Having a car to use in UK

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
vinuela vinny
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby vinuela vinny » Fri Apr 19, 2019 1:05 pm

1bassleft wrote:Agree with your cost analysis, Peter. The same reasoning that I purchased a car for whilst in Spain
Similarly, I agree, but we also investigated Car Clubs in the UK, but there were no reasonably priced and reliable ones where we wanted to live in the UK. There might just be one in your area.......

Good luck....

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby 1bassleft » Tue Apr 23, 2019 4:12 am

I've just returned to Spain, having a bit of head-scratching around these complications. I'm with Olive in that I understand the law to be EU-wide and particularly unhelpful to the two-homes, two countries citizen. I looked into this from the reverse angle (UK resident, UK license) but it works both ways. I can drive my UK plates car on my UK license in Spain for up to 50% of the year (putting insurance to one side for the moment) and I can drive my Spanish-plated car here without limit. However, technically, as soon as my Spanish-plated car rolls out of the Chunnel with me at the wheel I can't even nip to my folks in Cheriton for a cuppa and leave it in their garage. This idea really would have appealed to me otherwise.

If you drive a UK plated car through Spain as a Spanish resident with a Spanish driver's licence it's only permissible if the UK-resident owner is sitting in the car with you. You probably wouldn't be checked if you rest your salmon-pink arm on the door, indicated where you were going and parked in legitimate places, but that's not the same as actually being legit.

I am surprised that UK insurers are refusing to quote because of your Spanish residency - I knew of enough people with EU licenses and residency who bought UK cars and insured them. Even the "parked outside a holiday static" shouldn't be a killer, especially as that would be where it's usually parked - which is what the actuary is interested in. I think a non-comparison site insurer might be more likely to get their heads around this (Saga, though not cheap, must have come across this situation), especially if you do have a plausible UK 2nd driver perhaps to take it for a spin to keep things sweet.

Many of your problems would be solved if you could enrol on the Postal University of Bognor's distance-learning BTEC Level 2 in hole-filling. Students get it so easy (as usual).

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby peteroldracer » Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:18 am

Adding this latest tangle to my other frustrations with the funcianarios in Spain is making me seriously consider if we should not be "doing a miro" and selling up and moving back to the UK. I have a real problem with tax (which is why I cannot sleep and am sitting here typing away at 6am) due to incompetence of a gestor/assoria here, still struggle with getting good health care, and the fact that we are looking to escape the summer weather here suggests the UK's climate might even suit more as we get older.
Saga say they are unable to provide "named driver" cover for more than 45 days, and I am awaiting a reply from a broker.
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:12 am

Why no just buy a UK car in you own name? In the UK there is no definition of where you live (i,e. you don't have an official address, because there is no ID card). Register the car at your friend/family home address, the insurer is only interested in where the car is kept not where you live....anyway the definition of where anyone lives is vague, even the tax man has trouble defining residence sometimes. As for drivers licence you can legally own and drive a car in the EU with an EU drivers licence.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby peteroldracer » Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:42 am

Paddy - it might be legal to use an EU licence anywhere, but insurers make their own rules.
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:57 am

Never had a problem living in the UK with a Polish licence
Confused.com even offer you the choice to tick that you have an EEC licence (sure they mean EEA)

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby Unicorn » Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:49 am

Petereoldracer

Woes over driving etc is one thing but I am truly surprised you say you are having problems with healthcare. I have nothing but praise for the health system here, but maybe it varies from area to area. The app for getting appointments is really great!

I recently had something that may or may not be serious but have been whisked through the system really fast. Also drugs are really cheap within the state health service - I had a great pile of them but paid less than 10 € for the lot.

