Returning UK car from abroad, mot run out now can't tax...

Returning UK car from abroad, mot run out now can't tax...

Author
Discussion

gusko

75 posts

161 months

Monday 26th June 2023
quotequote all
I had a similar problem with my range rover. I was in Bulgaria when covid lockdown happened, MOT due to expire in Sept. the goverment gave an extension then changed it. It was impossible for me to travel across europe at the time to get back to Uk for the MOT.
I ended up with 2 options either get the car transported back to UK or import it into BG

I went for the second option as a lot cheaper and convenient for me, unfortunately the Saturday before the import inspection I fell off a mountain and totalled the car.
Problem solved



DaveCWK

2,001 posts

175 months

Monday 26th June 2023
quotequote all
Oceanrower said:
I can’t see anything that says the MOT station has to be open for you to be going there.

Clearly you were leaving it on the forecourt and posting the keys through their secure letter box…
Is there any sort of limitation on this?
For example, could you legally drive to an MOT station on a Monday, with the pre-booked MOT being on the Friday, the intention being to leave the car on the premises until tested?

trickywoo

11,870 posts

231 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
gusko said:
unfortunately the Saturday before the import inspection I fell off a mountain and totalled the car.
Problem solved


Good thing you fitted that parachute, could have been a lot worse.

teembo

14 posts

64 months

Saturday 27th April
quotequote all
And what was the final outcome here ? OP, what did you do ?

mph

2,338 posts

283 months

Saturday 27th April
quotequote all
monthou said:
You're looking for problems that don't exist.
Trailer the car, that way you won't lose any sleep over it.
Unless the OP owns a trailer and a suitable vehicle to tow it the additional cost will be substantial. I assume the ferry/tunnel charges will also be more.



mph

2,338 posts

283 months

Saturday 27th April
quotequote all
This is what the government website says about bringing an untaxed car back into the UK. Seems pretty unambiguous to me.

Bringing your vehicle back untaxed
If you bring your vehicle back to the UK untaxed you cannot drive it back into the UK - it’ll have to be transported and a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) must be made straight away.

monthou

4,592 posts

51 months

Saturday 27th April
quotequote all
mph said:
monthou said:
You're looking for problems that don't exist.
Trailer the car, that way you won't lose any sleep over it.
Unless the OP owns a trailer and a suitable vehicle to tow it the additional cost will be substantial. I assume the ferry/tunnel charges will also be more.
If the OP hasn't made a decision by now he has bigger problems than the cost of a trailer.

SteveKTMer

776 posts

32 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
teembo said:
And what was the final outcome here ? OP, what did you do ?
I suspect he simply drove it back as anybody else would and got on with his life.

Drawweight

2,897 posts

117 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
For anyone else that has a similar problem

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1pZtbQyUO...

Then you just need to avoid the dozens of police cars you will encounter biglaugh

HiAsAKite

2,356 posts

248 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
Surely the solution would be to ensure the car is insured, and ensure an MOT is booked for when you arrive in the Uk, and take it straight to the MOT...

(edited for typos)

Edited by HiAsAKite on Monday 29th April 12:24

E-bmw

9,247 posts

153 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
HiAsAKite said:
Surely the silution would be to ensure the car is insured, and ensure an MOT is booked for when you arrive in the Uzk, and take it straight to the MOT...
Clearly too obvious.

mph

2,338 posts

283 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
HiAsAKite said:
Surely the silution would be to ensure the car is insured, and ensure an MOT is booked for when you arrive in the Uzk, and take it straight to the MOT...
Clearly too obvious.
The government policy statement is also obvious and clearly doesn't allow that. Direct quote below.

"If you bring your vehicle back to the UK untaxed you cannot drive it back into the UK - it’ll have to be transported and a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) must be made straight away."

Personally I wouldn't want to take the chance without obtaining confirmation from the DVLA.

rdjohn

6,198 posts

196 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
I intended exporting my 17-year old car to Spain, but changed my mind. It had been there for over a year.

I took it to a local ITV station there, to have a roadworthy certificate, I sent a copy of that to my UK insurers who were satisfied it was roadworthy. Booked an MOT at my local station and drove the car home.

Everyone seemed happy. This was back in 2007, pre-Brexit, but I do not see why things might have changed that much.

E-bmw

9,247 posts

153 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
mph said:
E-bmw said:
HiAsAKite said:
Surely the silution would be to ensure the car is insured, and ensure an MOT is booked for when you arrive in the Uzk, and take it straight to the MOT...
Clearly too obvious.
The government policy statement is also obvious and clearly doesn't allow that. Direct quote below.

"If you bring your vehicle back to the UK untaxed you cannot drive it back into the UK - it’ll have to be transported and a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) must be made straight away."

Personally I wouldn't want to take the chance without obtaining confirmation from the DVLA.
Who said anything about untaxed?

mph

2,338 posts

283 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
I'm looking at purchasing and then bringing a UK registered car back from France. The MOT has expired. The owner is an expat Brit, has looked into the subject, and is adamant that it can't be driven back into the UK.

In the event I don't buy it he's going to have it transported back to the UK in a few months time.

I was considering the pre-booked MOT route but I've recently seen the Government statement seems to contradict that.

Will be interesting to know if anyone has actually taken advice from the DVLA rather than just taken a chance with the pre-booked MOT.


mph

2,338 posts

283 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
Who said anything about untaxed?
The OP.

Also assumption on my part that this would be the most likely situation for most people.

Edited by mph on Sunday 28th April 12:04


Edited by mph on Sunday 28th April 12:04

E-bmw

9,247 posts

153 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
Furrymuff, the OP did, I was assuming it would be taxed, as at least you might stand a chance then.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,459 posts

151 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
Grumps. said:
Yep I do indeed.

If the op gets stopped on his way back at 5pm and still has 100 odd miles from the mot test centre, how do you explain that?

Test centres would be closed by the time he got there so in the eyes of the law, he wouldn’t be driving to a test centre.
He would be driving to a test centre, if he is. I've done exactly this, Malaga to pre booked MOT in London. Arrived at MOT garage at 8pm, left car there and walked home. Walked back the next morning to hand over keys at opening time.

If you're driving to an MOT centre for a pre booked MOT, from Dover to Aberdeen or wherever, there's not a damn thing any police officer can do about it.

BertBert

19,090 posts

212 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
mph said:
"If you bring your vehicle back to the UK untaxed you cannot drive it back into the UK - it’ll have to be transported and a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) must be made straight away."
Assuming that's correct in law (and quite a lot of stuff published on official sites isn't), then the only place this can be enforced is at the entry to the UK. They would have to be checking taxed status of all the UK cars entering. Otherwise, once you are in how would it be different from any other untaxed car driving around?

rdjohn

6,198 posts

196 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
BertBert said:
Assuming that's correct in law (and quite a lot of stuff published on official sites isn't), then the only place this can be enforced is at the entry to the UK. They would have to be checking taxed status of all the UK cars entering. Otherwise, once you are in how would it be different from any other untaxed car driving around?
Exactly, no one displays a tax disc any longer and the Police are not fussed, as long as you are insured.

As you cannot tax a car without an MoT, then the prior appointment is most important, in lieu of.

I am also certain that if you write to DVLA to seek their opinion, they will say that you must have tax.

QED don't go looking for problems.