# Insuring a UK registered car



## Tom1957 (May 1, 2016)

After months of planning we are now in Spain.

Currently renting an apartment in Orihuela Costa for a few months, before deciding whether or not Spain is for us long-term. It's not where we want to settle but it's a good place to explore from, and we were very lucky to find a long term let (as others have said, there is very little about). Purely by chance and coincidence we found a nice apartment with no deposit and no minimum term.

My car insurance runs out this month and I am looking for recommendations. The car is UK registered and I don't plan to re-register it unless we decide to settle in Spain full time. Are there any comparison sites (in English) or recommended brokers? Thanks.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

You have no choice. You have to put the car on Spanish plates by law after a certain time. If you don't you're driving illegally.


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## Tom1957 (May 1, 2016)

I appreciate that, but we have 6 months in which to transfer the car to Spanish plates. I don't want to do that yet as we are not certain that we will be settling long term. This is a "try before you buy" period. I would ideally like to keey the car on UK plates (but insured in Spain) for a few months.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

Your UK insurance company should cover you then. They don't all have a time restriction. If it's only six months you should be ok. Otherwise someone like IBEX might insure you but be careful as if you have a crash and need medical treatment you're only covered for a very small amount. It might be cheaper to hire a car for a month at a time as long term rental works out expensive. Unfortunately you can't have your cake and eat it. You're either here or you're not, basically.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

It is possible to get your UK Registered car insured in Spain - I believe the Motor Insurer to check out is Liberty Seguros.

Although the only situation where I would do it - is if your current UK motor insurance is about to expire before you have time to transfer to Spanish plates.

The bind with British motor insurance when your traveling abroad - outside the UK is that they will only ever cover you on fully comprehensive insurance for the first 30 days abroad whether it's in Spain or anywhere else. As by default your UK motor insurance abroad is for holiday motoring and not for moving or expating abroad. 
After 30 days your automatically downgraded to third party, fire & theft and it will only cover you for the remaining
5 months outside the UK, even if you have many more months to go your annual motor insurance, so watch out !!

Also you will almost certainly be left with a far bigger motor insurance bill by doing a renewal ( always a year,
no cheap rate 6 month quotes ) on UK plates for 6 months and then having to renew your motor insurance
again ( for a year ), following the move to Spanish plates.

Finally beware - there's a lot of paper chasing like the certificate of conformity, etc, etc and paper work 
which can eat into those spare months before converting to Spanish plates.

To pre-book an appointment online at the local ITV Centre, you have to do it at least 6 months in advance, 
otherwise your getting up at 4 o'clock in the morning, to queue for an ITV test slot on the day - as soon
as the ITV centre opens about 6am. They will usually send an SMS message to your mobile when a slot
becomes available during the day.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

Think the itv booking situation varies from area to area. Last time I did mine I only booked a couple of days ahead.


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## Blanco53 (Mar 6, 2017)

Tom1957 said:


> I appreciate that, but we have 6 months in which to transfer the car to Spanish plates. I don't want to do that yet as we are not certain that we will be settling long term. This is a "try before you buy" period. I would ideally like to keey the car on UK plates (but insured in Spain) for a few months.


Are you planning to live in Spain for 6 months? 

If so, Royal Decree 240/07 requires that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence 

Once you have registered as resident on the Registro de Extranjeros, you cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle anymore, unless it is owned by a non-resident and the owner is with you in the car.

So to suggest that you have 6 months in which to transfer the car to Spanish plates is something of a misnomer!


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Blanco53 said:


> Are you planning to live in Spain for 6 months?
> 
> If so, Royal Decree 240/07 requires that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence
> 
> ...


Perhaps he does the 'border hop' if only to and from Gib to keep himself non-resident ?


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## Tom1957 (May 1, 2016)

Williams2 said:


> Perhaps he does the 'border hop' if only to and from Gib to keep himself non-resident ?


