Driving a forigen car in the UK
Discussion
I have a friend that is visiting me in the UK and she is taking her car with her, I am insured to drive it, named on the policy, is it legal for me to drive the car while it is in the UK, I have no problem in driving it in her native country.
The reason I am asking is that she is a named driver on my insurance for my car but she is not allowed to drive it in her own country, she was stopped by the local police and it was explained to her that they could impound the vehicle until it was formally imported into the country and all the relevent taxes paid, vehicle tax alone would be €4000. So now I'm wondering if the same thing could happen here in the UK.
The reason I am asking is that she is a named driver on my insurance for my car but she is not allowed to drive it in her own country, she was stopped by the local police and it was explained to her that they could impound the vehicle until it was formally imported into the country and all the relevent taxes paid, vehicle tax alone would be €4000. So now I'm wondering if the same thing could happen here in the UK.
I suspect you are looking at two different things here.
Some countries have a law where residents may not own/drive foreign cars, sometimes there is a time limit to change the registration. For example a resident in Ireland may not have a foreign registered car for longer than 6 months. This is to ensure all Irish duties are paid.
There is no law in the UK to stop a foreigner driving a UK registered car (how would car hire work?) and also no law to stop a UK citizen or resident from driving a foreign registered car.
Out of interest what country is she from? I would suspect Central or Eastern Europe, they tend to be tighter on the rules.
Some countries have a law where residents may not own/drive foreign cars, sometimes there is a time limit to change the registration. For example a resident in Ireland may not have a foreign registered car for longer than 6 months. This is to ensure all Irish duties are paid.
There is no law in the UK to stop a foreigner driving a UK registered car (how would car hire work?) and also no law to stop a UK citizen or resident from driving a foreign registered car.
Out of interest what country is she from? I would suspect Central or Eastern Europe, they tend to be tighter on the rules.
Alicatt1 said:
I have a friend that is visiting me in the UK and she is taking her car with her, I am insured to drive it, named on the policy, is it legal for me to drive the car while it is in the UK, I have no problem in driving it in her native country.
The reason I am asking is that she is a named driver on my insurance for my car but she is not allowed to drive it in her own country, she was stopped by the local police and it was explained to her that they could impound the vehicle until it was formally imported into the country and all the relevent taxes paid, vehicle tax alone would be €4000. So now I'm wondering if the same thing could happen here in the UK.
Which is her country? Insurance in the EU governed by the Motor Insurance Directive 2009/103/EC. How can her local police abrogate a valid UK certificate of insurance? I can't see any grounds for UK BiB to come up with a similar scenario either.The reason I am asking is that she is a named driver on my insurance for my car but she is not allowed to drive it in her own country, she was stopped by the local police and it was explained to her that they could impound the vehicle until it was formally imported into the country and all the relevent taxes paid, vehicle tax alone would be €4000. So now I'm wondering if the same thing could happen here in the UK.
From Belgium, they are not allowed to drive a forigen registered vehicle at all. Her uncle is the senior officer in the local police headquarters and we checked this up with him, but he didn't know what the regulations are in the UK.
We spend a lot of time in either the UK or Belgium as well as other parts of Europe. I keep a motorbike in Belgium but I've had to register it in her name there as that is where I ride it most of all, I do take it back to the UK for the occasional tour but for no more than 2 weeks at a time.
We spend a lot of time in either the UK or Belgium as well as other parts of Europe. I keep a motorbike in Belgium but I've had to register it in her name there as that is where I ride it most of all, I do take it back to the UK for the occasional tour but for no more than 2 weeks at a time.
Alicatt1 said:
From Belgium, they are not allowed to drive a forigen registered vehicle at all.
Have I got this right? A Belgian national is not permitted to drive a car hired in France or the Netherlands across the border into their own country? Is the Belgian government seriously saying that a hire car from another state has to be imported into the country and taxes paid before it can be driven there by one of its citizens? If so, it is bizarre in the extreme.I still don't see how the Belgian government can retain a law which has the effect of nullfying the EU Directive on motor insurance. A supreme irony given that the EU is run from its capital city. I am amazed that this matter has not been subject to legal challenge in the ECoJ.
And we think motorists in the UK are overtaxed!
Liszt said:
Roo said:
If you hold a UK licence you can only drive a foreign registered vehicle on UK roads if you are employed in some form in the country where the vehicle is registered.
What are you smoking?!
t as the government.http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSell...
Roo said:
Ah not a UK licence but UK resident.What a weird rule. My dad, British, has a French car as he is resident in France. I am insured to drive it in France but I can not drive it here? Weird!
Liszt said:
Roo said:
Ah not a UK licence but UK resident.What a weird rule. My dad, British, has a French car as he is resident in France. I am insured to drive it in France but I can not drive it here? Weird!
