# Motor Insurance - advice please



## Hawthorn (Feb 3, 2008)

We are moving to the Peleponnese in September - we have leased a house for 15 months but hope to stay longer.

We have just bought a left hand drive vehicle to make the journey from the UK - it has Spanish plates, road tax and papers. 

We have been advised by HMRC that if we export the vehicle from UK then there is no need to register it in the UK (so long as it is not in the country for longer than 6 months it can remain a 'temporary import'). So the sensible thing to do would seem to be to drive it to Greece and then get it registered once we are there. 

Our current motor insurance is based on the chassis number and we can drive to Greece in it but we are required to produce a UK plate within 60 days in order to extend the insurance. So if we simply drove it to Greece we'd have to get new motor insurance very soon as the 60 days will be up within a few weeks of us arriving.

So my question is, how easy will it be to get motor insurance in Greece for a couple of Brits driving a vehicle with Spanish plates? Or will we have to go through the process of registering it onto Greek plates before we can get insurance? And if that is the case, how long will it take? And do we need to get our tax number first..... lots of questions I know - sorry but I simply cannot find the answer anywhere!

(I've just read a book where the author claimed it is easier to go and buy a new car in Greece than to register an existing one so feeling a little nervous!)


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## The Grocer (May 30, 2010)

You can not insure a foreign plated car in Greece. The fact you have owned the car less than 6 months will also mean you can not benefit from zero import taxes when you bring it into Greece, so if you want to convert it to Greek plates you will suffer a charge based on car value (and thats not its current value but its price when new with a complex reduction system applied for age etc.). It can be expensive.

To action any import to my knowledge toy will need Greek tax numbers (AFM), but this is easy and quick.

I would be very tempted to register it on UK plates (far, far cheaper), insure it with SAGA or a similar company that offers 365 days European cover as standard. Of course you are only "legally" allowed to keep it in Greece for 6 months.....(I'll say no more)

If your only here 15months consider a cheap buy...

(copied from another forum today)..........

FOR SALE ! 

Hyundai Lantra - station wagon 
year 2000 - air condition 
km 93.000 
1600 cm³ - 106 PS (HP) 

€ 1.000,00 
(basis for negotiation) 

Contact: 6944 / 459186


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## Hawthorn (Feb 3, 2008)

Thank you Mr Grocer - you are certainly the font of all knowledge. I really appreciate your help


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