European Insurance
Discussion
All motor insurance policies must provide the minimum level of cover fro every country in the European Union. Insurance companies as a matter of course tell po;icy holders that they restrict cover to a fixed number of days in a year, typically ninety. Is my understanding correct that they mean any cover above that minimum? If not then does that mean they can avoid a claim if I take my car overseas for six months and stay within the European Union?
I intend driving from the UK to TRNC. Since I will be in Europe for a couple of weeks on the way there I would clearly be covered. It is a legal requirement in TRNC that local insurance is purchased. I can, given a co-operative customs official, be granted permission to keep my vehicle in TRNC for up to twelve months. Since the British government has no jurisdiction there I don't need an MOT or Road Tax while in TRNC.
When I decide to return to the UK with an expired MOT and Road Tax my insurance will not cover me during the journey back and because my usual residence according to European legislation is the UK I cannot insure the car with any insurance company in any other European country.
As soon as I enter the UK I must place the car on a transporter and take I to an MOT station as it is illegal to drive it on UK roads without a valid tax disk and that cannot be obtained without a valid MOT.
The obvious thing to do is declare the vehicle as a temporary export but if it returns to the UK in under twelve months that is illegal. It is also illegal to make a statutory off-road declaration as the car must be in the country for such a declaration to be made. The official position is that for periods of up to one year a car must be road legal in its home country.
It seems therefore, that I must pay for a year's road tax, a year's insurance and an MOT in order to run my car for about three weeks in Europe. We'll not get into the natural justice of this it's clearly out-with any such concept. There must be people driving their cars across Europe all of the time these days and they all presumably are law abiding citizens. Am I to believe they are all voluntarily subsidising the UK tax payer and insurance industry by paying for something they cannot use or do I have all of this horribly wrong?
I intend driving from the UK to TRNC. Since I will be in Europe for a couple of weeks on the way there I would clearly be covered. It is a legal requirement in TRNC that local insurance is purchased. I can, given a co-operative customs official, be granted permission to keep my vehicle in TRNC for up to twelve months. Since the British government has no jurisdiction there I don't need an MOT or Road Tax while in TRNC.
When I decide to return to the UK with an expired MOT and Road Tax my insurance will not cover me during the journey back and because my usual residence according to European legislation is the UK I cannot insure the car with any insurance company in any other European country.
As soon as I enter the UK I must place the car on a transporter and take I to an MOT station as it is illegal to drive it on UK roads without a valid tax disk and that cannot be obtained without a valid MOT.
The obvious thing to do is declare the vehicle as a temporary export but if it returns to the UK in under twelve months that is illegal. It is also illegal to make a statutory off-road declaration as the car must be in the country for such a declaration to be made. The official position is that for periods of up to one year a car must be road legal in its home country.
It seems therefore, that I must pay for a year's road tax, a year's insurance and an MOT in order to run my car for about three weeks in Europe. We'll not get into the natural justice of this it's clearly out-with any such concept. There must be people driving their cars across Europe all of the time these days and they all presumably are law abiding citizens. Am I to believe they are all voluntarily subsidising the UK tax payer and insurance industry by paying for something they cannot use or do I have all of this horribly wrong?
TRNC = Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
If I had it all sussed I'd have bought a car, paid for insurance and been on my way. The whole post is a question. First fundamental element is - Insurance companies must provide third part cover in ever country but does this mean for twelve months or only for the maximum period stated in the policy?
If I had it all sussed I'd have bought a car, paid for insurance and been on my way. The whole post is a question. First fundamental element is - Insurance companies must provide third part cover in ever country but does this mean for twelve months or only for the maximum period stated in the policy?
worldlywanderer said:
TRNC = Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
If I had it all sussed I'd have bought a car, paid for insurance and been on my way. The whole post is a question. First fundamental element is - Insurance companies must provide third part cover in ever country but does this mean for twelve months or only for the maximum period stated in the policy?
They don't have to provide tp cover, they have to provide the minimum cover required by law in the country you're in. That applies to all EU and countries party to the agreement (Norway, Switzerland etc.) If that's less than tp, or tp for injury and not property damage, then that's all you'll get.If I had it all sussed I'd have bought a car, paid for insurance and been on my way. The whole post is a question. First fundamental element is - Insurance companies must provide third part cover in ever country but does this mean for twelve months or only for the maximum period stated in the policy?
That cover lasts for the whole year. The 90 days is the maximum they will provide comp for (if you have comp in the UK)
Until recently, if you were intending to use your car abroad for a long time, it would have been a material fact to disclose it and then the insurers could have declined the risk completely. But now you don't have to disclose it unless you're asked, and I don't think insurers ask "are you intending to bugger off abroad for months on end."
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