Costa-Convert

I don't think anyone is finger wagging at you, just trying to point out the problems you may face if you are caught. You really need to contact Linea Directa because I know for sure that they would not insure my Peugeot 406 on English plates (and its a left hand drive). I have also been told that ITV on an English car is not worth the paper its written on. The car must be legal in its country of origin. So if its registered in Spain it must have all the things required by the Spanish authorities, if its registered in the UK it must have all the things required by DVLA to make it legal.

I have informed DVLA that my car is now permently exported and will sort out the plate transfer when I move out in July. For the moment it is insured in the UK for 90 days only, Taxed in the UK until September and the MOT runs out in August.

And when I have done all that I am gonna sell it cos its too big for me to just do school run etc in.

bourgogne

i'm not wagging at you

and i'm not in spain

but here i got GB car no tax, but french MOT -CT and french insurance! I thought is was all ok? Ignorant of me and very devious of insurance too. The french car I have had the wrong department plates, and the insurance refused to give the yearly certificate until I changed them. I asked then about the english car, they said "allways the same number"? 'yes' so no probs! YES ^probs^ its not legal!!!! how very typical insurance eh? I'm going there next week to demand a refund. No matter they mention I have a CONTRACT with them, I only do if what they sold me was legal and it aint!

French police to be honest dont look for tax, they want to see ID and insurance.

bfg69bug

hmmm...i would imagine that spectrum FM are only interested in advertising revenue unfortunatly, they wouldn´t have anything to do with it. as stated above, by beachcomber, - in Linea Directa´s TOS, they clearly state that they ONLY insure spanish registered vehicles. i´d get on the fone right away. you will find that if you have paid up front for a year you will lose the years money as well. (another stupid rule in spain)

unfortunatly under the letter of the law in europe, that means that you are driving your car ilegally. however, you will be allowed to proceed if stopped at a roadside check as you have spanish insurance. i wouldn´t like to be involved in an accident with you tho.

unfortunatly, its all about the money.

oh its true enough, that will prove that your car is roadworthy to spanish regulations (you´ll have to change your headlights)...but however, it will still technically be illegal as it will no longer have tax or mot or insurance in its country of registration.

we are not we are just pointing out the facts, you are understandibly upset, and i would get on the phone right now and speak to somebody english at Linea Directa, preferably a supervisor and not a "telephone monkey" (i use this term because they read from a script and any trained monkey could do it...they will tell u anything to sell you insurance and get their commission).

go to ANY spanish insurance company - axa, mapfre etc, and ask them if they can insure an inglish plated car. when they say no, ask them why. they will more than likely look at you blankly and say "porque NO." they will have no explanation, they will only know that it is not allowed.

i would bet that you also still have your uk card licence, with your old UK address on it? also illegal and if the dvla (UK) find out, there is up to a 1000 pound fine. With the introduction of the "european" licence a few years ago (mine is, i got it in 98/99) it is no longer necesary to change a licence to a spanish one, only to have it "registered" at your address in spain, and stamped by the relevant office. i´ve never seen a stamped one yet (been here 7 years) i think everyone english who is a non-resident breaks this law, the dvla would have a feild day in spain

mikelincs

They may well give you an ITV on a GB plated car, but AFAIK, it will not be legal, certainly not in the UK, and certainly not in Spain where ITVs are only done on spanish registered cars. I really think you do have to look into the legality of the insurance, and of getting an ITV on a GB plated car, and I think you will find that neither are actually legal. I suggest a read of teh web site.
www.spainvia.com/motoringinspain.htm

might be very useful.

Mike

Maidstoned Eagle

Thanks for all the info, its a real eye opener. My licence is registered to my parents address and seeing as I spend my working week driving a lorry between Marbella and London it will stay that way for now.

My car is a different story however....anyone want to buy a Mondeo?

pwwm

Hi Maidstone

I think you will find if you have an ITV on a British plated car it is not valid, it is a courtesy only, we thought it was ok when we first arrived only to find out no. Both our cars are now on Spanish plates.

The crack down on all foreign plates appears to be on all the costa's including where we are and we have very few expats.

pwwm

mikelincs

Regarding driving licences, AFAIK the picture ones are now legal in Spain, I was advised to get mine changed from the old card one before I came out, and this I did. However my car here is Spanish bought and plated, Spanish taxed, insured (yes through linea directa) and doesn't yet need an ITV as it's too young. I would advise anyone wanting a car here, unless there are very extenuating reasons, not to bring one out, but to buy one here.
Mike

poollounger

Apologies for my outburst....it just irked me that people contravening the regs were then blaming the police for doing their job... but I see that in your case you thought you had done the right thing only to find you hadn't. Hope you get it sorted.

bourgogne

i still have the HUGE sheet of paper permit, police dont like it as no photo, but once passport is shown no issues. They 'did' until 2003 say is was not valid, but now it is, no need to change its optional. But french police, guess spanish police the same want to see a nice ugly pic of you?. and to be honest 'await correction' the address means ZIP! however.... you commit an offense in spain you'll have to exchange your permit for a spanish one so they can add the fine. Works the same in france.

UK dont have any way of fining a FR/E/P plated car and vice versa..... but CH and NL do. So you get caught in time

Now we all need to pull those crooks of insurance co's into place, they are putting YOU at risk (me too) by taking money for a void policy.


PS to spanish ITV french CT..... you have to get one to start the import process?? here you do and even if UK MOT the french want a CT not more than 6 months old to process new numbers..... that and a kays catalogue of other forms.

bfg69bug

has anyone seen the report in the town crier today - i didn´t read it but caught the headline - uk plated car drivers to be chased for fines etc obtained in european countries... looks like the rumor of the two databases being linked might be going ahead after all ?

PULULA

Hi Folks!!

Well glad you finally are starting to wake up!!!....I work for a well known Insurance company. A Swiss one to be more specific..anyway..we are operating in spain for a long time now and we obviously have taken expats to cover the market. We have been telling you for years now what all of you now start to understand..that to drive a car with Uk number plates is illegal in Spain. we have customers all day being abusive on the phone saying that we are giving wrong information and they are out there hundreds of comanies who would do it and why not us...most of them think what we want is trying to ripped you off!!!for once we try to give an honest advice, most of us were residents in others countries in Europe before coming to spain and we would have not liked to be mislead then the same that we do not like to mislead people now.

Unexpat

Axa UK will do an extended use policy cover for the full year, if you have a valid MOT and Tax on a UK vehicle. It's what I am using at the moment until the end of the year, when thge MOT/Tax runs out - at which point I'll change plates and switch to Spanish insurance.

Maidstoned Eagle

The problem is not about waking up Pulula, it's about very large insurance companies giving out wrong info. I heard the Linea Directa advert again today and they definately say they insure UK registered cars. However, when I called them they became very evasive and wouldn't answer a direct question!! I'm now waiting on a "supervisor" to call me back.

bfg69bug

really ? they are legal with an incorrect address ? you sure ?

Beachcomber

DVLA states on its web site that it accepts that there may be UK driving licences being used abroad with incorrect addresses! However, they have no jurisdiction over foreign traffic authorities and the Guardia Civil certainly do not share this view.

Until DVLA agrees to put foreign addresses on UK driving licences this situation will prevail.

There is a move afoot to establish a European Licensing Bureaux but this will not come into existence until 2012 at the earliest.