# Where to get car insurance?



## Soldierxx (Mar 17, 2013)

I have brought my UK car over and my UK insurance has ran out, they only cover europe for 30 days. Now I am looking to get spanish insurance but a few companies I have looked at require you to be over 24 or 26. Does anybody know where I could get car insurance for under 24?


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

Is it on UK plates still or are you going to transfer it to Spanish? Might be easier to find a UK company that will allow you to go abroad for longer. LV allow 180 days and fully comp if u add the foreign travel to the policy although I'm not sure about your age. Might be a factor.


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## Soldierxx (Mar 17, 2013)

Its on UK plates. I am not going to change the plates over. I dont plan on going back to the UK so I need a permanent solution.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Soldierxx said:


> Its on UK plates. I am not going to change the plates over. I dont plan on going back to the UK so I need a permanent solution.


Well ... you have to change the plates over because when you become a Spanish resident you wont legally be able to drive it any more
Also, a UK plated vehicle needs to be legal in the country of registration and if you dont plan going back to the UK then it wont be because the MOT will run out


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## zenkarma (Feb 15, 2013)

Soldierxx said:


> Its on UK plates. I am not going to change the plates over.


Yep, agree with Stravinsky, you can't keep a car in Spain indefinitely on UK plates you have to get them changed over to Spanish ones. 6 Months I think is the max, but don't quote me on that.

Or look forward to being stopped by the Guardia Civil regularly and potentially having your car impounded + fines after the 6 months is up.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Soldierxx said:


> Its on UK plates. I am not going to change the plates over. I dont plan on going back to the UK so I need a permanent solution.


I don't think this forum should be trying to help someone who so blatantly wants to break the law!

Unless, of course, it's ignorance in which case maybe 'soldierxx' would like to rethink his position.


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## Soldierxx (Mar 17, 2013)

I dont plan on becoming a Spanish resident. Is it the law to have to change the plates over even if I am not becoming a Spanish resident? Can somebody link me to that please?


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Soldierxx said:


> I dont plan on becoming a Spanish resident. Is it the law to have to change the plates over even if I am not becoming a Spanish resident? Can somebody link me to that please?


I think you need to do some research.

A. You have to become a resident in Spain if you move here to reside within 90 days. You have to sign on the foreigners list

B. Because of that your second point is irrelevant

Both of your plans involve residing in Spain in the wrong circumstances

You must (a) become a resident (b) get your car matriculated, or accept the possible consequences


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Soldierxx said:


> Its on UK plates. I am not going to change the plates over. I dont plan on going back to the UK so I need a permanent solution.


 The permanent solution is to bin the car or face getting caught, which you will - something they're very hot on now in Spain. (the police/guardia are having to make more money to fund themselves these days - fact!!! They told me when I had my car towed away for parking illegally - 200€ huh!!!). If you need healthcare, if you need to purchase anything major, if you want to have a bank account, then you must be a resident. yes, you can open a non resident bank account, but again the guardia will contact you after 9 months or so and ask/tell you to change it to a residents account, for which you'll need your residencia!

Jo xxx


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I might be wrong but I think the law was changed so that now you only have 3 months to get the car matriculated. It was 6 months but they changed it (well sown here they did) and it is now quite a regular occurrence to see the police stopping British plated cars. The fines are horrendous and the impound the vehicle. I know of a Brit who has been driving his landrover for 10 years. No MoT, so no insurance and no road tax. He finally got caught and is now in prison. Moral of the story is DON'T risk it.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

thrax said:


> I might be wrong but I think the law was changed so that now you only have 3 months to get the car matriculated. It was 6 months but they changed it (well sown here they did) and it is now quite a regular occurrence to see the police stopping British plated cars. The fines are horrendous and the impound the vehicle. I know of a Brit who has been driving his landrover for 10 years. No MoT, so no insurance and no road tax. He finally got caught and is now in prison. Moral of the story is DON'T risk it.



3 months is as good as 90 days


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Yup my thoughts too but I was commenting on someone elses post who suggested it might be 6 months.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

thrax said:


> Yup my thoughts too but I was commenting on someone else's post who suggested it might be 6 months.


my understanding is that you have to register as resident at/within 90 days & then you have 3 months/90 days in which you have to re-matriculate your car........

so 6 months...


unless that has changed..................


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## Goatherd (Feb 19, 2010)

*Insurance*

If you still need insurance I can recommend Liberty Seguros. They will insure a UK plated vehicle and then when/ if you register it here they will cancel the policy and issue a new one, all at the same low price. This is what they did for me. 
Give them a try at [email protected] . It is an English run broker, they are very helpful.
Good luck


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> my understanding is that you have to register as resident at/within 90 days & then you have 3 months/90 days in which you have to re-matriculate your car........
> 
> so 6 months...
> 
> ...


