driving english reg. vehicle in spain

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donna bagnall
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driving english reg. vehicle in spain

Postby donna bagnall » Fri Nov 18, 2005 10:27 am

a relative is considering spending 3 months or so in spain after christmas and wants to know about bringing over u.k vehicle. A friend of mine has said that they took over their u.k vehicle and had some paper work to say they would only be using for up to 6 months of the year? any advice would be appreciated as my relative cannot afford to buy a vehicle in spain.

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Fletch
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Postby Fletch » Fri Nov 18, 2005 11:26 am

I can`t see it being a problem as your relative is actually only a genuine tourist, therefore no restrictions other than the 6 month rule should apply. Make sure she notifies insurance co. and brings all paperwork with her. I`m taking my car over next week, will let you know if there were any problems!
Is it hot here, or is it just me?

katy
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Postby katy » Fri Nov 18, 2005 11:56 am

Many people who only spend the winter here do it without problem, not just from the UK but Sweden, Norway etc. My daughter has left a car here for the last 3 years.

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pwwm
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Postby pwwm » Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:07 pm

I have friends who spend three to four months here during the winter, not only do they drive down but they also bring their dogs with them.
pwwm

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costakid
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Postby costakid » Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:10 pm

tell them to notify there insurers as some companys only give 90 days cover in any one trip. also get confirmation that they dont go to third party only while the vehicle is on the continent. this is quite common.

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Postby Dobski » Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:57 pm

Sorry to open this subject up again but from what I can make of the previous posts if you are planning to be in spain longer that three months then you have to register your car (eg 1 year-permanant).

If this is the case, how would you go about doing ths and what is needed etc.

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Susi
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Postby Susi » Thu Feb 02, 2006 2:53 pm

I know of a number of English who have been here nearly two years and are still driving with English plates. Is there a way in which this could be legal and what would be the situation with their insurance (just in case they crash into me one day)?

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safeashouses
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Postby safeashouses » Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:48 pm

In a nutshell their MOT WILL be out of date thereby making their insurance INVALID.

olive
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Postby olive » Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:51 pm

Susi

I think you will find that they secretly drive back to the UK every twelve months to get an MOT and car tax! If not their insurance technically isn't valid.

The insurance companies all pay into a pool which can be used to compensate "not at fault" victims of traffic accidents so you should be OK there.

Despite it being the EU, to be legal you have to change your English car into a Spanish registered one or take it out of the country. The tedious matriculation process was exceptionally well explained a few months ago by Spanish Lad - if my memory serves me well.

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sioban
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Postby sioban » Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:52 pm

no this is not legal, they can get away with the insurance if they get it over the phone and lie by saying the car is motd but if they have an accident they wil not have any cover!!!

Expats United

Postby Expats United » Thu Feb 02, 2006 3:59 pm

IIRC illegal cars may be subject to seizure by the Guardia Civil Trafico and subsequently may be scrapped if not changed to Spanish plates. This requirement can indeed be both a horrid bureaucratic process and quite costly.
This may be why you see many elderly UK registered cars here - if seized, they aren't worth anything anyway, so no worries!

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safeashouses
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Postby safeashouses » Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:06 pm

Expats United wrote:This may be why you see many elderly UK registered cars here - if seized, they aren't worth anything anyway, so no worries!
NO WORRIES :o

They probably aren't roadworthy so a BIG WORRY. :shock:

chrisuk
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Postby chrisuk » Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:38 pm

I look at it this way, you wouldnt do it in the UK by running around illegal so why try and exploit the Spainish system, afterall we are (will be) guests in their country, respect is needed when thinking on these lines.

I'll also be offering this service as part of my business when I get there end feb in and around the Costa del Sol region

Cheers All

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Susi
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Postby Susi » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:19 pm

Thanks for the advice. I know for a fact that they have not taken the cars back to the UK since they have been here so I guess they just think they are above the law!

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Nige
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Postby Nige » Fri Feb 03, 2006 10:57 am

In UK, (not sure about Spain) the data base for vehicles is growing like topsy.
If you want to find out if your UK registered vehicle has a LICENCE (or has been 'exported') just tap in your number plate on this site and it will (should) give you current status.
http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk/

Since the end of last year, when you get an MOT done the testing station must input all the details on the computerised online data base. Gone are the days of little green bits of paper with a friendly embossed stamp !
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/

Of course, when licensing the vehicle, the Insurance can also be checked using the Motor Insurance Database (MID), and so the chances of an Uninsured vehicle being driven without a current MOT is minimised.
It's all about Identity cards for vehicles !

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olivefarmer
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Postby olivefarmer » Fri Feb 03, 2006 11:54 am

I have seen in the last week or so an British plated Car driving with what looks like a valid ITV sticker in the window!

Is this possible?

Olivefarmer

olive
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sticker

Postby olive » Fri Feb 03, 2006 12:59 pm

Dead easy as long as your vehicle is actually roadworthy. Make appointment, go to ITV centre for advisory ITV on a foreign car, pay 30 euros bit more if diesel, get paperwork put sticker in window. Doesn't mean anything though.

Now why doesn't someone open up a licenced MOT centre in Gib doing proper UK MOT's?! they would do a roaring trade.

Do the stickers have a black market value?

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spanish_lad
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Re: sticker

Postby spanish_lad » Fri Feb 03, 2006 3:50 pm

olive wrote:Dead easy as long as your vehicle is actually roadworthy. Make appointment, go to ITV centre for advisory ITV on a foreign car, pay 30 euros bit more if diesel, get paperwork put sticker in window. Doesn't mean anything though.

Now why doesn't someone open up a licenced MOT centre in Gib doing proper UK MOT's?! they would do a roaring trade.

Do the stickers have a black market value?
there is already, and yes they are, but you shouldn´t cos its illegal. and pointless. a spanish mot on a uk plated car means nothing. a foreign plated vehicle must have mot and tax from its own country to make insurance valid.

they only have any sort of value to an owner of a spanish vehicle. but as i say, still illegal without the corrosponding stamp on the green form (cant remember what its called, somethinglike a "licence to use" the car, i´ll find the name later.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

donna bagnall
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english reg car spain

Postby donna bagnall » Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:41 pm

some one i know purchased a car in u.k informed insurance company that they were taking it to spain and that it would only be used for 6 months of the year, some paper work signed and they have had no problem

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Postby Beachcomber » Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:05 pm

Nige, thanks for the links.

Incredibly the Guardia Civil, at least locally, knew nothing about this. These two links are now in the favourites of the computers in all of the local patrol vehicles.


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