Hang on.
I have a mate (yes a mate, not me) who has a house in York, and a House in Spain (Alicante I think).
He has a UK registered Merc, and a Spanish registered Astra (Opel I think).
He often goes to Spain by air, and drives his Spanish Registered car home (he is a glider Pilot and transfers his glider back and forth on one or the other cars).
Are we saying that he cannot drive the Spanish registered car in the UK? It is insured via Spain, but he has a UK licence.
I have a mate (yes a mate, not me) who has a house in York, and a House in Spain (Alicante I think).
He has a UK registered Merc, and a Spanish registered Astra (Opel I think).
He often goes to Spain by air, and drives his Spanish Registered car home (he is a glider Pilot and transfers his glider back and forth on one or the other cars).
Are we saying that he cannot drive the Spanish registered car in the UK? It is insured via Spain, but he has a UK licence.
Yes, and it is the same all over Europe.
Normally a valid explanation does the trick.
Sometimes it doesn't.
I have a house and car in the UK, I live (read am registered) in Luxembourg. Technically I should, in the eyes of Luxembourg, register all my vehicles in Lux. Which is plainly a nonsense for the bike I have only ever ridden here once.
As I have Lux registered cars as well as UK ones, I have ridden my luck a little and rely on being properly insured and only having the UK car here as a neccessity and keeping proof of ferry crossings in the car.
The truly bizarre quirk is that you can only bring a car in for six months from moving here - buy another one outside that six month window and you have to stop at customs and register it - cost under €50 as there are no taxes to pay on 2nd hand cars from inside the EU. (Although it does take a visit to three seperate government buildings all of whom ask to see the vehicle even though you are not supposed to drive it.)
Normally a valid explanation does the trick.
Sometimes it doesn't.
I have a house and car in the UK, I live (read am registered) in Luxembourg. Technically I should, in the eyes of Luxembourg, register all my vehicles in Lux. Which is plainly a nonsense for the bike I have only ever ridden here once.
As I have Lux registered cars as well as UK ones, I have ridden my luck a little and rely on being properly insured and only having the UK car here as a neccessity and keeping proof of ferry crossings in the car.
The truly bizarre quirk is that you can only bring a car in for six months from moving here - buy another one outside that six month window and you have to stop at customs and register it - cost under €50 as there are no taxes to pay on 2nd hand cars from inside the EU. (Although it does take a visit to three seperate government buildings all of whom ask to see the vehicle even though you are not supposed to drive it.)
Umm, dunno!
I try and keep them apart and not mention cars owned outside Luxembourg, although the insurance premiums would be tax deductable!
Lux recently tightened things further by passing a law that owners of holiday homes here (apparently such things exist) were no longer allowed to register cars to their holiday homes, even if they never took them outside the country.
I try and keep them apart and not mention cars owned outside Luxembourg, although the insurance premiums would be tax deductable!
Lux recently tightened things further by passing a law that owners of holiday homes here (apparently such things exist) were no longer allowed to register cars to their holiday homes, even if they never took them outside the country.
I am a UK citizen born and reside in Scotland, I also have a house in Belgium and am now retired. The import taxes for my car here are €10000 + registration €4000 +BTW (BTW=VAT @21%) but if I did that then what happens when I return to the UK I have to re-import the car again etc. etc. it is going to be cheaper to keep a car in each country! Now as for insurance, well they quoted me €4000 for omnium which is the same as fully comp here, and I pay £340 fully Comp in the UK.
Maybe I should just set up a company to have a company car
Maybe I should just set up a company to have a company car
Why do you have to pay VAT for moving a car. If the car was bought in the UK, UK VAT will have been paid at the time of first registration, and depending how it has changed hands since, possibly when it changed hands.
WE are now in the United States of Europe (in effect, I know it is more properly called the EU) and as such I thought you could move goods from one country to another without paying further duties or tax.
So the logic is that VAT (by whatever name) should not be payable in another country within the EU just for moving your lawfully purchased goods there.
WE are now in the United States of Europe (in effect, I know it is more properly called the EU) and as such I thought you could move goods from one country to another without paying further duties or tax.
So the logic is that VAT (by whatever name) should not be payable in another country within the EU just for moving your lawfully purchased goods there.
davemac250 said:
OP - you need a second opinion oon those tax and import rates.
2nd hand and sourced inside the EU, non-apply. All tax is classed as paid.
The only thing I could see Belgium could hit you with is the new +200bhp tax.
Why 2nd Hand? If bought as new elsewhere in the EU, all taxes are similarly paid are they not?2nd hand and sourced inside the EU, non-apply. All tax is classed as paid.
The only thing I could see Belgium could hit you with is the new +200bhp tax.
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