UK resident to drive a foreign car on UK roads

[surveyor]

I believe that this is illegal, although I've yet to come up with the magic conundrum of words to help find an authoritative source to see if there are any exemptions

I know have a scenario which applies to me fairly often.

Fly to Dublin, hire a Irish registered car.
Drive to Northern Ireland.

I now wonder whether I am breaking the law?

[Mammasaid]

surveyor said:

I believe that this is illegal, although I've yet to come up with the magic conundrum of words to help find an authoritative source to see if there are any exemptions

I know have a scenario which applies to me fairly often.

Fly to Dublin, hire a Irish registered car.
Drive to Northern Ireland.

I now wonder whether I am breaking the law?

No.

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/...

[surveyor]

Mammasaid said:

surveyor said:

I believe that this is illegal, although I've yet to come up with the magic conundrum of words to help find an authoritative source to see if there are any exemptions

I know have a scenario which applies to me fairly often.

Fly to Dublin, hire a Irish registered car.
Drive to Northern Ireland.

I now wonder whether I am breaking the law?

No.

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/...

That exemption seems to rely upon one not being resident in the UK. Which I am.

[catso]

Surely a UK resident can drive a car they hired in another EU country in the UK, subject to it being insured and the hirer allowing it to be taken abroad?

[Mammasaid]

surveyor said:

That exemption seems to rely upon one not being resident in the UK. Which I am.

A common sense approach would be that you are visiting temporarily the UK whilst in a EU vehicle for < 6 months, and you will be returning to the originating EU company to return said vehicle before returning to the UK to resume residency.

In which case you comply with the rules.

[Mandat]

Mammasaid said:

surveyor said:

That exemption seems to rely upon one not being resident in the UK. Which I am.

A common sense approach would be that you are visiting temporarily the UK whilst in a EU vehicle for < 6 months, and you will be returning to the originating EU company to return said vehicle before returning to the UK to resume residency.

In which case you comply with the rules.

The point is that if you are already a UK resident, then the rules appear to say that you cannot drive a EU registered vehicle in the UK.

[CABC]

certainly the case elsewhere in Europe. CH and P i know about. I suspect it's a law across most countries.
Justifications include tax avoidance where domestic cars are dearer and easier law enforcement on locals.

[Paul Dishman]

surveyor said:

I believe that this is illegal, although I've yet to come up with the magic conundrum of words to help find an authoritative source to see if there are any exemptions

I know have a scenario which applies to me fairly often.

Fly to Dublin, hire a Irish registered car.
Drive to Northern Ireland.

I now wonder whether I am breaking the law?

I've done that lots of times with out a problem. I tell the hire company that I'm taking it out of the Free State and they've always ok'd it.

[surveyor]

Paul Dishman said:

surveyor said:

I believe that this is illegal, although I've yet to come up with the magic conundrum of words to help find an authoritative source to see if there are any exemptions

I know have a scenario which applies to me fairly often.

Fly to Dublin, hire a Irish registered car.
Drive to Northern Ireland.

I now wonder whether I am breaking the law?

I've done that lots of times with out a problem. I tell the hire company that I'm taking it out of the Free State and they've always ok'd it.

It's not a problem to the hire company.... But it appears on first glace that I am breaking the law?

[Sheepshanks]

surveyor said:

I believe that this is illegal,
......
I now wonder whether I am breaking the law?

I could be wrong, but I didn't think this was illegal as such, rather it's a breach of Customs regulations. So you'd get a civil penalty, rather than prosecution and a fine.

If that's correct then common sense can be applied to a greater extent that if was a strict offence.

[sim72]

I believe this is wrong. If the vehicle is on a lease (or is owned by a company from, and which you are working for) another country, it is OK. If that was not the case, UK drivers could not drive foreign-registered trucks in the UK, which would be a bit of a problem if you were shunting a truck from one site to another (a regular occurrence at logistics terminals). I think that this would also cover hire cars.

[nyt]

This seems pretty definitive: http://www.hughesguides.com/foreignvehicles.pdf

[lenard]

the polish bloke living opposite me who has lived here for years has been driving around in a polish Toyota for the last year. wonder if he has insurance etc. its on polish plates

[Elroy Blue]

Google Op Jessica. We've seized hundreds of foreign registered cars

[surveyor]

sim72 said:

I believe this is wrong. If the vehicle is on a lease (or is owned by a company from, and which you are working for) another country, it is OK. If that was not the case, UK drivers could not drive foreign-registered trucks in the UK, which would be a bit of a problem if you were shunting a truck from one site to another (a regular occurrence at logistics terminals). I think that this would also cover hire cars.

Is a hire car on a lease? It's an interesting/unusual term on a road law....

[Sheepshanks]

surveyor said:

Is a hire car on a lease? It's an interesting/unusual term on a road law....

What I suggested earlier seems to be supported by the document linked above - it's not a specific offence, and the doc talks about penalties (rather than fines).

The only "road law" part is the vehicle might need an MOT if it's more than 3yrs old.

[Mandat]

lenard said:

the polish bloke living opposite me who has lived here for years has been driving around in a polish Toyota for the last year. wonder if he has insurance etc. its on polish plates

Do you think that there is no requirement for insurance in Poland, or any other EU country?

[Gareth79]

Mandat said:

lenard said:

the polish bloke living opposite me who has lived here for years has been driving around in a polish Toyota for the last year. wonder if he has insurance etc. its on polish plates

Do you think that there is no requirement for insurance in Poland, or any other EU country?

The question is whether it's insured in Poland, and whether that insurance covers a car that spends the majority of its time in the UK.

[BlueHave]

Gareth79 said:

Mandat said:

lenard said:

the polish bloke living opposite me who has lived here for years has been driving around in a polish Toyota for the last year. wonder if he has insurance etc. its on polish plates

Do you think that there is no requirement for insurance in Poland, or any other EU country?

The question is whether it's insured in Poland, and whether that insurance covers a car that spends the majority of its time in the UK.

Car insurance in Poland is probably buttons compared to the UK.

[phil y]

Back in 2010, I drove back from France in a French reg hire car as my car was being repaired over there and I needed to get back.
I was unaware of any potential legal issue at the time, but in the circumstances I'd probably do it again.

If you can prove that you are driving a car rented for a fixed term, and it's clear that you will be returning it to the country of origin, I can't see how the police could justify prosecuting you.