# Returning to the UK - Cars



## Dave&Alina (May 8, 2008)

I am returning to the UK (I'll miss life here but a job is a job)

Does anyone have any advice/experience of driving back?
If I take my Spanish car I am covered for 3 months (as long as they believe I am returning and I don't become resident in the UK) then I have the problem of selling it in the UK

OR

I buy a UK car here but I cannot get UK insurance cover until I reach the UK, so I get Spanish insurance until I reach the border then have UK cover take over unless I tell them I am returning and then then allow me 3 months cover etc etc

Also I'm not sure I can register a UK car here as far as DVLA are concerned.

Clearly the EU is not joined up because they don't want people driving cars from other countries as they would miss out on collecting tax.

Flying avoids the problem but isn't my first choice

What to do? Any advice welcomed


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola

There are companies that will insure UK cars in Spain and include European cover. To buy a UK car here should be a cheap option. Once settled in the UK then it is relatively simple to register the car to your new address (compared to registering it here). 

If you brought your UK car here, rematriculated it onto Spanish plates, and want to return, many people have said it is simple and usually you get your old number plates. 

If you have a LHD Spanish registered car then once more it is relatively simple to register it in the UK BUT remember to tell your Ayuntamiento you have exported it. 

Davexf


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> There are companies that will insure UK cars in Spain and include European cover. To buy a UK car here should be a cheap option. Once settled in the UK then it is relatively simple to register the car to your new address (compared to registering it here).
> 
> ...


However, if you buy a UK car here in Spain, then it MUST be legal to drive in UK. That is, it must have a current MOT (if required), it must be taxed etc. etc.

A lot of Brit cars that I see for sale do not have the necessary paperwork to make it legal to drive!



@Davexf - why would you tell the town hall and not trafico - shouldn't it be both?


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> @Davexf - why would you tell the town hall and not trafico - shouldn't it be both?


Hola

In my experience - everyone forgets the Ayuntamiento but remembers Trafico and the insurance company. 

Davexf


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

If you have lived in Spain for a long time , it can be a problem getting UK insurance firms to accept Spanish proof of no claims bonus, and insurance quotes are high.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> There are companies that will insure UK cars in Spain and include European cover. To buy a UK car here should be a cheap option. Once settled in the UK then it is relatively simple to register the car to your new address (compared to registering it here).
> 
> ...


Yes - Liberty Seguros is one of those that will insure UK Cars in Spain with full
European cover & Breakdown assistance. As well as Spanish cars in Spain of
course.

Extanjero - you make an interesting point about the 'No Claims bonus' never looked into it,
is it a purely British perk ? as other motor insurance companies, in other EU countries must
surely do the same adjustment to your motor insurance premium based on any claims,
your fault or not your fault, over the past 5 to 10 years ?

As well as any points ( what the Spanish would call infractions ) that have occurred
and yet to expire.


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## Nicksmith (Jan 5, 2015)

Dave&Alina said:


> I am returning to the UK (I'll miss life here but a job is a job)
> 
> Does anyone have any advice/experience of driving back?
> If I take my Spanish car I am covered for 3 months (as long as they believe I am returning and I don't become resident in the UK) then I have the problem of selling it in the UK
> ...


Hi Dave,What type of car is it,i have the same problem but in reverse,im heading over to spain with my uk car maybe we could do a swap and then it would just be a matter of filling in the change of oweners on the logbooks. Nick.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Nicksmith said:


> Hi Dave,What type of car is it,i have the same problem but in reverse,im heading over to spain with my uk car maybe we could do a swap and then it would just be a matter of filling in the change of oweners on the logbooks. Nick.


Hola

There is a tax to change the ownership of a car; it is also imperative that the bookwork is completed correctly 

Davexf


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## Desiato (Jun 1, 2015)

Road tax is no longer transferable in the UK so the best you can hope for is a car with an MOT. I believe you can register your new car for road tax on-line so that it will be legal to drive the day you purchase it (providing you have also got your insurance sorted out). Most UK insurance companies will cover you when driving abroad but I've heard stories where insurance companies haven't paid out when it was discovered that the car was abroad for quite some time (IE not on holiday) and it might not be easy to get insurance until you have a UK address (they will want to know where it is parked etc as I'm sure you know).

As it happens, I have a RHD Ford Focus Zetec (basic edition) with an MOT until December that I was going to convert to Spanish plates but I'll happily sell it if you are interested? Not sure if I am allowed to say that here, hopefully the mods will let me know.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Williams2 said:


> Yes - Liberty Seguros is one of those that will insure UK Cars in Spain with full
> European cover & Breakdown assistance. As well as Spanish cars in Spain of
> course.
> 
> ...


They have the no claims bonus in Spain as well, but once you return to UK, the insurance companies don't recognise them.
However, i did have a written document from Liberty Seguros confirming the no claims bonus , which I sent to the UK company did help, though the premiums are higher till we've been back over a year.


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