EDDIE SPARROW

Please i need some information, can i travel back to the uk in a spanish registered car,it has a current ITV and an english mot also,im going back for 5 months before returning to majorca. I have spanish insurance what do i need to be able to drive it in the uk for that period,many thanks for any help.

Mitzyboy

Well your UK Mot means naff all in Spain on a Spanish reg car.

I travel back to the UK all the time in mine, but I never stay that long. You need to call the DVLA to be sure, as its not worth risking hearsay advice on here.

You also need to speak to your insurance company to check the validation. I can remain insured for 90 days outside Spain

pwwm

Curious, why has it got ITV and British MOT , British MOT not worth a bean, anymore than spanish ITV on Brit plated car.

But I agree contact DVLA re your rights in UK

scampicat

Providing your car is legal in its country of registration, you can drive it in the UK for up to six months. ( I got this from the horse's mouth (DVLA) a couple of years ago as we also stay for about five months in the UK with our Spanish-reg car).

You will need to check with your Spanish insurers. Linea Directa will cover for up to six months.

You must be back in Spain BEFORE the six months expires, both on DVLA and Linea Directa rules. But it need only be a day before.

Make sure your Spanish ITV will cover you for the required time as the British MOT means nothing on a Spanish-registered car.

You will need headlight deflectors.

Enjoy!!

bfg69bug

why and how did it get an mot .. with lhd headlights fitted ?

actually i dont want to know, illegal things cant be talked about here, thanks.


as regards to using a spanish car in the uk, the same rules apply there as here - you can "wing it" for as long as you like, but "LEGALLY", you are only insured for 90 days / 3 months outside the country of matriculation,

and in the uk i think you have to change plates after 6 months like you do here.

you could change it for uk plates.. then change it back when you come back, but i see a big "tax/charge" with that.

why not leave it here, then pick up a 100 quid banger in the uk?

scampicat

Linea Directa told us six months. You don't have to be 'winging it'.

YMF

I was told the same by Linea Directa and also have read that Saga will insure UK cars for an indenfinite period outside of the UK as long as they stay in the EU.

From the Saga website:
I am travelling to Europe; do I need to advise you?
Saga Car Insurance automatically covers you for unlimited days in Europe. We will provide the same cover as is shown on your Schedule of insurance. For more information see your Policy Booklet

bfg69bug

unlimited??? wow, thats changed

looks like u can now drive cars whenever wherever i was worried about driving my mates uk plated camper.

VFR

I assume that its a UK vehicle that had a long ticket & has been put onto Spanish plates recently.

scampicat

Our car had a UK MOT and a Spanish ITV at the same time. As the above poster said, we had it matriculated onto Spanish plates before the MOT had run out. So therefore it had both. It was not an attempt to 'fiddle' anything.

I was also told 'unlimited' by Saga for driving a British reg car within the EU.

I wish people were not so quick to accuse other people of breaking the law.

snikpoh

I think the point is that insurers will sell you what ever you want.

Whether the car is legal, however, is another entirely different question.

Mitzyboy

Its difficult to be sure. For instance SKY insurance in the UK wouldnt insure me when I moved abroad because I was no longer a UK resident. Saga, it seems will

bfg69bug

i wasnt accusing anyone. a car with a long uk mot having been recently matriculated into spain would indeed have both an itv and an mot, that is clearly the case here.

i was merely stating that had it been by some "irregularity".. theres no need to talk about it here.

missile

Some cars (e.g. some Audi models) have an adjuster so that you can switch between LHD and RHD dipping.

bfg69bug

hmmm that is also true, it could be one of those i guess