# Advice needed on buying a car from Italy & taking it back to the UK



## Jools7 (Mar 2, 2014)

Hi there,

does anybody on here have some good practical non condescending advice on buying/driving a second hand motor back to UK from Italy. I have read a few different suggestions on the net and I'm wondering has anybody on here actually done it for themselves. I have read this thing about non residents not being able to buy cars etc but this sounds a little misleading. From what I've read on the net, reading between the lines, it seems that the major issue is in fact the number plate being removed from the car and left with original owner and basically informing the authorities that the car has a new owner. So even if/when I go to the notary to inform them that I'm the new owner, I wouldn't necessarily be expected to bring the number plates with me would I.? Wouldn't I be able to leave the number plates on the vehicle until I reach UK and then post them back to original owner. 
thanx in advance


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Do you have any concerns about right hand versus left hand drive cars?


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Jools7 said:


> From what I've read on the net, reading between the lines, it seems that the major issue is in fact the number plate being removed from the car and left with original owner and basically informing the authorities that the car has a new owner. So even if/when I go to the notary to inform them that I'm the new owner, I wouldn't necessarily be expected to bring the number plates with me would I.? Wouldn't I be able to leave the number plates on the vehicle until I reach UK and then post them back to original owner.
> thanx in advance


Plates aren't a problem. They belong to the car and not the owner. What would happen is you'd turn the plates in and they would give you export plates. 

Without residency you can't register the car in Italy so you'll need to look up the rules for exporting the car.


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## Jools7 (Mar 2, 2014)

NickZ said:


> Plates aren't a problem. They belong to the car and not the owner. What would happen is you'd turn the plates in and they would give you export plates.
> 
> Without residency you can't register the car in Italy so you'll need to look up the rules for exporting the car.



Hi Nickz, not meaning to sound rude but you've not told me anything I don't already know. I've read some stuff on export and I'm getting very mixed messages regarding this. Have you actually exported a car yourself or is this just your best guess? 
For example, I've seen a car on ebay being sold without number plates, now if the plates do indeed belong to the car, why has this seller removed them, seems odd to me. Actually I've seen several cars being sold without number plates.


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## Jools7 (Mar 2, 2014)

BBCWatcher said:


> Do you have any concerns about right hand versus left hand drive cars?


I couldn't care less whether it's a leftie or right hand!


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Normally the plates belong to the car. They remain with the car .

If you crush the car or if you export it then you need to turn in the plates. If you export it they provide you export plates. 

Go to the Italian car club and look up export.

Esportazione

Includes the documents you need.


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