can i insure my UK car with foreign insurance
Discussion
McSam said:
sinizter, I think what matters - as far as I am concerned - is how you take the policy out. If you can be totally straight up with the insurers and tell them you live in the UK, all the time, with only occasional trips somewhere near the country in which the provider is based then fine. If you have to lie to them, as the universal consensus seems to be, then it is fraud, isn't it?
No issue with it if the insurers are happy to do it when they have all the facts. But let's face it, with false/dubious addresses flying around that opportunity will never be presented to them, which is why I don't approve.
I agree with everything here.No issue with it if the insurers are happy to do it when they have all the facts. But let's face it, with false/dubious addresses flying around that opportunity will never be presented to them, which is why I don't approve.
Edited by McSam on Monday 23 July 10:54
Declare things as it is - if they are happy to provide cover, all correct and legal.
If you really want to do this, export your car and register and insure it in another country, or simply buy one that's already registered overseas (plenty on AT/Ebay). As someone that has driven a Dutch registered RHD car here for much more than the permitted time limit I can tell you with 100% certainty here that our plod simply have no interest/don't give a toss (it was a company vehicle of the Dutch company I was working for at the time, and apparently an ex UK motor too, hence the RHD). I was never stopped once and was always waved straight through at any ANPR-style check points.
Doing it on a personal level however, I think you would struggle to save any money doing it as while their insurance is often much cheaper their equivalent of our road tax is often much more expensive. Plus you would also have the issue of import duty and - as others have mentioned - finding an insurer that will still cover you for extended periods in the UK.
Bottom line is that whichever way you try to do it it's more hassle than it's worth and any savings you do make will be negligible.
Doing it on a personal level however, I think you would struggle to save any money doing it as while their insurance is often much cheaper their equivalent of our road tax is often much more expensive. Plus you would also have the issue of import duty and - as others have mentioned - finding an insurer that will still cover you for extended periods in the UK.
Bottom line is that whichever way you try to do it it's more hassle than it's worth and any savings you do make will be negligible.
All that jazz said:
If you really want to do this, export your car and register and insure it in another country, or simply buy one that's already registered overseas (plenty on AT/Ebay). As someone that has driven a Dutch registered RHD car here for much more than the permitted time limit I can tell you with 100% certainty here that our plod simply have no interest/don't give a toss (it was a company vehicle of the Dutch company I was working for at the time, and apparently an ex UK motor too, hence the RHD). I was never stopped once and was always waved straight through at any ANPR-style check points.
Doing it on a personal level however, I think you would struggle to save any money doing it as while their insurance is often much cheaper their equivalent of our road tax is often much more expensive. Plus you would also have the issue of import duty and - as others have mentioned - finding an insurer that will still cover you for extended periods in the UK.
Bottom line is that whichever way you try to do it it's more hassle than it's worth and any savings you do make will be negligible.
A company car can be kept here for as long as you want, not just the 6 months.Doing it on a personal level however, I think you would struggle to save any money doing it as while their insurance is often much cheaper their equivalent of our road tax is often much more expensive. Plus you would also have the issue of import duty and - as others have mentioned - finding an insurer that will still cover you for extended periods in the UK.
Bottom line is that whichever way you try to do it it's more hassle than it's worth and any savings you do make will be negligible.
The rest may be true - no argument there.
kambites said:
Another thing to consider - it's not a given that a foreign policy will provide the minimum level of cover required by British law?
TPO is minimum cover in every European countryMost European insurers insure the car and the car only
Anyone can drive it and anywhere in Europe with a permanent green card at no extra cost.
Thats the bit that I like
300bhp/ton said:
McSam said:
I'm pretty sure not. And I hope not.
Most companies will only provide a maximum of 120 days out-of-country cover, then it gets expensive. Next you'll be trying to tax it elsewhere and test it elsewhere, pay your income tax elsewhere..
erm sadly some do indeed do this kind of thing. I know of a person who's van failed an MoT big time. No probs registered it in Poland instead, it passed all the tests there no probs and its now road legal in the UK again without needing to do a single thing to it.Most companies will only provide a maximum of 120 days out-of-country cover, then it gets expensive. Next you'll be trying to tax it elsewhere and test it elsewhere, pay your income tax elsewhere..