I've been in Spain for less than 3 weeks so a long way from that possibility yet. I get 90 days European cover with my current UK insurer but it will need to be renewed in a couple of weeks, and I no longer have a UK address so that might be a problem.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Blanco53 said:


> Are you planning to live in Spain for 6 months?
> 
> If so, Royal Decree 240/07 requires that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence
> 
> ...


They get the "6 months" by extrapolation = 3 months to register on the foreigners list and then three months to re-register a foreign vehicle.


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## Blanco53 (Mar 6, 2017)

baldilocks said:


> They get the "6 months" by extrapolation = 3 months to register on the foreigners list and then three months to re-register a foreign vehicle.


You may have 3 months to register the vehicle, but once you have registered on the Registro de Extranjeros, you cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle anymore, unless it is owned by a non-resident and the owner is with you in the car.

You may have to rework "your extrapolation"!!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Blanco53 said:


> You may have 3 months to register the vehicle, but once you have registered on the Registro de Extranjeros, *you cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle anymore, unless it is owned by a non-resident and the owner is with you in the car.*
> 
> You may have to rework "your extrapolation"!!


Sorry but YOU are wrong. One has three months to register a foreign vehicle AFTER registering as a resident which is where people get the mistaken idea that they have six months to re-register the vehicle. If they register as a resident within one month they have only four months from arrival to re-register the vehicle.


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## Blanco53 (Mar 6, 2017)

baldilocks said:


> Sorry but YOU are wrong. One has three months to register a foreign vehicle AFTER registering as a resident which is where people get the mistaken idea that they have six months to re-register the vehicle. If they register as a resident within one month they have only four months from arrival to re-register the vehicle.


But you're missing the point. *Once you have registered on the Registro de Extranjeros, you cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle anymore*, unless it is owned by a non-resident and the owner is with you in the car. 

So if you plan to live in Spain for more than 3 months then you are required to obtain your Certificado of Residencia.* Once you have obtained your certificate, then the time frame allowed is just 30 days (NOT 3 MONTHS)* and you will have to pay the Matriculation (registration) Taxes of up to 16% of the cars Spanish Fiscal Book Value. 

So I fear it is you that has got it WRONG!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Blanco53 said:


> But you're missing the point. *Once you have registered on the Registro de Extranjeros, you cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle anymore*, unless it is owned by a non-resident and the owner is with you in the car.
> 
> So if you plan to live in Spain for more than 3 months then you are required to obtain your Certificado of Residencia.* Once you have obtained your certificate, then the time frame allowed is just 30 days (NOT 3 MONTHS)* and you will have to pay the Matriculation (registration) Taxes of up to 16% of the cars Spanish Fiscal Book Value.
> 
> So I fear it is you that has got it WRONG!!


I believe that you are allowed to drive the car as long as the rematriculation is in process


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> Sorry but YOU are wrong. One has three months to register a foreign vehicle AFTER registering as a resident which is where people get the mistaken idea that they have six months to re-register the vehicle. If they register as a resident within one month they have only four months from arrival to re-register the vehicle.


Actually, I think you're both wrong.


I think the law changed and you now only have 1 month before matriculating a vehicle once resident.

Worth looking at dgt.es or n332.es


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

snikpoh said:


> Actually, I think you're both wrong.
> 
> 
> I think the law changed and you now only have 1 month before matriculating a vehicle once resident.
> ...


This is correct as technically a foreign car is being imported and this must be done within 30 days. 

N332 cleared this up recently as a lot of people have old/ incorrect information.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Actually, I think you're both wrong.
> 
> 
> I think the law changed and you now only have 1 month before matriculating a vehicle once resident.
> ...


Once resident !
So as Tom is not yet a resident & has only been here a little while ................


