Driving a non UK registered vehicle in UK (non UK resident)

[anonymous-user]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 03 August 2021 at 19:20

[RSTurboPaul]

This will be a silly question... but it has number plates already?

You just need to get a new set that are registered to your company?

[RSTurboPaul]

I am not a lawyer or police officer...

... but I would say the risk of being pulled over in the UK and having ownership of a vehicle on Polish plates checked at the side of the road is pretty much zero. There aren't enough police to even deal with violent crime, and traffic divisions are very thin on the ground!

I can't guess what might happen in the other countries on the route, though.

[sunbeam alpine]

I think that as a minimum you need to have the insurance papers showing whatever registration is currently on the car.

I'm based in Belgium and (pre-Covid) was in the UK at least once a month in a foreign-registered car. I've only had one stop (enthusiastic progress!) and the only papers they wanted to see was my driving licence and the insurance papers.

The risk of getting pulled over is minimal so long as you drive reasonably sensibly.

[Peter3442]

When I was living in the Netherlands, I regularly visited the UK with a right-hand drive car on Dutch plates. I was stopped once. The reason given by the policeman was a bit vague: I'd moved to the right to avoid a pothole and was at the speed limit. I think the real reason were the plates and the fact the car was RHD. He asked me where I lived, where I was going, where I'd been, etc. I'm pretty sure that he didn't ask for car documents (though I had them with me) but I think he asked to see my driving licence and was happy with that being Dutch. It was all very friendly and polite and he wished me a good journey.

A UK policeman is very unlikely to understand a Polish registration document. He will probably understand an insurance certificate/green card. If you have that and a Polish driving licence, you should be fine.

[A1VDY]

I often drive back and forth to Spain in a E plated car and to date have never been pulled.
As others have mentioned, the chances of being stopped are very low..

[Plymo]

Yep, I very much doubt the UK police would know or care if the registration is up to date - or even polish car tax or whatever.

Insurance is the big one, make sure you have a copy of that with you.

[anonymous-user]

I've driven foreign cars into UK loads of time, the customs may ask you to prove you are resident in the Country the car is registered in, resident permit, also best to have a driving license from that county, as most countries require you to have one if your there over 6 months. its no big issue,