RocksAndBikes

Hiya..

well its my first post on the forum... we are moving from around the world again and unlike last time where we got a job and didn't even research the place before we got there.... now.... we are doing a bit of research....

We have 2 motorbikes - currently stored in the UK and with UK documents/insurance etc...

We are moving to Portugal....and realy want to take them with us....

I've come across this post by Mike from a year ago.....

Re: Importing Motorbike to PT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Don't make the same mistake I did.
I knew that UK registered cars could be MOT'd here and presumed bikes could be as well.
How wrong I was! They do not inspect bikes here at all so make sure yours has 12 months MOT when you come over. (and tax as well)
Importing is a lengthy process but does not include the hefty import tax that you pay with cars.
Another word of warning, it will have to undergo an examination which includes noise levels so make sure you have the original can!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can you give some more information on this...

How much money are we looking at realistically..... is it worth converting the registration to Portugal.... or not....

If we get to 12 months... we can't MOT... so how do we deal with things... Can you even renew road toax on-line... do you need to... what kind of insurance can we get....

Many thanks folks...

I look forward hearing from you all...

Tony.

Dafty

As from Jan 2009 Motorcycles are liable to MOT and this is now part of the import process. Proceedure as follows ;
Go to IMTT (formerly DVG) Licencing authority with all documents including proof of ownership - ask for and fill out form for importation.(matriculation)
They will provide info for ACAP the national Homoligation centre,and also advise on noise test appointment. 150€ + 105€
Once you have had the noise test and received the homoligation cert you have to return them to DGV. They will then start the import process and relieve you of a further 30€. Waiting time for the MOT is currently 2 months.
Don,t know the costs involved there but probably won,t be too steep.
Then it,s back to the IMTT again who will hopefully finalise the process, and then on to the Alfandega to give them their pound of flesh. Again, not sure about cost but understand it,s below 50€ Ownership documents then have to be sorted out, again, understood to be under 50€
Looking at about 500€ and a lot of running around !
Insurance companies will want extra if you have a foreign plate and are importing. Best to keep UK insurance until import process is complete and Portuguese Reg is issued.
Hope this helps

Supremegermalene

Seeing as you appear to be quite up on all this, do you know if it's true that they are changing the rules on importing rhd cars?

I have heard that it will no longer be allowed, though I contacted some department a while ago and they never mentioned any changes (can't remember which department as I went through a few!)

G

Dafty

Haven,t heard anything about that but nothing would surprise me - they love changing the goalposts !!!!

RocksAndBikes

Thanks folks....

Thats a great start...

Does anyone know anyone who has actually been through this process yet...

Would love to know if someone has got a bike in and can put a final figure on this yet...

Daft question.... Do you have to be in Lisbon to get the MOT... or can I get it up in Porto...

Thanks folks...

Tony.

gedscottish

I heard the same, I was told at end of 2009 this will happen... though I don't know if there is any truth in it.

Besides is it really worth paying the I.A on a RHD?!

Supremegermalene

What's IA? Insurance? Or Import duty?

I have no idea, but we have 3 kids, the two youngest are 2 & 1 so we have to have 3 car seats (2 of which are big not boosters) and a double pushchair. There are surprisingly few cars that can take all of us so we had to buy a Galaxy. It cost us £10k here for an 05 plate with 35k on the clock and the same car in PT is around €24k (at least), I could possibly get one for about €18k but it would be a banger compared to ours. So, do I spend another €14k on a new car over there when we don't have the money to do so and won't qualify for a loan, or do we try to take ours? I think I worked out the most we'd have to pay in duty would be €7k.

I am going to try to import tax free, there's no practical reason why we couldn't as we have all the proof we need and hopefully as my oh is Portuguese he can sway things with the beurocrats (sp?). And understand all the bull they give!

I haven't even looked into the insurance side, we pay £540 a year here so I was thinking it couldn't be much more than that in euros?

G

Reg Pellow

Hi all. My first thread. Can anyone please help with hthe IMTT website address. It may help me?! Importing LHD - have all nec docs and ownership etc. Believe new rules from Jan 09? Anything would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

gedscottish

When I said I.A yes I mean import tax.(imposto automovel), if it is ONLY 7000 euros... the total cost of your car is working out around 20.000 euros?!(guessing here & I know exchange rate on £ is low) & your re-sale value of a RHD here would be very low(if you could sell it at all) 7000 euros sounds very cheap if you have calculated this with the new 2009 law(a friend of mine was going to pay 10300 euros for a 12 yr old car... but im not sure if the newer it is now the less you pay?! The new law I know little about!)