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Blanco53 said:


> But you're missing the point. *Once you have registered on the Registro de Extranjeros, you cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle anymore*, unless it is owned by a non-resident and the owner is with you in the car.
> 
> So if you plan to live in Spain for more than 3 months then you are required to obtain your Certificado of Residencia.* Once you have obtained your certificate, then the time frame allowed is just 30 days (NOT 3 MONTHS)* and you will have to pay the Matriculation (registration) Taxes of up to 16% of the cars Spanish Fiscal Book Value.
> 
> So I fear it is you that has got it WRONG!!


You are correct in that it cannot be driven once registered ,but incorrect that you can with the owner.
I had it all out with the EU & it is a simple " a resident cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle. " At all.
Only exception is 'professional drivers' & car hire employee's returning cross border rentals.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> Actually, I think you're both wrong.
> 
> 
> I think the law changed and you now only have 1 month before matriculating a vehicle once resident.
> ...


True , you just cannot legally drive it until replated.


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## Blanco53 (Mar 6, 2017)

gus-lopez said:


> You are correct in that it cannot be driven once registered ,but incorrect that you can with the owner.
> I had it all out with the EU & it is a simple " a resident cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle. " At all.
> Only exception is 'professional drivers' & car hire employee's returning cross border rentals.


I have "cut and pasted" this from http://europa.eu.......which was Updated : 12/06/2017

_"If you're staying in another EU country for less than 6 months and haven't registered your car there, you may not legally lend or rent your car to a resident of that country, who may only drive your car if you are in the car with him/her."_

I have no idea on the varacity of this website.....but it easy to see how confusion may arise!


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## trotter58 (Feb 8, 2017)

Tom1957 said:


> After months of planning we are now in Spain.
> 
> Currently renting an apartment in Orihuela Costa for a few months, before deciding whether or not Spain is for us long-term. It's not where we want to settle but it's a good place to explore from, and we were very lucky to find a long term let (as others have said, there is very little about). Purely by chance and coincidence we found a nice apartment with no deposit and no minimum term.
> 
> My car insurance runs out this month and I am looking for recommendations. The car is UK registered and I don't plan to re-register it unless we decide to settle in Spain full time. Are there any comparison sites (in English) or recommended brokers? Thanks.


Hi, We've used Liberty Seguros for our UK registered vehicle. The insurance appears on the UK MiD database which means that you can renew your road tax online. The insurance also covers any driver over 25 yo and includes breakdown cover. The Spanish insurance worked out at about 30% less than our UK insurance quote.
However, do make sure that you return to the UK before the MOT runs out. 

As others have said....If you become resident (intentionally or otherwise) you're required to either matriculate the car onto Spanish plates or sell/dispose of and buy a Spanish registered vehicle.

Good luck with your trial period


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## Tom1957 (May 1, 2016)

trotter58 said:


> Good luck with your trial period


Thanks I did try Liberty Seguros online but as far as I can understand, they are asking for an identity number (NIE?) which I don't have. It's a compulsory field on the web form.

The car is only 1 year old so the MOT is not an issue yet.


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## trotter58 (Feb 8, 2017)

Tom1957 said:


> Thanks I did try Liberty Seguros online but as far as I can understand, they are asking for an identity number (NIE?) which I don't have. It's a compulsory field on the web form.
> 
> The car is only 1 year old so the MOT is not an issue yet.


Not sure where you're located but we visited an insurance broker (Insurance Spain | Home, Buildings and Contents Insurance in Spain | Car, Motorcycle and Motor Insurance in Spain | Health Insurance in Spain) who sorted out all the paperwork for us. She took copies of our passports for IDs. 

Just re-read original post.....I'm sure that there are brokers in Orhieula Costa. Many advertise in the freebie papers. Just make sure that the insurance will appear on the UK MiD. Otherwise you run the risk of being stopped by the UK police if you return to the UK.


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## danboy20 (Jul 10, 2017)

The car needs to be registered if it is in Spain for longer than 1 month (yes they will check, and have the means to find out how long you have been here)

Car also has to be legal in the country of origin, so unless you are going to drive back to the UK and get an MOT and Tax at a house you no longer live in, then you may as well just register the car....or sell it, and buy one here, as it won´t be worth much in Spain, and you will find it annoying getting out of the car to take parking tickets, and entering the motorway sitting on the wrong side.


