Using a foreign car in the UK beyond the 6 months allowed?
Discussion
Hey guys
My Polish girlfriend has been using her Polish car in the UK on the 6 month allowance for temporary residents. After that, you have to register the car in the UK, which means getting it MOT'd and paying road tax and UK insurance.
Fair dos, but she's going to take it back to Poland and sell it anyway as it's LHD and she can get more for it there; then she'll buy a UK car when she's back.
Problem is, due to work commitments, she's going to struggle to take it back before the 6 months is up in a couple of weeks time. We need another 4 weeks or so. We asked the DVLA and they told us to contact HMRC at Dorset House to ask for an extension. They haven't replied to our letter yet; I rang them today and they said that they couldn't deal with it and gave me a general helpdesk number which turned out to be for income tax... useless.
So really my question is: what happens if she goes over the 6 months? Will she be fined/the vehicle impounded?
I believe they KNOW the date the car was 'temporarily imported' into the UK so don't want to risk driving round in it after the 6 months not knowing what the consequences are (DVLA don't give us a straight answer).
Anyone know? The rule also says that you're allowed to use it for 6 months in a 12 month period. Erm... hello? How the hell is that monitored/recorded? Surely you could have it on the driveway every weekend for the first 6 months so really you've got 48 days spare so could use for 6 months plus another 48 working days i.e. another 9 weeks or so??
I think this is one of those cases where trying to do 'the right thing' is more hassle than just ignoring the law and trying to get away with it, like most people would do anyway!!
Cheers
Rossi
My Polish girlfriend has been using her Polish car in the UK on the 6 month allowance for temporary residents. After that, you have to register the car in the UK, which means getting it MOT'd and paying road tax and UK insurance.
Fair dos, but she's going to take it back to Poland and sell it anyway as it's LHD and she can get more for it there; then she'll buy a UK car when she's back.
Problem is, due to work commitments, she's going to struggle to take it back before the 6 months is up in a couple of weeks time. We need another 4 weeks or so. We asked the DVLA and they told us to contact HMRC at Dorset House to ask for an extension. They haven't replied to our letter yet; I rang them today and they said that they couldn't deal with it and gave me a general helpdesk number which turned out to be for income tax... useless.
So really my question is: what happens if she goes over the 6 months? Will she be fined/the vehicle impounded?
I believe they KNOW the date the car was 'temporarily imported' into the UK so don't want to risk driving round in it after the 6 months not knowing what the consequences are (DVLA don't give us a straight answer).
Anyone know? The rule also says that you're allowed to use it for 6 months in a 12 month period. Erm... hello? How the hell is that monitored/recorded? Surely you could have it on the driveway every weekend for the first 6 months so really you've got 48 days spare so could use for 6 months plus another 48 working days i.e. another 9 weeks or so??
I think this is one of those cases where trying to do 'the right thing' is more hassle than just ignoring the law and trying to get away with it, like most people would do anyway!!
Cheers
Rossi
I'd be inclined to park it up in a garage somewhere until it can be taken back.
The dvla will clamp it if they see it and believe it's been in the country for over 6 months, I had the pleasure of this when they clamped my Spanish reg'd car after 5 months because of a prat of a neighbour ringing them up.
I showed them eurotunnel tickets and they removed the clamp with a warning that they would be back to check in a month.
Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?
The dvla will clamp it if they see it and believe it's been in the country for over 6 months, I had the pleasure of this when they clamped my Spanish reg'd car after 5 months because of a prat of a neighbour ringing them up.
I showed them eurotunnel tickets and they removed the clamp with a warning that they would be back to check in a month.
Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?
PH's favourite Daily Wail has this fairly recent article, the gist being "The figures released by the Department of Transport reveal that last year [2012] they caught only four out of an estimated 15,000 foreign vehicles using Britain's roads illegally. And of those owners that were caught none were prosecuted. The four which were caught were clamped."
Thanks guys... good idea about a garage... the chances of being spotted on the day she drives it to Poland are pretty remote and surely they'd be content if we explained we're taking it back there and then and show them the ferry tickets!!
Re: "Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?" I asked her the same and apparently when she drove through the border they took the details or something...?
Interesting article... sounds like we'd get away with it, but knowing our luck we'd be the 5th one they clamp and the 1st one they prosecute
The thing about leaving the country and coming back again... I believe that USED to be a work around but it doesn't work anymore - if the car has the same registration, they still have the original date on file (somewhere - although I'm not convinced they do...)...
Re: "Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?" I asked her the same and apparently when she drove through the border they took the details or something...?
Interesting article... sounds like we'd get away with it, but knowing our luck we'd be the 5th one they clamp and the 1st one they prosecute
The thing about leaving the country and coming back again... I believe that USED to be a work around but it doesn't work anymore - if the car has the same registration, they still have the original date on file (somewhere - although I'm not convinced they do...)...
mrrossi said:
Thanks guys... good idea about a garage... the chances of being spotted on the day she drives it to Poland are pretty remote and surely they'd be content if we explained we're taking it back there and then and show them the ferry tickets!!
Re: "Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?" I asked her the same and apparently when she drove through the border they took the details or something...?
Interesting article... sounds like we'd get away with it, but knowing our luck we'd be the 5th one they clamp and the 1st one they prosecute
The thing about leaving the country and coming back again... I believe that USED to be a work around but it doesn't work anymore - if the car has the same registration, they still have the original date on file (somewhere - although I'm not convinced they do...)...
Given this a lot of thought myself recently, but with UK cars in Europe. Loads of people overstay their 6 month period, and a few more just go back and forth across a handy border, just in case. Lots of tricky issues involving residency, fiscal domicile, and so on... Insurance is the biggie. I am in the process of reregistering an EU supplied car from UK to French plates. Haven't got very far!!Re: "Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?" I asked her the same and apparently when she drove through the border they took the details or something...?
Interesting article... sounds like we'd get away with it, but knowing our luck we'd be the 5th one they clamp and the 1st one they prosecute
The thing about leaving the country and coming back again... I believe that USED to be a work around but it doesn't work anymore - if the car has the same registration, they still have the original date on file (somewhere - although I'm not convinced they do...)...
mrrossi said:
Thanks guys... good idea about a garage... the chances of being spotted on the day she drives it to Poland are pretty remote and surely they'd be content if we explained we're taking it back there and then and show them the ferry tickets!!
Re: "Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?" I asked her the same and apparently when she drove through the border they took the details or something...?
Interesting article... sounds like we'd get away with it, but knowing our luck we'd be the 5th one they clamp and the 1st one they prosecute
The thing about leaving the country and coming back again... I believe that USED to be a work around but it doesn't work anymore - if the car has the same registration, they still have the original date on file (somewhere - although I'm not convinced they do...)...
Given this a lot of thought myself recently, but with UK cars in Europe. Loads of people overstay their 6 month period, and a few more just go back and forth across a handy border, just in case. Lots of tricky issues involving residency, fiscal domicile, and so on... Insurance is the biggie. I am in the process of reregistering an EU supplied car from UK to French plates. Haven't got very far!!Re: "Why do you think they know when the car came into the uk?" I asked her the same and apparently when she drove through the border they took the details or something...?
Interesting article... sounds like we'd get away with it, but knowing our luck we'd be the 5th one they clamp and the 1st one they prosecute
The thing about leaving the country and coming back again... I believe that USED to be a work around but it doesn't work anymore - if the car has the same registration, they still have the original date on file (somewhere - although I'm not convinced they do...)...
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