apezzer

OK. Ive read so much on here about this subject, but getting lots of different views. Heres my situation.

I have a British registered car that has not been driven for a few years in Spain. Its sitting in the garage. It has no UK MOT, tax, insurance. I wish to drive it back to the UK where it will stay!

Am i right in thinking that:
I can get a ITV on a UK registered car but must find a Spanish insurer to cover it for the journey home!
Then once i get it back to England, i know, as long as it is insured (with UK insurer) and the MOT is booked, i can drive it directly to and from the MOT. (does this law apply in Spain).

Help!!!
Andy

jdr

ITV on UK car is worthless.
If you are stopped with no valid tax and MOT from UK, you will probably get it taken away, the same as in UK now.
The car is illegally in the country so no one can legally insure it here.
How much is a grua or transport to the UK ??????

zel

No unfortunately you are wrong.

A 'valid' ITV on a UK registered car is not legal what so ever.

Having Spanish insurance also is not worth the paper its wrote on in terms of they will take your money to insure the vehicle, but if you're stopped by the Police or have an accident you will probably find out you're not legally insured. (as mentioned on here several times recently)

Now, from what I remember (and you'd have to check the dvla) you are able to drive your vehicle without an MOT to a MOT test station as long as you have a pre booked appointment, now seeing as you're abroad this may not be the case, again you would have to check with the DVLA.

You do not need to prove you have a valid MOT to gain insurance for your vehicle when using a UK company to insure it.

If the DVLA say that it would be illegal to drive it from Spain to the UK for an MOT (and I would imagine they would) the only legal route would be to get it transported to say Dover and have it MOT'd there.

---

Again to anyone reading in the future as this keeps coming up, the only legal route for a UK registered car abroad is to have a valid MOT and valid UK insurance and can only stay within a forgien country for upto six months before you having to register it there.

apezzer

DAM!.
Ok so the only way really is to get it transported over to England. I am a resident in England, its my mother who is resident in Spain, i will be driving the car! so the MOT in England stuff is fine, i dont need to contact the DVLA for that.

Mitzyboy

Oh Guru .... but if I have a UK registered car with valid MOT / Tax but insured with a Spanish company thats OK isn't it (for 6 months)

jdr

On the second page, post 26 by PULULA click here

zel

I believe from memory the general consensus was (this happened on the forums when you were on holiday) that most companies will not pay out, although there were a few companies that assured their clients they would/will, but from memory none of them stated that in their terms & conditions.

Myself, unless I saw it in black and white in the T&C that British plated cars were covered then I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole as you're just taking someones word for it, I wouldn't take someones word for it in the UK, so the same rule should apply for Spain.

One has to remember the insurance industry survives by trying to get out of paying up on claims, so if they can have a way out they will take it.

Mitzyboy

Well ..... that somewhat throws into question the logic & legality of buying a car cheaper in Germany, plating it in the UK, and then keeping it for 6 months (to avoid import tax), some of the time being spent in Spain, doesn't it!?

zel

Why would that be? Various UK insurance companies allow you to drive abroad for prolonged periods of time, even with basic insurance most companies have an option to pay extra for extended EU coverage.

Some UK insurance companies have 'unlimited' EU coverage as standard part of their package, Saga Insurance for one (if you fit their criteria) Elephant have good EU coverage from memory too.

EDIT: I have spoke to a client of ours in Spain who purchased a Range Rover Sport from us and he is using Spanish company Knight Insurance? he said they put it in writing that his UK plated vehicle was covered.

Mitzyboy

OK mate I must have misunderstood you .... certainly my exisiting company won't extend cover ... heh heh ... you know I fit into the saga criteria! I'll try them

Cheers
Jon

BritBull

There are plenty of car transporter companies that do regular runs from Spain to mainland UK.
I had a quote last year of £500.00 all in from Marbella to Cheshire.
Shop around for the best quote.

By the time you have paid up for petrol & tolls, time, food stops, it won't have cost you much more to have someone transport it for you.

apezzer

Thanks Brit Bull. I think thats the only legal way.

I love the way you lot go off on tangents on here and argue amongst yourselves, its brilliant!

Keep it Foolish!!!!! Laters.

Mitzyboy

Heh he .... no Zel & I know each other well - that related to something he was looking to do for me

kevray

I know this is a bit off thread but.........
Make sure you check the quotes by saga, as my Father is in his late eighties he was insured with Saga, I did a search on the net and found another company that insured the over 80's and he saved well over 150 sterling when he moved over to them.

Mitzyboy

Saga are expensive for a lot of things. Had I been staying in the UK I would have cut my house & contents by at least a third with Direct Line over what they quoted me