Motoring Discussion > Insuring a UK car in Spain. Tax / Insurance / Warranties
Thread Author: Roger. Replies: 16
View Threaded 

New Sun 28 Nov 10 19:02 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Roger.
We are considering the purchase of a car for our permanent return to Blighty.
Has anyone any experience of insuring a UK plated car (with MOT & VED, so fully legal) currently here in Spain for permanent return to the UK?
UK insurers will only consider if the proposer is currently in the UK and is a permanent resident at the time of application.
Both we and the car - a proposed purchase - are in Spain.
Our current car is Spanish & insured in Spain, so any NCB will be Spanish, this precluding any pretence that we are in the UK already!
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 21:39 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - lancara
Last edited by: lancara on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 21:40
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 21:45 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Zero
Dont even try.

Wait till you have a permanent UK address, and insure it there in the UK, say to start four days before you get there.

Last edited by: Zero on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 21:48
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 22:14 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Roger.
That's possible, but all the quotes I have tried on-line ask if we are permanent residents in the UK - mostly since birth and if we cannot say "yes" to that - truthfully we can't- (we have been in Spain for 10 years), they ask when we became resident: obviously as we ARE still in Spain we are not UK resident at the time of applying, thus a false answer invalidates insurance.
Saying we became resident in 2010 (which could well be true) has resulted in quotes of from £700 to £1000, whereas in test quotes saying we have been uninterrupted UK residents, since birth, have started as low as £265.
We need insurance here to actually drive the car back to England.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 22:18 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Zero
Have you got a UK address yet?

You are going to have to re register the car asap as well if you buy it as you might need the V5 if you are stopped at UK customs.

I suggested starting the insurance 4 days before you get to the UK, so you are insured on your way to the UK.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 22:22 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - rtj70
Why not wait until you get back to the UK to buy/insure. Ship all your stuff and fly back?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 22:27 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - R.P.
landsker - try phoning Carole Nash for a quote - they are a north west UK based call centre, they know their onions and are very helpful.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 22:40 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - CGNorwich
You are correct in that that you l need to be a UK resident when applying for UK motor insurance. You cannot therefore take UK insurance whilst still resident in Spain.

You are also correct in the assumption that a period of non residence in the UK will attract a substantial loading from most insurers. They should however be prepared to take any Spanish NCD into account - make sure you have proof.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 22:41 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Skoda
Hi landsker, there are UK brokers specialising in abroad cover. They'll only do UK licensed cars (can be RHD or LHD) and they will cover all of europe. Google turns up a few, Clements International was the one i was considering before i found out my work offers something. If you're prepared to pay a couple of quid extra you can have all sorts of bespoke extras like covering valuables in transit between countries.

I had to research this myself, the only strange things i found were:

- check details of how foreign currency is exchanged for premiums & if the need arises, repairs. I found a few details that weren't strictly unfair but weren't what i expected.

- some policies mandate that you advise 30 days in advance of travelling to or through another country, its not clear to me if there are admin charges for this.

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 23:11 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - BiggerBadderDave
I use these guys

www.stuartcollins.com

They specialise in extended foreign use, or 'special needs' as they put it to me.

They've given me fantastic service, I'd certainly recommend them. You do need a UK address to operate from but they'll send everything to your Spanish address.

I paid £480 this year which is about £100 more than I'd pay for a normal UK policy. You get a thick booklet to carry around that has all sorts of translations and wotnot for any authorities you may encounter, a foreign accident pack or something like that.

Edit: You can travel where you want, when you want, for as long as you want, none of this giving 30 days notice nonsense.
Last edited by: BiggerBadderDave on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 23:12
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 23:24 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - BiggerBadderDave
Slight correction to the above, you don't have to be resident in the UK, but your car must be registered in the UK.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 23:25 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - CGNorwich
But the issue is not that the OP requires foreign use, it is that he requires a UK motor policy to cover a vehicle in the UK. To buy such insurance you need to be resident in the UK.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 23:26 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - BiggerBadderDave
Not with these guys you don't
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 23:40 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - CGNorwich
True - Interesting set up
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 23:43
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sun 28 Nov 10 23:51 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - BiggerBadderDave
I think I found them on some ex-pat website, must admit I was surprised too but they've been at it since the 60s so I guess they know what they're up to.

I seem to remember that I couldn't find anyone else at all who offered this.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Mon 29 Nov 10 09:26 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Iffy
...True - Interesting set up...

Oo 'eck, they're not, er, up to something are they?

Years ago, buying flights only on a charter was against industry rules.

Many passengers bought hostel accommodation with their ticket of which they were unaware.
Last edited by: Iffy on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 09:29
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Mon 29 Nov 10 16:16 
 Insuring a UK car in Spain. - Mike H
I can also recommend Stuart Collins. Like BBD, I paid around £100 more to insure my UK-registered car when I moved to Austria permanently. As part of the policy, you get a 12-month green card. The policy was with Axa, so no back street insurance company. Good service as well.

AFAIK the only condition on the policy is that the car is UK-registered. Technically of course, if the car is UK-registered, there must by definition be a UK address that it's registered to.....as we still own a UK house in which we lived for 24 years, it was no problem for us as it was the registration address for the car ;-)
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts