jdr

I am sure I read somewhere it has just been changed to 30 days to coincide with the time UK ins companies will allow the car to be out of UK, as to be legal it has to be taxed, mot`d, and insured in the country of origin.
If it is 6 months, how does the insurance work ?

Quote..... "Or, should you actually move to live in Spain then you are now, due to a change in the law, liable to exchange your UK number plates with a Spanish MOT within 30 days of entry."



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Bigger Jim

My insurance does not set a limit on how long I can be out of my country of residence (UK). Nor I think does Saga.

The purpose of the EU legislation is to allow free passage throughout the EU without let or hindrance. Logic would dictate that if this is the case the 30 day limit would be unworkable and reducing it to the absurd could end up in being resident in 12 different countires if you travelled extensively.

I would agree that if you come with the intention of becoming a resident it makes a lot of sense. I am retired counting the pennies and spend as long as I can legally do so in Spain (half a year minus 1) and am not in the luxurious position of be able to afford a Spanish registered car as well as my old low mileage Mondeo.

I think what is causing the controversy here is that there are two main types of UK numbered cars, here the legal and the not so legal, and a lot of residents here quite rightly object to the illegal ones. Unfortunately they tend to lump both together and this in turn gets up my nose as I am a resident of the EU (uk part) and object to being criminalised. Not really but it sounds good.

Must go having some blocks delivered,

Regards

Jim

scampicat

Still wrong though!

Although I personally don't subscribe to the idea that two wrongs make a right, I can well understand why many expats think 'sod it' when they have tried in vain to keep Spanish rules and laws only to find the information they have been given is innaccurate and the goalposts keep moving!

scampicat

Have they actually TRIED doing it in this timeframe?

scampicat

Yes, of course you can be out of the UK for more than thirty days and have legal insurance! As the poster says, you could be in a dozen different countries in the EU if you are on a touring holiday! We are all supposed to be Europeans, are we not? Why the heck do we have to go through such a rigmarole? We should be just able to go to the equivalent of the DVLA in any country and register our vehicle on a database, and whichever country we are in when whatever country's tax/insurance/MOT we have expires, be able to get it in the country we are in and have it valid Europe-wide.

Fred James

I am afraid that is complete nonsense. The majority of UK insurance companies allow far more than 30 days out of the UK. It would be impossible to go on a decent touring holiday otherwise.

Many camper vans and caravans stay away for a couple of months at time.

There used to be a general limit of 6 months, otherwise you would be in the position of spending the majority of the time away from the Uk which could fall foul of the rules about "foreign" insurance companies.

Clearly it is not law as Saga still offer unlimited cover abroad.

Mitzyboy

90 days in any one trip is the norm on a holiday trip. It doesn't actually legally cover you normally if you move to another country and use this type of insurance only. Its only a cover if you are a resident in the UK and you are travelling temporarily on holiday abroad.

jdr

I thought it was pretty obvious I meant that if you was moving countries, which they are, not on a touring holiday.

Spanishliferules

Just try doing a Matriculation in 30 day's!! it Just took me 450 day's and that was on a uk plated LHD with [B]no modifications done for uk driving[B] Roadworthy, Legal and Ready to go 4 Visits to the ITV, in excess of 10 visits to the traffic office a minium of 2 hours per visit and three separate visits to different Haciendas, During this time 4 spot checks by Local and Civil Police. So I think like all the other scare mongering on here nothing but Boxxxxxx.

Fred James

It doesn't make any difference.

If your UK insurance company gives you 90 days foreign cover you can use that legally in Spain until you re register the car.

Mitzyboy

Not always the way Fred ..... the insurance is for holiday travel in most cases ... the insurance doesn't cover you if you have left the UK with the intent of living abroad. It si the old green card cover which insures you for a temporary trip

Fred James

Well I guess it comes down to the wording on your policy. When I last had a UK policy it gave 6 months cover outside the UK and it wasn't even necessary to advise them that you were going.

Incidentally green cards have not been needed in the EU for years.

My current Spanish policy covers me anywhere in the EU for an unlimited period. The green card is issued each year (in case I need it outside the EU) and is valid for 12 months. It says nothing about holiday travel.

scampicat

My word, yours took even longer than ours!! (nearly nine months).

I agree, it is ridiculous, from our experience, and the experiences of most other people I know who have matriculated their vehicle, to have it done in thirty days. Everybody I know it has taken a minimum of five months, some(like yourself) over a year. Therefore under this law a lot of people are going to be illegal through no fault of their own.

But the laws get changed anyway, depending on who is implementing them. They change them to suit,out of ignorance ( ), or 'just in case', or whether it clashes with a fiesta, or a combination, imho. So how are us poor immigrants supposed to know what the law is?

Lionda

We are travelling by road to Spain on Thursday and are insured with Hastings Ins. Fully comprehensive. We have 30 days european cover but it is reduced to third party fire and theft abroad. We will be re-registering our vehicle as soon as we can.

scampicat

Hi, have a good journey and good luck with your car!