UK registered cars in Uk with Spanish insurance

Yes , it matters not what the actual law is here in Spain, it is how that law is interpreted by the Guardia at the time of

you being stoped. You can then be involved with costly lawyers fees to get the situation sorted. From previous experience 

I have found the best way out is to accept any injustice and pay the fine. As a Brit with limited Spanish you are often looked on as a

source of income.It's like a tax for being able to enjoy this lovely country.  

 The following as been copied from the British embassy in Madrid website with regards importing cars in tho Spain

Importing your UK registered vehicle from the UK to Spain

If you spend longer than six months of the year in Spain with your UK registered car, Spanish law says you must register your vehicle with the Spanish authorities. For information on how to do this (including how to change your licence plate) consult with theDirección General de Trafico . The RACE (Real Automóvil Club de España) also provides useful guidance about all aspects of importing your vehicle.

Please note that it is unlikely that you will be able to register right hand drive vehicles such as vans and commercial vehicles.

UK registered vehicles being driven in Spain must comply with all UK requirements for Road Tax, M.O.T. and third party insurance covering the full time period the vehicle is used in Spain, up to the six month limit.

Taxes

Payment of the following taxes (or acquisition of the relevant exemption certificate[s]) is required by the Dirección General de Tráfico when importing and registering your UK vehicle.

• A registration tax (or certifícate of exemption) - Impuesto de matriculación. Please see the Agencia Tributariawebsite for more details
• A road/traffic tax (or certifícate of exemption) - impuesto de circulación del ayuntamiento.  Contact your local town hall for details
• V.A.T. (or certificate of exemption) – IVA. Please see theAgencia Tributaria website for more details.

Depending on your circumstances you may be exempt from one or more of these taxes.  If required, you can obtain a residency transfer certificate (un certificado de baja consular) from your local British Consulate.

Astonishing that the Madrid Brit embassy, or the state it represents, can decide on legal requirements of another state -- Spain in this case --  but maybe the Guardia who just stopped you knows UK law. And cares about it. I wouldn't bet on either. 

This you mean bergspyder ?

" UK registered vehicles being driven in Spain must comply with all UK requirements for Road Tax, M.O.T. and third party insurance covering the full time period the vehicle is used in Spain, up to the six month limit."

It's not the UK deciding it is EU law. Applies to all eu member countries. Regardless of where it is being driven, the vehicle has to be legal in the country of registration

No, Sir. Europe cannot make law, only directives which the member states may -- or not -- accept and if they don't (often) they are are fined but see how many don't pay. I'm sure one day Europe will get its act together -- probably on vehicles first as that produces most money -- but haven't yet. Midasgold's right: Just make sure you have 3rd party insurance and can walk away with a smile when some idiot who hasn't understood anything crushes your car. Don't bother with lawyers: they know less & cost more. My wife's American & there are reciprocal driving licence agreements between where we lived & a dozen (of 50) US states; she wasn't from one of them which means she had to take her driving licence again. In a language she doesn't speak. I'm sorry (again) but this is just a joke; any normal person would ask her/himself "Do I have any intelligence at all?" Guardia/CRS/cops/fuzz don't so you need to say goodbye to your car for their gratification/quotas and get back into next one. That is modern life & we're making great progress......

When we first arrived we always felt a bit of a sitting duck driving around with a UK registration plate so we took it home, sold it and bought a local car almost straight away.

It felt like there were less mutterings under peoples breath when we were just out to get our shopping!

Now I think we look the part a bit more and arent treated as some "stupid english tourists" anymore! And we asked our spanish neighbour to help sort the insurance for us to make sure we weren't getting in a mess.

I do still try to get in the wrong side of the car sometimes but it's a small price to pay.

When we do go back to the UK, my son either drives or we hire a car. It makes much more sense. Less legal messes I think...

 I think you will find that the bit from the UK embassy is spanish law anf not UK basically if you are intending to keep a car from the UK in Spain for longer than 6 months, under spanish law it must be put on to Spanish plates and have a Spanish ITV and have Spanish road tax.  Again tis is Spanish law not UK law if you want to live in Spain than you must live by Spanish law.

