amedeo

Hi all,

me and my partner are living in UK since 2006, in 2008 we bought a car. Now I need to move to Spain to work for 8-9 months with my car, and my partner will remain here in uk. I am struggling trying to find a uk insurance company that can allow me to be insured in Europe for more than 3 months!! Personally, I do not need any comprehensive or breakdown cover. I will be very happy also with Third part only. Any suggestion??


PS The Spanish and Italian insurance companies cover automatically for the whole Europe and for how long as it takes. Furthermore I read on the official web site of European Union that the insurance company have to provide the minimum cover to allow the people travel around Europe without problems, and they did not mention any length of the journey, so I assume there should be no limit!! Any help?

Ka Ora!

Welcome to the Forum.....

You may find the Spanish Section the best place to ask this Question.

Bomber Harris

What you read on the EU site is correct, your UK insurance must offer minimum cover throughout the EU for the duration of the policy. The 3 month thing, is that if you're fully comp they will only cover fully comp for 3 months, after which it reduces to minimum cover for the country you are in.
A bigger problem could be that a UK registered car is only allowed in Spain for 6 months, after which it has to be transfered onto Spanish registeration.

amedeo

Thank you very much.

The problem is that when I called my insurance company (direct line) I have been told that the first 3 months I only have third part cover (they make it full if I pay) and after this period I will be not covered at all not even with third part cover, and for me this was a bit of a shock!! Their answer was something like: "Yes, after 3 months you have your insurance but if something happens you are not covered!!!" What??, so I got the insurance so none can give me a fine but if I crash into an other car you will not pay?? "Yes, I think so!!"

Do you know where I can find a UK official source that will confirm that they have to cover my car with the minimum requirement for the entire period of the contract?


Thank you

jdr

The minimum cover needed to be given by them in Europe is 3rd party, so that is all they give you, unless you pay extra.

amedeo

Yes, But the problem is for how long!!! I am happy with 3rd part only, as far as it is for the entire period of the contract!!!
The problem seems that they will cover the 3rd part only for 90days, and it seems that they can not do this!(http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/...e/motor_en.htm)

lic

www.ecarinsurance.co.uk will insure your U.K. registered car for use in EU for 12months. I think this is on a fully comp basis.

lic

http://www.ecarinsurance.co.uk/helpdesk.php

The above link provided this answer, when I searched on European Cover.

Free European Use
All eCar policies (except Short Term Cover) provide cover within the Territorial Limits of the policy throughout the policy year.

This extension is provided for the purpose of travel only.

Your permanent home must be in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man and must also be your primary residence.

The cover provided within the Territorial Limits is the same level of cover you have in the UK.

Please note, European Breakdown Recovery Assistance is available to purchase as an additional cover on your policy, providing that your vehicle is 8 years old or less, you have comprehensive cover, and you have an Annual Policy (European Breakdown cover is not available on Pay As You Go or Short Term Cover).

Please refer to our on-line policy wording for more details.

amedeo

Thank you very much.

I checked it and is very expensive!!! £1600 full-cov!!1350 3rd-part

I still think that my insurance company, by the European low, should give me the 3rd part cover for the time of the contract, I just did not find this information on any UK official web-site.

any HELP??

amedeo

thank you I checked and it is very expensive!!! ~1500£

I still think that my insurance company, by the European law, should give me 3rd part cover for the whole period of the contract. I just did not found this information on any UK official website.

Any HELP!!!

Fred James

Yes, you have basic "green card" type cover for an unlimited time on your basic policy. It is the additional cover that may be limited.

However all UK issued policies assume that you are UK resident and that the car is "normally" kept at the UK address.

If you spend more than 6 months away in one country you will become resident there and need to re-register your car and take out insurance as a resident in that country.

The extended cover that you get by law is for someone who travels (not lives) extensively in the EU as a tourist, not as a resident.

Are you intending to stay for the full period of you employment in Spain or will you be driving backwards and forwards between the UK and your work in Spain? That can make a difference to the requirement to re-register the car.

bfg69bug

come to spain, cancel your insurance, take out cover here in spain.

you can insure a foreign plated vehicle "indefinitely" but wether you will be "totally legal" is another question entirely.

(before anyone jumps on me)

you can insure a foreign vehicle as a non.resident for upto 6 months.

BUT the car can only be used for 6 months, as a non resident.

AND if you are here for 6 months (183 days) or more, which you have said that you will be, the car can only be used for 2 months, as u are a resident.

best bet? sell your car / leave it there and buy a runabout here in spain, sell it at the end of your stay. insure it and drive legally.

Bomber Harris

Phone them back and ask them to read DIRECTIVE 2009/103/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL and then tell them you wish to register a complaint with the MIB as they are in breach of it.

http://www.nbi.ch/pdf/MID_Codified_Directive.pdf

jdr

Give us a hint to the bit where it says they are in breach of their contract.

Bomber Harris

I've just re-read my post and can see that where I wrote "they are in breach of it" could be misconstrued as a breach of contract between the OP and his insurers. What I meant by that was the insurers are, by what they told the OP, providing insurance in breach of this EU Directive, sorry for the ambiguity.

The relevant bits are; bottom right corner of page 3 (paragraph 24), and top left page 4 (paragraph 25).

EDIT - Paragraph 25 also states that the insurance remains valid even by a failure in the obligation to register the car in a different Member State.