bigglesafloat

Spotted in UK Sunday papers that Sun Insurance are targetting expats in Spain and Portugal to give competitive cover. Number from Spain is 900 102 316 and from Portugal 800 860 650. Hope this helps.

EsuriJohn

Just cars or will they cover property for building and contets?

bigglesafloat

Its Sun Insurance so they may welcome all insurance - give them a call. Good Luck

steppitoe

Thanks for the info.

I looked and it wasn´t cheap but it is good to know of an alternative.

RocksAndBikes

Can anyone help me out with other companies that do this? I.e. Insure a UK vehicle here... Thanks...

steppitoe

Lloyd and White definitely do it but we aware that if your car is here for more than 6 months it can be impounded, insurance or not!

Fredbargate

http://www.ibexinsure.com/

Supremegermalene

Steppitoe, do you know (having been there) when they impound your car can you just pay the tax and it's all fine or do they want fines on top of the tax?

Just out of interest of course

bigglesafloat

They are not usually that hard on you unless you are flagrant breaker of the law. Remember when stopped - you are a tourist, No you have not been here more that six months, No you do not work here and do not speak too much Portuguese apart from Bom Dia ! Your car should always be taxed and insured in UK and have a current MOT. 9/10 you will get away with it and depart with a cheery smile and a wave. There is no database I have ever heard of and usually the worst that happens is a Fine (which they love if course) and a given time to depart the country with the car. Actual seizure is rare unless they are having one of their periodic blitzes. Of course if your vehicvle is full of tools, ladders, empty beer bottles etc nd looks like its been in Algarve since ever then expect trouble. Its no different than UK in many ways except the police here are generally nicer to tourists,

steppitoe

Yes our car was taken away and we have heard of others who have had the same experience. There is numberplate recognition equipment at the airport, although I can not confirm that it is being used for this purpose.

We had to go to the customs in Faro and managed to convince them to let us have the car back as long as we got it out of the country straight away. There were fines but a third party paid those as he was driving the car at the time.

Can´t imagine convincing my local GNR that I do not live here as we live in a small community.

No complaints about the regs - we knew we were breaking the law so accept the penalties.

Now have all PT motors.

bigglesafloat

Yes I guess thats the down side of living in a small community where you are known rather than being in either remote country or town masses. There may be NPR at airport and thats a favourite spot to catch foreign cars. At least your car is not taken away and crushed which can happen in UK apparently.

Supremegermalene

ah so I couldn't just pay the Import Tax and get my car back then? You have to take it out of the country?

G

bigglesafloat

No - you have usually to pay a fine and then they tell you to get car out of country. There used to be 3 options a) pay the taxes and import car b)give the car to the State and c) take the car out of Portugal plus of course pay a fine. You used to be held entirely responsible for the car whilst they arrested it so you could not set it afire - I forget the Portuguese term for it but they had you everyway !
We were once escorted across the Border at Vila Real by a lovely little Garda Fiscal policeman (remember them ?) and he cost us all of 150 Escudos (!) for the day and brought his own sandwiches. He had to make his own way back to Vilamoura from the Border as well.

steppitoe

I think you could import the car, it just wasn´t worth it in our case.