battlezone123

I wrote to my insurance company (Liberty Serguros) this morning asking the following:

When I spoke to your office I informed them that the car was on British number plates (and not on Spanish plates) but it was taxed and MOTd (in Britain) as I return regularly to the UK. You informed me that so long as the car was legal the insurance was valid. I have now been reading alot of information from the British Expat forum and I am very confused. They are saying that you are classified as a resident of Spain if you live here more than 6 months a year (which we do) and in that case you have to get your car transferred to Spanish plates within 30 days (to avoid the import tax) or within 90 days (and pay import tax). If this is not done your insurance is invalid and the insurance company will not pay out if there is any accident.

Please can you clarify for me the following points:

My car is on British number plates - but taxed and MOTd. Even though I am classified as a resident the car is not on Spanish plates. If I had an accident would the insurance company pay out - or would they say that the car is illegal?

They replied:

Next your motor policy can never be invalid just because the vehicle is on UK plates but the insurance matter is one thing and the law another. Liberty Seguros are completely entitled to sell policies in Spain to UK plated vehicles who should be going backwards and forwards betweeen the Uk and Spain - just remember to get a stamp in your passport to be able to prove entrance. Another thing is that as a resident you should not be driving a Uk plated vehicle in Spain and if the vehicle is permantly here should of course pay the road tax here. but as explained it is it is complete two different things. but you have to remember that if you should stopped by the policy and getting a fine, that is your own problem. Just because you have a valid insurance does not authomatically give you right to stay "forever". It is a bit confusing but hopefully you can understand it now a little bit better - it would not be correct either selling yearly policies if they had to follow the rules for residents which allow only a max of three months stay.

I do not really understand what they saying. Is my insurance valid here on the basis of what I asked them originally?

rugbymatt

From what I understand, and its not that dissimilar to what I was told, they are saying that while you may well be insured the car is technically illegal if you are resident in Spain on British plated cars. Since you have to be resident after a set amount of time then the car either has to be gone from Spain or changed before the time runs out.

Mitzyboy

If you move over here to live then you have to get the car registered on Spanish plates. If you are here as a tourist for (I believe) less than 6 months then you are able to keep the car on UK plates as long as you can get valid insurance and it is MOT'd and taxed in the UK.

JDR .... cnat we get a sticky on this as it seems to be about the most common thing that comes up on here

rugbymatt

Or can someone over there just contact the authorities and let them know that the constant round about that is registering a British car is driving rugbymatt nuts!!!


oh and Mitzy, where is my invite for the 25th mate???

mikelincs

Basically they are telling you what everyone on here is telling you, your car is here illegally as you are a resident here due to being here more than the 6 months each year. They are well prepared to insure you, as it just means more money for them, but it doesn't stop your car being illegal even though it is insured. They do NOT say what might happen if you have an accident and have to claim. They could say that as your car is illegal, then they WILL NOT pay out. Simplest way is to get your car legal by re resigstering it, you can then drive back and forth to the UK with no problems knowing that your car is totally legal.

battlezone123

Yes I am going to get the car transferred over. I am going back to the UK mid July for a week and will have a ferry ticket to say that the car has just arrived in Spain and so hopefully the car will fall into the 30 day category.

I am really, really, really sorry, on bended knees, for bringing this subject up again Rugymatt.

Even it is on a sticky I believe people, like myself, will still want some point or other clarified.

rugbymatt

Dont say sorry at all, thats not what I meant, its just that the law is fairly clear yet some people keep up the pretense that it is different, I don't mind at all how many times it comes up, I'm not that arrogant, but the "usual" responses are misleading to say the least.

jdr

Whats the point, they all try to change the goalposts. ;-(
Maybe if someone got a letter from the Guardia (anyone friendly), then we could put that up.

keithwalters

I still can´t fathom why people want to complicate their lives so much.

Just buy a Spanish car.

I´d never want to drive a LHD car around the UK all the time so why do people drive RHD cars here? Beats me.

Casa Santo Estevo

having rad this post and the RHD Land Rover post we thought we would add something.
Here is a guy advertising on Ebay saying and here we quote

'the car would be a great runabout for your villa and being UK registered makes it much easier for you to jump in and go. All you would need to do is get yourself insured this can be done in the UK on a UK insurance policy or in your EU country of residence (Spanish insurance is cheaper, for example). In line with EU law any car registered in a EU country is legal to drive in any other EU country as long as it is legal in its country of origin. UK registered vehicles can now be kept and driven in Spain indefinitely, and as this car comes with an MOT until December 2007 you get plenty of legal motoring in Spain until you wish to Spanish register it (I can assist with this if required).'

An Advert like that can only add to the confusion some folk seem to have. how can they get a way with saying something like that?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-PEUGEOT-3...QQcmdZViewItem

battlezone123

My car is left hand drive and NOT right hand driive.

scampicat

Can't afford a Seat Alhambra here.

jdr

I tried to inform Ebay but the item number was old or invalid ?

valenciatim

Just a note to say that the E Bay seller currently has two ads for LHD cars ;

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZlf8972QQhtZ-1

Another question that I would like to raise is how do all of the dealers that advertise in the English speaking press here (well certainly the Costa Balnca News and the Costa Levante News) justify be able to sell UK registered vehicles suitable for returning to the UK?
Also, many contributors on these threads quote the 6 months/183 days as being the period for automatically being classed as a resident, my understanding is that that is for tax purposes, especially since a Residencia is no longer a requirement for living here! Any thoughts?
Regards
Tim

keithwalters

Then shop around. Spain is cheaper than the UK for many makes and models.