Apple1

Can anyone give me any good companys that offer insurance for use of my car in spain please

ive tried andrew copeland

any advice welcome please ...

Tadd1966

What does your current insurer say?


Is it Spanish car or a UK registered car?

Apple1

hi sorry its a uk car ... current insurance exp tonight but they want 800 pounds im 40 year old with 6 years ncd .... so im wondering if there is any other companies that offer ex pat insurance

Tadd1966

Is the car in Spain permanently?


If so you are required to transfer to Spanish plates


What about MOT & tax

Apple1

its taxed and mot ... and im looking for cover for use for longer then 6 months

Tadd1966

As far as I understand it if your car is in Spain for 6 months or longer in any given 12 month period you have an obligation to transfer to Spanish plates


Not sure you will find a insurance company but you could try linea direct or We are THE ORIGINAL expat insurance in Spain website

snikpoh

@Tadd1966 is correct. You MUST matriculate your car to Spanish plates. It is only allowed in Spain for a maximum of 6 months in a 12 month period - after that it needs to be trailered back to UK or scrapped.

Soooo, best to get it back to UK before 6 months or start the matriculation process.

Apple1

Thanks for your help everyone I ended up paying for British insurance again 700 pound really over priced tpft cover with 90 days euro cover. I'll have to find a Spanish company while I'm there and move everything over does that cost a lot to transfer it all over to Spanish plates ?

Fredbargate

I thought that the necessity to transfer to Spanish plates was only if the owner was in Spain for more than 6 months not the car.
However the car will require a UK MOT which limits it's stay to a maximum of 12 months before returning it to UK.

Tadd1966

I am not sure it is that black and white. I would contact DVLA for the correct info.


Driving back to UK once a year for an MOT would be costly so why not simply buy a Spanish car?

Apple1

Well I'll use it for 6 months then transfer to Spanish plates and get a Spanish mot simple I don't need to return then right? What about crossing into Gibraltar that's uk land ain't it would that not be classed as a return to uk soil

Tadd1966

Gib has their own car registration system separate from UK with similar rules to UK, Spain and all other EU states for imported cars so no MOT facility for UK registered cars.


Hope 6 months works for you and good luck but IMO you are taking a risk


Have you looked onto the cost of transferring plates, it may be easier to trade your UK car in for a Spanish car many expat used car sales will do this

Fredbargate

I was thinking more along the lines of someone who might want to visit a number of times in a 12 month period but never again after that for whatever reason.

Not someone who is planning to remain on a more permanent basis.
Not necessarily the OP

Tadd1966

Fred - fair comment but I still think bringing a UK to Spain (or any other country) from the UK permanently by a resident or non resident without re registering is against the rules.

I am not 100% and have seen no official document clearly saying this via DVLA or traffico in Spain or anywhere else and I think it is misreading the rules

It makes no sense to have one rule for a resident of Spain bringing an export into Spain vs a non Spanish resident (i.e. a UK resident) bringing an export into Spain

bobd22

I thought that would be within the rules? Say holiday home owner with fully legally uk registered taxed MOTd car can be in Spain on UK plates so long as the owner registered keeper is not there more than the 183 days. I would presume when keeper not there the car must be off a public road. Surely it is the fact that after 183 in Spain the keeper would become fiscal resident and should be vehicle matriculated over. Of course this is not what op wants to do as intending being there over 183 days. Also I doubt many holiday home owners would want to keep the car on UK plates having to go back and forth to UK for mot's.