Added to which we have a brand spanking new state hospital just been built in Estepona due to open any moment, which will be brilliant, thus avoiding going to the Costa de Sol.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby peteroldracer » Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:58 am

The basic care is ok, but it would be so much better if I was fluent rather than adequate in Spanish. Our GP is doing her best with my diabetes and COPD, but seems reluctant to send for specialist appointments to check hearing and dismisses my OH’s worries about a skin problem, not sending her to a hospital dermatology department, whereas our previous GP in Malaga province took a more proactive approach.
Medicines would of course be free in the UK, rather than the reasonable 10% cost here.
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby Lyric » Tue Apr 23, 2019 2:23 pm

Ask around and see if there is a more pro-active doctor and change.
Our last was brilliant and very willing to send the patient to hospital. He has left and we now have an inadequate.
The advantage is there is no queue.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby elusive » Tue Apr 23, 2019 2:51 pm

Paddy Pumpkin wrote:Never had a problem living in the UK with a Polish licence
Confused.com even offer you the choice to tick that you have an EEC licence (sure they mean EEA)
But they will add a few hundred to your prem for the priviliage of having a non U.K one.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby El Cid » Tue Apr 23, 2019 4:33 pm

Are you sure of that from personal experience is it just a guess?

Obviously it will depend on the insurance company, but in Spain Linea Directa only specify that you must have a licence that is valid in Spain. I can’t see why the UK would be different.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby peteroldracer » Tue Apr 23, 2019 5:49 pm

comments on here from the learned members have made me rethink a bit...Just been on a meerkat site, entered basically honest details (resident in UK since birth only one to fudge) with address as the caravan park, EU licences, example car model/age/value and got a quote no problem....had to say NCB was earned in another country and it changed to 0% NCB, but premium very affordable. It does not actually ask for your address, merely where the car will be kept. Might be an answer!
Only setup not possible is with a UK-reg car purchased in Spain, to drive across - maybe this could be covered by a Spanish insurer if they are not bothered about resident status.
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby elusive » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:44 pm

El Cid wrote:Are you sure of that from personal experience is it just a guess?

Obviously it will depend on the insurance company, but in Spain Linea Directa only specify that you must have a licence that is valid in Spain. I can’t see why the UK would be different.

Sid

I did searching through several companies last summer to see out of intrest what costs would be compaired to what i was paying before i came out. Tried with uk and E.U licence aswell to see if there would be a need to change back to a uk licence asap. and with a EU licence (everything else the same) it was at least a couple of hundred more. Insurance companies in the uk will bill you extra for anything. i had two jobs in the uk like many ppl. So one day i would be travelling in the morning to one job and later to a second.Extra charge for that as its classed as l,think it was called business milage. Where as here L.D had no intrest if it was used for the same thing.or maybe even work travel at all? I was surprised how unbothered they were been used to the uk system.Uk companies want to know where its parked during the day during the evening. On the street on a private drive in a secure garage. Etc etc Is you work carpark manned etc etc. Slightest little thing inorder to up the premium.
Last edited by elusive on Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby peteroldracer » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:49 pm

“Tried with uk and E.U licence aswell to see if there would be a need to change back to a uk licence asap. and with a EU licence (everything else the same) it was at least a couple of hundred more“
Did you change the NCB details when you switched licences? It would not accept me putting that the NCB was not earned in the UK and put this to 0, putting a lump on the premium of course.
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby elusive » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:01 pm

From what i remember i put in the same amount of no claims for them. 2 sites i checked excepted overseas no claims bonus so in theory that shouldnt have made any difference but of course online it might not be able to cope with that. But considering how uk firms like to charge you for anything they can then you can bet they will claim you have a higher risk as a E.U driver even if you are a brit with a long history whos been out of the country a few years and passed your test in the uk etc

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby elusive » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:12 pm

Only setup not possible is with a UK-reg car purchased in Spain, to drive across - maybe this could be covered by a Spanish insurer if they are not bothered about resident status.
---------

Try abbeycourt as they dont seem to be bothered about insuring "illegal" brit cars in spain. They are registared in the uk so i guess this is the get around for car must be insured in its country of reg law? .your only issue is if a "friendly" guardia stops you. As owning/driving without the owner a non E.S car is illegal as a spanish resident

