Driving a Foreign Vehicle on UK Soil
Discussion
I was always aware that UK Nationals were forbidden to drive foreign registered vehicles in the UK. I was also aware that the DVLA would allow temporary usage say a UK national drives back in their French registered vehicle from France where they live - but what about this situation:
A well known UK based Haulage Company (Green and White) now has foreign registered lorries. Does the above ruling mean that UK drivers cannot drive them here. Surely UK drivers could take this to the European Court since it prohibits free movement of their job!
John
A well known UK based Haulage Company (Green and White) now has foreign registered lorries. Does the above ruling mean that UK drivers cannot drive them here. Surely UK drivers could take this to the European Court since it prohibits free movement of their job!
John
That would be Bulgarian registered trucks most likely. Its because Bulgaria is signed up to the Europe wide scheme for HGVs so can travel throughout Europe without hindrance but their regulation is very low and some key areas of the operators licence is different so it allows the haulier to escape some regulation here. It is very common for Brit trucks to be reregistered there for this reason.
It's perfectly legitimate to drive a foreign-registered vehicle where it's provided by your employer.
Don't forget all those foreign-registered wagons will have paid the HGV levy. https://www.gov.uk/hgv-levy
Nationality of the driver's irrelevant for that.
Don't forget all those foreign-registered wagons will have paid the HGV levy. https://www.gov.uk/hgv-levy
Nationality of the driver's irrelevant for that.
Greenmantle said:
TooMany2cvs said:
It's perfectly legitimate to drive a foreign-registered vehicle where it's provided by your employer.
Right so my own company can buy a foreign registered BMW for me (employee) to drive in this country.I fancy a newish M6.
TooMany2cvs said:
Greenmantle said:
TooMany2cvs said:
It's perfectly legitimate to drive a foreign-registered vehicle where it's provided by your employer.
Right so my own company can buy a foreign registered BMW for me (employee) to drive in this country.I fancy a newish M6.
User33678888 said:
My company actually is in the process of setting up an office in Germany. What I'd like is a RHD German registered car for using in the UK. Happy to pay all the BIK and stuff, but getting out of speeding/parking/congestion enforcement capabilities would be, er, beneficial..
Perhaps you forgot that the UK's been able to ask Germany for registered keeper information for a while, to enforce tickets - as of this spring, Germany can do the same the other way.Privatised charges have always been enforceable - they simply sell the debt to German agents to follow up.
If it's illegal for me to drive a foreign registered vehicle, what happens to about a used car sold to me in Germany. The vehicle is given a export plate valid for fixed period (upto 30 days I believe dependent on the fee payed) comes with new Germany test papers and insured via a UK broker using the VIN. As I see it the vehicle isn't registered anywhere, it's been sold for export , so is in "no mans land" can I drive it home?
W124Bob said:
If it's illegal for me to drive a foreign registered vehicle, what happens to about a used car sold to me in Germany. The vehicle is given a export plate valid for fixed period (upto 30 days I believe dependent on the fee payed) comes with new Germany test papers and insured via a UK broker using the VIN. As I see it the vehicle isn't registered anywhere
It's on temporary German plates, it's registered in Germany. Those German export plates include German insurance, btw.W124Bob said:
it's been sold for export , so is in "no mans land" can I drive it home?
Strictly speaking, no - you should be trailering it from the port. It'd be a very harsh TrafPol to nick you there, though.User33678888 said:
My company actually is in the process of setting up an office in Germany. What I'd like is a RHD German registered car for using in the UK. Happy to pay all the BIK and stuff, but getting out of speeding/parking/congestion enforcement capabilities would be, er, beneficial..
I used to work with a company some years ago that did this for its direct employees. Certainly now the congestion charge would be pursued, but I can't imagine a lot of speeding etc penalties just get dropped.mgv8 said:
I have driven an EU car in the UK that I owned that was fully legal. There are dependents around this, but it can be done.
If you live in the UK then it's not legal. It has to be registered, taxed and MOT'd. There's hundreds of Eastern Europeans who have had their cars seized because of this. Google Op Jessica W124Bob said:
If it's illegal for me to drive a foreign registered vehicle, what happens to about a used car sold to me in Germany. The vehicle is given a export plate valid for fixed period (upto 30 days I believe dependent on the fee payed) comes with new Germany test papers and insured via a UK broker using the VIN. As I see it the vehicle isn't registered anywhere, it's been sold for export , so is in "no mans land" can I drive it home?
If you are importing a vehicle, I pretty sure you get a single journey from port to home.There are two simple answers
1. The LGV will be based in the country of registration and can be used throughout EU with taxpaid locally
2. private vehicles :
A permanent resident of an EU member state must have his vehicle registered in that state
A visitor may drive a vehicle for upto 12 months as long as they are not deemed resident,once they become resident then the vehicle must be immediately registered in that state(residency is normally 6 months however)
A resident bringing a vehicle in permanently must register it immediately
In a nutshell .. but there are some variances/exceptions for certain Circs
1. The LGV will be based in the country of registration and can be used throughout EU with taxpaid locally
2. private vehicles :
A permanent resident of an EU member state must have his vehicle registered in that state
A visitor may drive a vehicle for upto 12 months as long as they are not deemed resident,once they become resident then the vehicle must be immediately registered in that state(residency is normally 6 months however)
A resident bringing a vehicle in permanently must register it immediately
In a nutshell .. but there are some variances/exceptions for certain Circs
Greenmantle said:
I was always aware that UK Nationals were forbidden to drive foreign registered vehicles in the UK. I was also aware that the DVLA would allow temporary usage say a UK national drives back in their French registered vehicle from France where they live - but what about this situation:
A well known UK based Haulage Company (Green and White) now has foreign registered lorries. Does the above ruling mean that UK drivers cannot drive them here. Surely UK drivers could take this to the European Court since it prohibits free movement of their job!
John
What about vehicles registered in Ireland A well known UK based Haulage Company (Green and White) now has foreign registered lorries. Does the above ruling mean that UK drivers cannot drive them here. Surely UK drivers could take this to the European Court since it prohibits free movement of their job!
John
SantaBarbara said:
Greenmantle said:
I was always aware that UK Nationals were forbidden to drive foreign registered vehicles in the UK. I was also aware that the DVLA would allow temporary usage say a UK national drives back in their French registered vehicle from France where they live - but what about this situation:
A well known UK based Haulage Company (Green and White) now has foreign registered lorries. Does the above ruling mean that UK drivers cannot drive them here. Surely UK drivers could take this to the European Court since it prohibits free movement of their job!
What about vehicles registered in Ireland A well known UK based Haulage Company (Green and White) now has foreign registered lorries. Does the above ruling mean that UK drivers cannot drive them here. Surely UK drivers could take this to the European Court since it prohibits free movement of their job!
This isn't terribly difficult.
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