I read somewhere that in this region you can only drive a foreign plated car for three months now and have proof on you that the car arrived less than three months ago, such as ferry tickets etc We have a Spanish friend who is a good friend of the head of the police here and he confirmed that is what they are working to.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Goatherd said:


> If you still need insurance I can recommend Liberty Seguros. They will insure a UK plated vehicle and then when/ if you register it here they will cancel the policy and issue a new one, all at the same low price. This is what they did for me.
> Give them a try at [email protected] . It is an English run broker, they are very helpful.
> Good luck


I'm not sure who it was, but a friend of mine had a UK plated car and was able to insure it, even though he lived in Spain - he was quite smug about the whole thing til his car was stolen - the insurance wouldnt pay up because the car was UK registered, but my friend lived in Spain, which makes the ownership illegal. As far as I know, he's still trying to fight it cos in his opinion the insurance company shouldnt have taken his insurance money, cos they knew!!???? Altho the small print does state that its down to the owner to keep the car legal. It wasnt a cheap car either!

Another point is the number of checks the guardia do on the roads, even when I've been visiting Spain recently, a day didnt go by when I didnt see the guardia sitting at round abouts and checking vehicles - its a minefield! 

Car insurance is cheaper in Spain tho - well it was when I was there two years ago

Jo xxxx


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## neilmac (Sep 10, 2008)

jojo said:


> The permanent solution is to bin the car or face getting caught, which you will - something they're very hot on now in Spain. (the police/guardia are having to make more money to fund themselves these days - fact!!! They told me when I had my car towed away for parking illegally - 200€ huh!!!). If you need healthcare, if you need to purchase anything major, if you want to have a bank account, then you must be a resident. yes, you can open a non resident bank account, but again the guardia *will contact you after 9 months or so and ask/tell you to change it to a residents account, for which you'll need your residencia!*
> 
> Jo xxx


I am of the understanding that it is possible to maintain a non residents account to pay bills etc - has this also altered over the last few years?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

neilmac said:


> I am of the understanding that it is possible to maintain a non residents account to pay bills etc - has this also altered over the last few years?


I'm not sure, but I think you must be a non resident to have a non resident account (and vice cersa if you're a resident) and the charges are higher - my husband used to get letters from the guardia and the bank telling him he needed to change his account to a residents account, even though he wasnt ever a resident. I was the resident and husband used to commute back and forth to the UK for work.

Jo xxx


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## Goatherd (Feb 19, 2010)

*Non resident account*



neilmac said:


> I am of the understanding that it is possible to maintain a non residents account to pay bills etc - has this also altered over the last few years?


I have had a non residents account in Spain for nearly four years........ and never been asked to change it, although I am in fact a resident. This is with Solbank.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Goatherd said:


> I have had a non residents account in Spain for nearly four years........ and never been asked to change it, although I am in fact a resident. This is with Solbank.


And you pay a charge every year to Solbank I guess, whereas I pay nothing with solbank for having a residents account


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Goatherd said:


> I have had a non residents account in Spain for nearly four years........ and never been asked to change it, although I am in fact a resident. This is with Solbank.


Be careful because they can freeze the account if they find that you are, in fact, resident.


By-the-way, I didn't think SOL Bank existed anymore - isn't it now owned by Sabadell?


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

snikpoh said:


> Be careful because they can freeze the account if they find that you are, in fact, resident.
> 
> 
> By-the-way, I didn't think SOL Bank existed anymore - isn't it now owned by Sabadell?


SOL Bank has always been Sabadell from day one. It was set up as a name to offer to expats . Its now called CAM Sabadell or Sabadell CAM, whichever I'm not sure


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Goatherd said:


> I have had a non residents account in Spain for nearly four years........ and never been asked to change it, although I am in fact a resident. This is with Solbank.



We were with Solbank too and we received a letter from them telling us that we needed to convert to a residents account, which I did because I was. As I say, husband didnt because he wasnt and ended up closing his account because of the charges??!

Jo xxx


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## Goatherd (Feb 19, 2010)

jojo said:


> We were with Solbank too and we received a letter from them telling us that we needed to convert to a residents account, which I did because I was. As I say, husband didnt because he wasnt and ended up closing his account because of the charges??!
> 
> Jo xxx


Hi

Well, there have certainly not asked me.........and the charges seem to be very low... not that there is much in there....


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Goatherd said:


> Hi
> 
> Well, there have certainly not asked me.........and the charges seem to be very low... not that there is much in there....


It depends what account you have and what cards you have. A prestige non residents account is about €22 a quarter with c/c, but they can also make an annual charge for non residents certification. We certainly used to get it.
When you open an expansion account you get charged nothing at all.


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