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby peteroldracer » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:21 pm

“As owning/driving without the owner a non E.S car is illegal as a spanish resident[/quote]
I am beginning to wonder if this is one of those urban myths, as time and again one reads of celebs having cars at their houses all round the globe? Surely owning anything - except something like a gun - should not be illegal. If it was my car the owner would if course be in the car...it is just a question of it being road legal - taxed, tested and insured?
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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby elusive » Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:34 pm

Its the same in portugal from what ive read when looking into it. Same in uk aswell. If you buy a non es/uk plated car as a es/uk resident you have weeks to start the process to change it over rather than 6 months as a non resident

The clebs might have cars in all their holiday homes.but they wont be resident there and obviously depending on the laws of said countries. I can understand why countries make it illegal as they arent getting any road tax income and how many will bother taking it back to the uk etc to get an mot.

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby 1bassleft » Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:57 am

Don't want to muddy the waters too much here. The straightforward case is that (whatever your nationality or driver's licence) as an ES resident you can drive an ES-plate car anywhere, provided insured to at least TP standard, up to six months (returning it to Spain - and the six months don't have to be contiguous). An ES resident can drive a UK-plates car in the UK all year round, if insured. An ES resident cannot drive a UK-plates car in Spain unless the UK owner is also in the car (an exception is made for students). There's no myth about it; it is a genuine headache for Brits in France. Many simply go ahead, "I'm insured and the law is an ass", which I do have some sympathy with but is no defence if collared.

As Elusive says, though, it's all about road tax (and driving offences, to a lesser extent as info is getting shared). Insurers can handle pretty much anything presented to them; the less straightforward, the greater the benefit (or necessity) of shopping around. Personally, I wouldn't go for a UK plate located here as the choice is so limited, but a broker (perhaps familiar with the Gib-based companies) shouldn't have a major problem sorting a policy and you'd then be "chancing it" on a 1-2 day run through Spain on the wrong plates, but covered for accidents.

For cover in the UK, I also had complications. I at least got somewhere with Aviva (a whopping quote though) and - ironically and annoyingly; they're my usual UK car insurer - eSure. Both of them have longer than average comprehensive cover for driving abroad, which may also help you. As I mentioned, eSure kept me briefly on hold while they passed on my details to the actuaries in real time. This is crucial, as actuaries are the bods that work out what risk you present. Unless you get very lucky, you can't get much credit for your Spanish NCD if you still want to hold onto a Spanish car (plenty will transfer over if you're willing to relinquish, though). The simplest expedient is to buy some low-group car like a Corsa one-litre for the limited pootling you'd need it for. I do suggest 'phoning eSure; you should at least get somewhere (prepare for a long call, though).

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Re: Having a car to use in UK

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:54 pm

peteroldracer wrote:“As owning/driving without the owner a non E.S car is illegal as a spanish resident
I am beginning to wonder if this is one of those urban myths, as time and again one reads of celebs having cars at their houses all round the globe? Surely owning anything - except something like a gun - should not be illegal. If it was my car the owner would if course be in the car...it is just a question of it being road legal - taxed, tested and insured?[/quote]

Definitely not a myth.

My post from 11 April explains it


I am not sure you are correct

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/v ... dex_en.htm

I keep a car in Greece, at my summer house there, but I live in Ireland. Can the Greek authorities oblige me to register it in Greece?

NO — They can't, since you are not permanently resident in Greece. But they can stop you from renting out your car or even lending it to Greek residents. Your car can be driven by you, visiting relatives or friends — but by Greek residents only if you are on board. You may find it difficult to insure an Ireland registered car in Greece.



So I think it means that it can only be driven by a Spanish resident if the owner is on board, plus there is the problem of getting a UK insurer to insure a car that will be out of the country for long periods.


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