Buying a UK registered car in Switzerland

[Mayboy]

I am looking to buy a UK registered car owned by a colleague, the car is currently in Switzerland while he is working there short-term. He has SORN'd the car as he doesn't need to use it there. I want to travel there with the intention of buying it, but have no idea how I would tax it and insure it on the day. I believe the owner's insurance has also expired.

Has anyone faced this problem before? Can I tax the car there and then on internet/phone and drive it home with no tax disc?

Any guidance would be really appreciated.

Thanks

[AndrewW-G]

Make a appointment for an MOT with the first MOT station you'll see off the ferry/euro tunnel, then WALK / taxi to the nearest vehicle taxing post office or DVLA office to apply for a new tax disc, job sorted

[Papa Hotel]

Is this your colleague?

Edited by Papa Hotel on Friday 5th March 17:09

[Bill]

Does it have an MOT?

Personally I'd get the insurance in advance, travel down there and drive back with the documents stopping at a post office in Dover to get tax (so no arriving in the middle of the night or at the weekend).

Alternatively, how far from Dover do you live? If it's not far I'd be tempted to drive home and hope that if you are spotted by BiB (Which, let's face it is unlikely.) they can be persuaded to be reasonable. But this does rely on it having an MOT as I'm not that sure of my persuasive skills

[Mayboy]

The car has an MOT and i know that the offer is legitimate! I wouldn't risk driving in the UK with no tax disc so the suggestion of taxing the car on arrival in Dover seems sensible to me. I suppose the downside is insuring the car in advance and then not buying it. Do you still need to show the insurance certificate when taxing a car in the Post Office or do they just search a database?

Thanks for the advice!

[Bill]

Mayboy said:

The car has an MOT and i know that the offer is legitimate! I wouldn't risk driving in the UK with no tax disc so the suggestion of taxing the car on arrival in Dover seems sensible to me. I suppose the downside is insuring the car in advance and then not buying it. Do you still need to show the insurance certificate when taxing a car in the Post Office or do they just search a database?

Thanks for the advice!

You need the certificate. You have IIRC a 14 day cooling off period with insurance so if it falls through you could cancel it.

[Mayboy]

Hadn't thought of that. Thanks

[sunbeam_alpine]

I believe there is ANPR in the port of Dover. There are certainly various cameras pointing at your number plate as you drive through.

[poo at Paul's]

You need a green card too.
If you do risk the drive back with anything not 100%, a little tip is to get through the Swiss border control (and over zealous border guards!), just time your run to hit the border after 1130pm, and they have all gone home!

[Chris944_S2]

poo at Paul's said:

You need a green card too.
If you do risk the drive back with anything not 100%, a little tip is to get through the Swiss border control (and over zealous border guards!), just time your run to hit the border after 1130pm, and they have all gone home!

Switzerland is in Schengen now, no more border control.

[109 Bob]

If you're that worried why not do it all on line. Get your insurance to start maybe seven days before you go, then the day after your insurance starts go on line & tax it. The mot & insurance will be on the data-base, then a couple of days later a tax disc will turn up so you can take it with you.

The only thing is that you will need to get your friend to either txt or email you the V5 document reference number to be able to tax on line.

[K50 DEL]

109 Bob said:

If you're that worried why not do it all on line. Get your insurance to start maybe seven days before you go, then the day after your insurance starts go on line & tax it. The mot & insurance will be on the data-base, then a couple of days later a tax disc will turn up so you can take it with you.

The only thing is that you will need to get your friend to either txt or email you the V5 document reference number to be able to tax on line.

^^^^
Wot ee said.

[Bill]

^^^But the disc will go to the reg keeper's address.

[crofty1984]

Mayboy said:

The car has an MOT and i know that the offer is legitimate! I wouldn't risk driving in the UK with no tax disc so the suggestion of taxing the car on arrival in Dover seems sensible to me. I suppose the downside is insuring the car in advance and then not buying it. Do you still need to show the insurance certificate when taxing a car in the Post Office or do they just search a database?

Thanks for the advice!

Oh, it DOES have MOT?
Easy. Insure the car then get a tax disc online. You may end up with a few days of not displaying a ticket, but at least the ANPR won't get you. Otherwise you could o what a friend did in a similar situation:
Get insurance, drive back and then go to the first post office you see.

[Mayboy]

Just to update this, i bought the car in the end by taking two trips to Switzerland, one to view the car and leave a deposit, and one to collect it having used the time in between to insure and tax it ready for the drive back to London. Great car too, am very happy with it (E46 M3).

Thanks for the advice!

[109 Bob]

Cool.