UK car in ROI - comprehensive insurance limit
Discussion
A UK-registered car driven in the Republic of Ireland is covered by UK insurance third-party for any duration. However some insurance companies provide fully comprehensive cover, generally for a duration of 30 days or some are more generous and give 90 days.
My question is, how do these companies know how long the car has been in Ireland for? If the car crosses into Northern Ireland this is no longer classed as international travel, and the car is now in the UK. There's no record of when the car has crossed the border between NI/ROI and thus insurance companies are unable to calculate how long the car has been outside the UK, unless I'm missing something.
My question is, how do these companies know how long the car has been in Ireland for? If the car crosses into Northern Ireland this is no longer classed as international travel, and the car is now in the UK. There's no record of when the car has crossed the border between NI/ROI and thus insurance companies are unable to calculate how long the car has been outside the UK, unless I'm missing something.
E-bmw said:
They don't but with access to ferry records/booking information the onus will be on the driver to show as is usual with insurance companies.
So in theory, if you get a ferry to Belfast rather than Dublin, you can get away with spending longer than 90 days in ROI and insurance would be none the wiser?MrBen.911 said:
You might well 'get away' with it, but in the event of a major claim, do you want the stress of an investigator trying to track where you've been etc.
It's like driving with undeclared mods etc, you might get away with it, until the day you actually need the policy to respond.
Struggling to think of an alternative solution. In this case, not an Irish resident (and no permanent Irish address) however working there for at least 6 months.It's like driving with undeclared mods etc, you might get away with it, until the day you actually need the policy to respond.
UK insurance doesn't tend to cover fully comprehensive for an indefinite period. Only other option is to put on Irish plates, but you need an Irish address.
aturnick54 said:
E-bmw said:
They don't but with access to ferry records/booking information the onus will be on the driver to show as is usual with insurance companies.
So in theory, if you get a ferry to Belfast rather than Dublin, you can get away with spending longer than 90 days in ROI and insurance would be none the wiser?If there were a claim they may possibly seek proof from you, that may well constitute a simple thing like petrol receipts etc to prove you weren't there over the covered period, and if you aren't there over the 90 days then you will be fine keeping things like that for proof.
Alternatively why not just get in touch with them beforehand & tell them you are there for XXX days and they will either cover it or not or seek additional payment or not. Better that than leave it in the lap of the gods.
"Getting away with it" will NOT help if you get it wrong and have a claim that they then seek proof for.
I guess solutions are:
- Check insurers are agreeable as long as you return to Northern Ireland each 30/90/whatever days, in which case take a day trip north and make sure you document it somehow
- Find an insurer who will allow longer, if there is one.
There's also the question of where you have said the car is kept - your home postcode presumably, but are you going to be in ROI the majority of the time?
A decent broker might be able to come up with a better solution than is available via the meerkat type offerings.
- Check insurers are agreeable as long as you return to Northern Ireland each 30/90/whatever days, in which case take a day trip north and make sure you document it somehow
- Find an insurer who will allow longer, if there is one.
There's also the question of where you have said the car is kept - your home postcode presumably, but are you going to be in ROI the majority of the time?
A decent broker might be able to come up with a better solution than is available via the meerkat type offerings.
E-bmw said:
"None the wiser" is the problem if your stay leads to a claim.
If there were a claim they may possibly seek proof from you, that may well constitute a simple thing like petrol receipts etc to prove you weren't there over the covered period, and if you aren't there over the 90 days then you will be fine keeping things like that for proof.
Alternatively why not just get in touch with them beforehand & tell them you are there for XXX days and they will either cover it or not or seek additional payment or not. Better that than leave it in the lap of the gods.
"Getting away with it" will NOT help if you get it wrong and have a claim that they then seek proof for.
Fuel receipts without a number plate aren't much help as could've filled any car (unless they can put the plate on receipts? Not too familiar)If there were a claim they may possibly seek proof from you, that may well constitute a simple thing like petrol receipts etc to prove you weren't there over the covered period, and if you aren't there over the 90 days then you will be fine keeping things like that for proof.
Alternatively why not just get in touch with them beforehand & tell them you are there for XXX days and they will either cover it or not or seek additional payment or not. Better that than leave it in the lap of the gods.
"Getting away with it" will NOT help if you get it wrong and have a claim that they then seek proof for.
I guess could also book a ferry to Dublin every 90 days and hope they have no way of finding previous bookings. By law they have to provide third-party cover so they would pay out in a claim involving another driver, you are insured. It's just the matter of whether they'd cover theft/self-inflicted damage.
MrBen.911 said:
I guess solutions are:
- Check insurers are agreeable as long as you return to Northern Ireland each 30/90/whatever days, in which case take a day trip north and make sure you document it somehow
- Find an insurer who will allow longer, if there is one.
There's also the question of where you have said the car is kept - your home postcode presumably, but are you going to be in ROI the majority of the time?
A decent broker might be able to come up with a better solution than is available via the meerkat type offerings.
First one not a bad idea, I think worth a go. And perhaps a broker otherwise. I haven't seen a regular insurer that'll allow longer than LV which is up to 180 days a year. Current insurer is 90 days.- Check insurers are agreeable as long as you return to Northern Ireland each 30/90/whatever days, in which case take a day trip north and make sure you document it somehow
- Find an insurer who will allow longer, if there is one.
There's also the question of where you have said the car is kept - your home postcode presumably, but are you going to be in ROI the majority of the time?
A decent broker might be able to come up with a better solution than is available via the meerkat type offerings.
The car is kept at the UK address on the insurance, but is spending a lot of time in ROI between different addresses.
aturnick54 said:
Mortarboard said:
If it's going to be in ROI regularly and for extended periods, carry proof of insurance, home address, etc.
If customs & revenue gets flagged, they'll impound until you provide same.
M.
I guess UK driving licence and V5 are enough proof?If customs & revenue gets flagged, they'll impound until you provide same.
M.
It's to prove you're not a resident in the republic. If they suspect you're actually a resident in the south and vrt hasn't been paid, it's impound time. The Irish customs have extensive seisure powers.
M.
aturnick54 said:
First one not a bad idea, I think worth a go. And perhaps a broker otherwise. I haven't seen a regular insurer that'll allow longer than LV which is up to 180 days a year. Current insurer is 90 days.
The car is kept at the UK address on the insurance, but is spending a lot of time in ROI between different addresses.
Document your day trips to Northern Ireland with some selfies of you and your car next to local land marks, street signs etc. The car is kept at the UK address on the insurance, but is spending a lot of time in ROI between different addresses.
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