300bhp/ton said:
erm sadly some do indeed do this kind of thing. I know of a person who's van failed an MoT big time. No probs registered it in Poland instead, it passed all the tests there no probs and its now road legal in the UK again without needing to do a single thing to it.
You can't register a car with the steering wheel on a wrong side in Poland full stop.A few facts from DVLA:
If you are resident in the UK you cannot drive a foreign registered car (except in specific circumstances).
If you are non-resident then you can drive a foreign registered car for 6 months in any 12 month period.
This means foreign registration is a non-starter legally.
Using a foreign insurance company 'may' be possible, but would not appear on MID thus leaving you open to being regularly stopped for no insurance as flagged by ANPR.
To me this is not worth the possible saving of a few quid. If your insurance really is 20% or your income I suggest you get something cheaper to insure.
If you are resident in the UK you cannot drive a foreign registered car (except in specific circumstances).
If you are non-resident then you can drive a foreign registered car for 6 months in any 12 month period.
This means foreign registration is a non-starter legally.
Using a foreign insurance company 'may' be possible, but would not appear on MID thus leaving you open to being regularly stopped for no insurance as flagged by ANPR.
To me this is not worth the possible saving of a few quid. If your insurance really is 20% or your income I suggest you get something cheaper to insure.
KevinA4quattro said:
A few facts from DVLA:
If you are resident in the UK you cannot drive a foreign registered car (except in specific circumstances).
If you are non-resident then you can drive a foreign registered car for 6 months in any 12 month period.
This means foreign registration is a non-starter legally.
Exactly what I was about to post in answer to 300BHP.If you are resident in the UK you cannot drive a foreign registered car (except in specific circumstances).
If you are non-resident then you can drive a foreign registered car for 6 months in any 12 month period.
This means foreign registration is a non-starter legally.
KevinA4quattro said:
Using a foreign insurance company 'may' be possible, but would not appear on MID thus leaving you open to being regularly stopped for no insurance as flagged by ANPR.
To me this is not worth the possible saving of a few quid. If your insurance really is 20% or your income I suggest you get something cheaper to insure.
I think the question is becoming:To me this is not worth the possible saving of a few quid. If your insurance really is 20% or your income I suggest you get something cheaper to insure.
Is there a non-UK insurer that will insure a UK vehicle, for use in the UK (either from the chassis number or number plate) at a lower cost of premium, whilst providing the insurer with the facts on usage of the vehicle?
kambites said:
djad1200 said:
TPO is minimum cover in every European country
Yes but do they have exactly the same definition of "third party"?What ever that level is will vary per country.
McHaggis said:
I think the question is becoming:
Is there a non-UK insurer that will insure a UK vehicle, for use in the UK (either from the chassis number or number plate) at a lower cost of premium, whilst providing the insurer with the facts on usage of the vehicle?
That was the questionIs there a non-UK insurer that will insure a UK vehicle, for use in the UK (either from the chassis number or number plate) at a lower cost of premium, whilst providing the insurer with the facts on usage of the vehicle?
By the way I do drive through France Belgium The Netherlands Germany and Poland every few months so that's why I worded the question like I did.
KevinA4quattro said:
...
Using a foreign insurance company 'may' be possible, but would not appear on MID thus leaving you open to being regularly stopped for no insurance as flagged by ANPR.
...
To add to this, any insurance company offering motor insurance has to be approved by an official body - the Motor Insurance Bureau, from memory, though there are experts on the forum who will give chapter and verse I am sure Using a foreign insurance company 'may' be possible, but would not appear on MID thus leaving you open to being regularly stopped for no insurance as flagged by ANPR.
...
- before they can offer motor insurance (this is so regular checks can be made that the insurers have sufficient funds to meet ongoing liabilities, among other things).An early post referred to a situation along the lines of a UK-registered car being driven by a UK citizen using a French motor insurance policy in a "Road Wars"-type programme, and whose car was seized. It was seized on the basis that the foreign insurer was not recognised by the MIB.
OP will fall into this trap early on, unless he is incredibly lucky to find a Mainland EU-based insurance company that is recognised by the MIB (or whoever oversees this part of thigs).
Regards "people can drive ianywhere in the EU on a Green card" - this is genally time-limited
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