I have been following this thread and notwithstanding all the views, we intend to bring our UK R/H drive reg car to Spain in March. Our car will be taxed and test for 12 months and if we keep the car in spain beyond this period we will put spanish plates on it. However, in the mean time we will need to insure the car in spain when our uk insurance runs out after 60 days. Can any one advise us which insurance company(s) we could use to insure our car. We have a BMW 330 convertable.

Thanks

mike

Mike

As said before, if you use your car in Spain over 6 months you need to comply with Spanish law - or you may, in worst case scenario, risk losing your car for good!  

Spanish authorities / police are not as relaxed as some may portray. They have a job to do and can be intransigent in its application.

For what its worth, keep a low profile, keep within the Laws of the land which may for the timebeing your place of residence and enjoy Spain

 mike, if you are over 50 Saga will insure your car abroad for the whole year. It is part of their standard poicy. kevin

MIKE.

IBEX insurance based in Gib have brokers here in Spain are underwritten by Lloyds and insure Brit reg cars used in Spain.

When I used them their cost was lower than the Spanish guys.

I've read all this with interest. I'm here in Spain but spend some of the year back in the Uk, driving and working between the two with a transit van on English plates, so I try to keep out of trouble as I don't want the hassle of trying to prove when I came or went. My insurance is English and has a 90 day abroad fully comp cover after which it turns into 3rd party, this is the best I could get for the price and I got breakdown with it as well for wherever I am. I got a quote from Saga last year but it was more, althugh the cover was unquestionably better - just couldn't afford it is all. I'm presently trying to afford to renew my road tax which annoys me as technically I shouldn't need it here, my insurance and MOT being all present and correct. The DVLC position is you need it as if you enter the country without it you are immediately in the wrong, but nowhere can I find any clear statement that I am in the worng HERE in Spain without English road tax. Very tempting to wait until I'm going back again and get it in time for the journey, but then CVLC reckon you can't declare SORN from abroad, anyone got any experience of any of this? Seems I either pay road tax I'm not using or get fined for disappearing without tax or SORN, or lie about where the van is and declare SORN. I'd like it to be easier to do the right thing - and affordable of course.......

" technically I shouldn't need it here"

With regard to British registered vehicles, I understand that if you do not have road tax on your insured and MOTd car you will need to comply with Spanish Regulations to legally use vehicle in Spain persistently. Reason being that without any one of the legal requirements the insurance may be void (insurance companies will probably say `are void`). I assume you may be transiting through France, so full compliance with British Regulations negates any problems there.

As mentioned in previous replies, British and European authorities are liasing and using central databases.

Thanks, yes that's the unfortunate conclusion I'm coming to, just no way to save any money is there! The insurance cost me over twice as much as my previous, just to get me 90 days full comp abroad, and I'm using the van even less than at home so it's actually less at risk. Grrrrr.

 janet b 

you can do sorn internet as long as you have the reference number on the tax renewal form

ther dvla dont ask anything about address just punch in number on form and click a box or 2

lostagain

26 Jan 2012 00:21

 janet b 

you can do sorn internet as long as you have the reference number on the tax renewal form

ther dvla dont ask anything about address just punch in number on form and click a box or 2

Yes, you can . What do you think happens though when there are dead bodies & injured lying about after a road accident ? The insurance company lawyers know all the requiremants of EU countries & if you have a SORN vehicle involved, regardless of fault, you'll end up bankrupt & probably in prison.

What don't you understand about SORN ? It means " off road " , at the address specified, It can't be moved from there even on a trsnsporter without a new declaration ! Let alone be on the road abroad.

 the question was can you do sorn in spain it did not ask the implications of doing so and i definately didnt say you should do it only that you could . you seem to have read things into my answer which were not there so it seems you should take the issue up with the dvla as their reqirements or lack of are nothing to do with me

Thanks lostagain for trying to help by offering information, I don't hink you deserved to be shouted at for that, so guslopez please calm down, I think we all understand now thankyou. I will duly tax my van and NOT falsely declare SORN, ok? I merely wish that the huge amount of road tax required was not required is all. I'm only trying to earn a very modest living going back and forth between the two countries.

 just a thort if you are short of cash you can tax car for 6 months 

thanks, I appreciate your efforts to help!