anyone has had ACTUAL experience of being stopped by police at the borders or on the roadside and they start asking the obvious ie when did the car enter Portugal etc etc. Did police take it seriously? If you were over did they levy a hefty fine, impound your car however short the over-stay; are there ways round it one could use to mitigate eg 3 weeks in Spain over the summer? Thanks.
Apr 12th 2019, 9:03 am
#2
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
We are UK residents and likely to have our UK reg car for 200 days this year at our house in the Algarve. We know we face some risk re the 6 month max rule and wondering if anyone has had ACTUAL experience of being stopped by police at the borders or on the roadside and they start asking the obvious ie when did the car enter Portugal etc etc. Did police take it seriously? If you were over did they levy a hefty fine, impound your car however short the over-stay; are there ways round it one could use to mitigate eg 3 weeks in Spain over the summer? Thanks.
The international schools and the airport are also spots that are targeted.
knowing some who have been caught the first action is a warning, remove it from Portugal now !
It is the length of stay in any 12 month period, a short holiday in Spain would not qualify.
Apr 12th 2019, 9:24 am
#3
Happiest in the sun
Joined: Nov 2017
Location: Porches, Algarve
Posts: 347
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
Hey woodstore,
The two incidents of people I know being stopped were both stopped for speeding. In both cases the GNR never questioned how long they'd been in the country, both had the composure to give their UK addresses. Both resulted in 100€ on the spot fines which, if everything I hear from my Portuguese friends are true, went straight in the GNR officer's pocket.
The two incidents of people I know being stopped were both stopped for speeding. In both cases the GNR never questioned how long they'd been in the country, both had the composure to give their UK addresses. Both resulted in 100€ on the spot fines which, if everything I hear from my Portuguese friends are true, went straight in the GNR officer's pocket.
Apr 12th 2019, 9:44 am
#4
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Joined: Nov 2017
Location: Porches, Algarve
Posts: 347
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
Along similar lines, EMR mentioned the airport...
There's an app on Google Play (I assume there's an IOS version too) called Vehicle Smart. It's allows you to enter a UK reg number and tells you all about that car, whether it's taxed, mot'ed, insured etc. It's shocking how many UK plated cars are here without any kind of tax, MOT etc, or worse on a SORN. If I had 100€ in my pocket every time... My trousers would fall down.
This one was the worst... Outside Iceland at Guia a few weeks back. Not only does it have no tax, no MOT, and no insurance... It's not the right make, model or colour either! Does it look like a black Jeep?
There's an app on Google Play (I assume there's an IOS version too) called Vehicle Smart. It's allows you to enter a UK reg number and tells you all about that car, whether it's taxed, mot'ed, insured etc. It's shocking how many UK plated cars are here without any kind of tax, MOT etc, or worse on a SORN. If I had 100€ in my pocket every time... My trousers would fall down.
This one was the worst... Outside Iceland at Guia a few weeks back. Not only does it have no tax, no MOT, and no insurance... It's not the right make, model or colour either! Does it look like a black Jeep?
Apr 12th 2019, 10:38 am
#5
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
It's the type of Brit we avoid, they normally frequent Brit owned bars, shop at Overseas, only watch UK tv.
Pay no tax, UK or Portugal., spend their time complaining about Portugal and the Portuguese..
I would not be at all surprised if they were also pro brexit.
Pay no tax, UK or Portugal., spend their time complaining about Portugal and the Portuguese..
I would not be at all surprised if they were also pro brexit.
Last edited by EMR; Apr 12th 2019 at 11:33 am.
Apr 12th 2019, 2:00 pm
#6
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Location: central Portugal
Posts: 4,111
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
A foreign registered car may remain in Portugal for a maximum of 6 months before either beginning the matriculation process or being removed back toit's country of registration for a further 6 months & it must be taxed, tested & insured in it's country of registration all the time it's here & if caught in breach of that, the GNR can and often do permanently confiscate the vehicle.
If you check the back copies of Portugal News, you'll find a story in there where the GNR ran a sting operation in or near Faro where they permanently confiscated (IIRC) 15 foreign registered vehicles in one day for breaching those rules.
And incidentally, whilst I'm no expert on insurance (or anything else for that matter) I'd guess that an overstaying vehicle wouldn't be insured for that overstay period even if a policy was in place.
If you check the back copies of Portugal News, you'll find a story in there where the GNR ran a sting operation in or near Faro where they permanently confiscated (IIRC) 15 foreign registered vehicles in one day for breaching those rules.
And incidentally, whilst I'm no expert on insurance (or anything else for that matter) I'd guess that an overstaying vehicle wouldn't be insured for that overstay period even if a policy was in place.
Apr 12th 2019, 3:04 pm
#7
Banned
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 26,724
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
A foreign registered car may remain in Portugal for a maximum of 6 months before either beginning the matriculation process or being removed back toit's country of registration for a further 6 months & it must be taxed, tested & insured in it's country of registration all the time it's here & if caught in breach of that, the GNR can and often do permanently confiscate the vehicle.
If you check the back copies of Portugal News, you'll find a story in there where the GNR ran a sting operation in or near Faro where they permanently confiscated (IIRC) 15 foreign registered vehicles in one day for breaching those rules.
And incidentally, whilst I'm no expert on insurance (or anything else for that matter) I'd guess that an overstaying vehicle wouldn't be insured for that overstay period even if a policy was in place.
If you check the back copies of Portugal News, you'll find a story in there where the GNR ran a sting operation in or near Faro where they permanently confiscated (IIRC) 15 foreign registered vehicles in one day for breaching those rules.
And incidentally, whilst I'm no expert on insurance (or anything else for that matter) I'd guess that an overstaying vehicle wouldn't be insured for that overstay period even if a policy was in place.
Apr 12th 2019, 3:45 pm
#8
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
This, plus most UK policies restrict EU cover to 90 days per year. I used a broker to find a policy (with Aviva) that increased the limit to 180 days, but more than that would be tricky.
Apr 12th 2019, 5:14 pm
#11
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Apr 14th 2019, 7:41 am
#15
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Location: East Algarve
Posts: 998
Re: 6 month rule for U.K. cars
We are UK residents and likely to have our UK reg car for 200 days this year at our house in the Algarve. We know we face some risk re the 6 month max rule and wondering if anyone has had ACTUAL experience of being stopped by police at the borders or on the roadside and they start asking the obvious ie when did the car enter Portugal etc etc. Did police take it seriously? If you were over did they levy a hefty fine, impound your car however short the over-stay; are there ways round it one could use to mitigate eg 3 weeks in Spain over the summer? Thanks.
