ExPat Insurance Question

[ClassicInternational]

Good morning (afternoon), all!

I'm hoping someone here may have experience with this situation and can offer advice please.

I (a UK national) now live in the United States. At the same time, I own a modified classic car that lives in the UK - garaged with family. I no longer have a UK drivers license, and haven't resided in the UK for several years. The classic car has been off the road until now - and I now find myself in the position where it needs insurance to be driven.

Has anyone here successfully managed to obtain car insurance as an expat? On a car in the UK? I've been struggling to find an insurance provider that will offer coverage (based on it being classic, modified and me being out the country)

Fingers crossed someone here has some knowledge of this - or has insurance experience and can offer advice.

Thanks so much for any help.

[randlemarcus]

If you're not in the country, who is driving it? Might be easier for them to get insurance than you.

If it is you, on the odd occasion , maybe look at one of the temp cover companies for 24hr periods, they seem less fussy than usual.

[ClassicInternational]

That's kind of the challenge - no one else will be driving it.

It will be garaged for about 99% of the year (makes you wonder why I still have it doesn't it?)

I also want it to be covered for when it's just sitting around, slowly rusting away .

[alscar]

I would suggest that insuring in your name here without an address or licence will indeed be difficult if not impossible and that’s before the issue of modifications.
Why cannot the family mentioned and where the car is insure it ?
Who will actually be driving it ?
Presumably it’s not currently Insured for storage ie Fire and Theft ?

[alscar]

ClassicInternational said:

That's kind of the challenge - no one else will be driving it.

It will be garaged for about 99% of the year (makes you wonder why I still have it doesn't it?)

I also want it to be covered for when it's just sitting around, slowly rusting away .

If no one is driving it then the family where the car is should insure it.
If storage risk only shouldn’t be that hard especially not if you contact one of the Classic insurers.
I imagine the same Insurer may also provide road risk but this is where your problem will potentially be as RTA liability will obviously be needed.
But depending on values etc even if they only provided say 1 weeks driving cover over a 12 months period I wouldn’t have thought it impossible unless the family also don’t drive currently ?

[mr_spock]

I wanted to insure a UK car for my US wife, although at the time I was in the UK and had a UK license. I only found one company who would insure her without a UK license, I think it was Progressive. Most won’t .

You may need to have the registered keeper as a UK national with a UK address, have TPFT cover for them, then use someone like USAA to cover you as a driver of any vehicle. Or, a UK insurer could cover you as an additional driver, which is what my mum does for me on her Uk car using my US license details so it’s legit.

[ClassicInternational]

Yeah - that makes complete sense.
The only person that will be driving it, will be me. Although, it's with my brother in the garage - so he will probably run it to make sure it's good to go etc. for when I'm back in town.
Seems like the best bet would be to get them to insure it - would this mean they need to be registered keeper on the V5?
And I'd need to be a named driver for when I'm back?

[ClassicInternational]

mr_spock said:

I wanted to insure a UK car for my US wife, although at the time I was in the UK and had a UK license. I only found one company who would insure her without a UK license, I think it was Progressive. Most won’t .

You may need to have the registered keeper as a UK national with a UK address, have TPFT cover for them, then use someone like USAA to cover you as a driver of any vehicle. Or, a UK insurer could cover you as an additional driver, which is what my mum does for me on her Uk car using my US license details so it’s legit.

This is really helpful - thank you. So you're on a UK policy as a named driver, whilst you're living out in the US on a US license? Do you know which insurer that's with?

[alscar]

ClassicInternational said:

Yeah - that makes complete sense.
The only person that will be driving it, will be me. Although, it's with my brother in the garage - so he will probably run it to make sure it's good to go etc. for when I'm back in town.
Seems like the best bet would be to get them to insure it - would this mean they need to be registered keeper on the V5?
And I'd need to be a named driver for when I'm back?

You could try a company here called Clements Worldwide who seemingly offer ex pat insurance - whether that covers your situation I know not.
But otherwise yes get your Brother to insure it in his name ( he does not need to be the RK but does need to declare who is ) and then add yourself as Named Driver.
If he is lucky he may be able to insure it as storage and then say it will only be driven when the named driver is visiting etc.

[Rumdoodle]

https://www.keithmichaels.co.uk/expat-car-insuranc...

They will insure a UK registered car (including classics) kept in the UK by a policyholder who is a non-resident British citizen.

Edited by Rumdoodle on Thursday 4th January 15:29

[AWRacing]

Surely it’d be worth exporting it to the States so you can drive it all the time?

[ClassicInternational]

AWRacing said:

Surely it’d be worth exporting it to the States so you can drive it all the time?

A few reasons why not - I live in the middle of NYC - so nowhere to drive it, and no garage to keep it in - and I quite like the pointlessness of owning a great car back in the UK for when I'm visiting. it always makes me smile to see if when I'm there.

[Chucklehead]

classicline insurance does laid up cover, and so long as you have a UK address (i assume where the car is stored) then i don't see it should be that difficult.

The few times of year you want to actually drive it, cross that bridge when you come to it..

[AWRacing]

ClassicInternational said:

AWRacing said:

Surely it’d be worth exporting it to the States so you can drive it all the time?

A few reasons why not - I live in the middle of NYC - so nowhere to drive it, and no garage to keep it in - and I quite like the pointlessness of owning a great car back in the UK for when I'm visiting. it always makes me smile to see if when I'm there.

That's fair, you forget people might emigrate to a city rather than a leafy suburb.

[ClassicInternational]

Rumdoodle said:

They will insure a UK registered car (including classics) kept in the UK by a policyholder who is a non-resident British citizen.

Edited by Rumdoodle on Thursday 4th January 15:29

Thank you - I managed to get a quote from these guys, and also from Norton Insurance Brokers. Waiting on a quote from Hagerty as well. So seems there are options - albeit somewhat pricier than standard insurance

[Rumdoodle]

ClassicInternational said:

Thank you - I managed to get a quote from these guys, and also from Norton Insurance Brokers. Waiting on a quote from Hagerty as well. So seems there are options - albeit somewhat pricier than standard insurance

You're welcome. I think the premiums can be double the usual rate, but I think it's worth dealing with a specialist.

[shirt]

Try Clements Worldwide also.

[ClassicInternational]

shirt said:

Try Clements Worldwide also.

Thanks - I've reached out to them as well.

[shirt]

I would have recommended Chloe at Clements but here she’s moved on now. Most expats I know in UAE with cars abroad are insured via Clements. They also used to arrange fully comp classic policies within the UAE before they became the norm. Very helpful.

[mr_spock]

ClassicInternational said:

mr_spock said:

I wanted to insure a UK car for my US wife, although at the time I was in the UK and had a UK license. I only found one company who would insure her without a UK license, I think it was Progressive. Most won’t .

You may need to have the registered keeper as a UK national with a UK address, have TPFT cover for them, then use someone like USAA to cover you as a driver of any vehicle. Or, a UK insurer could cover you as an additional driver, which is what my mum does for me on her Uk car using my US license details so it’s legit.

This is really helpful - thank you. So you're on a UK policy as a named driver, whilst you're living out in the US on a US license? Do you know which insurer that's with?

Yes, but it's my mum's "normal" car and she's 94 so on some oldies policy I think. Admiral maybe? I'll ask if you need.