One thing is for sure the goverment is trying to put a stop on people importing cars. I was also told though just "cafe talk" that they aint letting cars avoid the import tax anymore either.

In short....they have us by the knackers

I understand perfectly why you want to bring in your RHD but if you have to pay the import tax... I would seriously re-think

Supremegermalene

It's a 2005 Galaxy with about 40k miles on the clock. We paid £10k last year so now it would be worth about £8.5k. I've looked on the PT car websites and for the same car we'd have to pay about €27k. If we have to pay the import tax which is now €10k it does work out cheaper still, however if we had to pay I'd probably bring the car back to the UK and sell it. My parents will both still be here so I could leave it at my Dad's and he could sell it for me. I just don't know what we'd do about a car there though as we wouldn't be able to get credit and I couldn't not have one.

I simply can't afford to buy a PT car, my friend paid €12k for a 2000 reg Picasso which is a wreck for the money, it wouldn't be worth even £4k here. I want something safe for transporting my kids

I guess we'll have to suck it and see.

Ooer.

gedscottish

Checked out prices also... and I get your point!

Ok.... maybe you should keep your options open and if possible, hang on to your U.K car with U.K plates until your 2 year old is old enough to go in a booster?

Some people think this law will change soon due to the fact that most car stands rely on importing cars to keep them open & things stay as they are thousands will close (although personally I dont think the goverment cares much about that....they will be voted out this year anyway...I hope!)

aint a lot of 7 seaters out there or cars that will take you all in comfort, I did see an old Merc the other day with 3 "baby chairs" on the back seat(so it can be done in some 5 seaters)


Cheaper than the type of car you have is commercial type people haulers like this...
http://www.standvirtual.com/index.ph...how&id=p383638

could be another option?! Option 3 is divorce your husband and free up a seat!

p.s regarding insurance for the Galaxy, well that does depend on your age,time with licence & no claims bonus. But I would expect to pay 400-600 euros fully comp and 200-300 3rd party.

mshlgw

Who needs a people carrier when you can get a seven seater Volvo estate?

Supremegermalene

Because Volvo drivers are a pain in the *ss!

Yes one way around all of this is to keep the car until we don't need push chairs and big car seats. We could always drive it back to the uk every 6 months, or go on holiday to france...would that count?

We will have to apply for matriculation and if we do have to pay we'll cancel the process and have a few months to work out what to do.

The other bonus with the Galaxy (as much as I have a love/hate relationship with it) is that if my Mum wants to come out with us anywhere we've got the extra seats and they are proper seats, not piddly little things in the boot.

I always swore I'd never drive a people carrier and look, here I am but i don't know about driving a mini bus, that really is taking it too far! I always dreamt I'd end up driving some little bmw sports car...

Would you have to pay tax on top of the mini bus? Is it classed as commercial? It is something we could look into as it could be put through on the company I guess.

Thanks for the suggestions!

G

ninakula

I know it may make sense in some ways to bring your car with you - and you may be the best driver in the world - but driving a RHD drive in a LHD country for any period of time is asking for trouble - especially in a country who holds the worst safety record in Europe.

Put that together with carrying 3 young children in the car and it is a recipe for major stress or a major accident.

Sorry to be down on this but really....

I had a luxury conversion van in the US and a mercedes sports - in Portugal I have a perfectly serviceable Opel Frontera - not my car of choice - but lack of finances to have anything "nice" but the need to make sure my children and pets are safe, made me choose something that will carry 5 people in comfort but will also look after us if we get into "trouble". I paid what I consider a fortune for it - 1995 with lowish mileage for year - 7000 Euros!!!

However, it does everything it should, I don't have problems with legalities and I don't have problems with selling it.

It takes alot to get used to a new country as it is without causing yourself more problems - especially with the law changing at a moments notice.

Do yourself a favour and get a Portuguese registered car. It may not be perfect for you - it may not be a pristine as you would like it - but it will give you less headaches

Good Luck

Supremegermalene

So in your opinion it is safer to be driving a 1995 reg car than a rhd 2005 one? Knowing how dangerous people drive there I'd prefer to be in a newer car with better protection.

Also, my friend's 2000 reg car that she had to buy has broken down 3 times leaving her stranded when she needs to pick her kids up from school or the creche.

I don't know. It's not that I'm not willing to 'fit in' or change my ideals because I'm moving country it's just I have to do what I can afford to do and get the best protection for my kids at the same time.

G