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## danboy20 (Jul 10, 2017)

Also remember, that like everything, some insurance is better than others. If some brokers aren´t complying with correct regulation, then you should wonder why.


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## trotter58 (Feb 8, 2017)

danboy20 said:


> The car needs to be registered if it is in Spain for longer than 1 month (yes they will check, and have the means to find out how long you have been here)
> 
> The car only needs to be matriculated onto Spanish plates if the owner becomes a Spanish resident (intentional or otherwise). If the owner is having a trial period of up to 6 months then the car can remain on UK plates. Once the owner becomes a Spanish resident he has 1 month to matriculate the UK registered car.
> 
> Yes the car is required to be street legal in the UK, if it is to be driven on Spanish roads (Tax, MOT & insurance)......and yes the traffic police can check at the road side using the UK databases.


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## Blanco53 (Mar 6, 2017)

trotter58 said:


> The car only needs to be matriculated onto Spanish plates if the owner becomes a Spanish resident (intentional or otherwise). If the owner is having a trial period of up to 6 months then the car can remain on UK plates. Once the owner becomes a Spanish resident he has 1 month to matriculate the UK registered car.
> 
> Yes the car is required to be street legal in the UK, if it is to be driven on Spanish roads (Tax, MOT & insurance)......and yes the traffic police can check at the road side using the UK databases.


The owner cannot have a "trial period" of six months The Residencia isn't a nice to have it is a mandatory requirement. So it's 3 months max!


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

Blanco53 said:


> The owner cannot have a "trial period" of six months The Residencia isn't a nice to have it is a mandatory requirement. So it's 3 months max!


This one has been round the houses a million times but if we start from the basics, things might become a little less confusing. 

Everything I have ever seen about the subject points to the veracity of Blanco's statement.

Once certified res in an EU country, one cannot own a vehicle plated in another country, _pace _the grace period allowed to have it re-reg to Sp plates. This appears to be 3 months. I have seen mention of 1 month. Validation/confirmation needed for that one, please.

As told to me just now by my gestora, a petrol head who specialises in vehicle papeles, if one gets a Certificate from the Sp Embassy or Consulate to attest that one has _NOT _been res in Sp for the 3 months before importing the vehicle, one can use Modelo 06. This results in no import dues being charged. 

I have pressed her for the name of this certificate. She could not remember but says she will blank out the details of a present client's form and send me the form which will give the details of what is required.

Life gets complicated for me because my vehicle is a self-built camper van. As I have never seen anything on this forum about this topic, I will offer this :-

It is still registered on the V5 with DVLA as Class VII, a commercial vehicle. Gestora tells me that before presenting the van for ITV, I would have to strip it back to a panel van. Absolutely out of the question - until I decide that what I have done is rubbish and rebuild it anyway. See work in progress.

But if, as DVLA allows , I reclassify it as a camper it will become Class IV_ ["Goods Vehicles not exceeding 3,000 kg Design Gross Weight (DGW), motor caravans and Dual Purpose Vehicles."]_ and I could present it for ITV as a camper.

A car is Class IV, so the UK MoT for my van would be under the same test conditions. Whether the same applies in Sp I don't know. I don't even know if they have the same vehicle classes. Please Big G they do. Anyone know?

There is a great deal more to this but her suggestion is we run it past the local ITV manager on an informal assessment basis and deal with matters arising. For example, gestora made the bizarre assertion that I'd have to remove the solar panels from the roof.

The alternative to all this ridiculous rigmarole is that I leave it on GB plates, park it off-road somewhere where Plod does not keep eyeballing it and set off touring round Spain and France and ... 

In fact, I had the immense good fortune to be able to park it indoors for 6 months, not yards from Mercado Central, and trundle off from time to time to Brico Depot and the like, buying kitchens and lavatory pans etc. My feeling is that Plod is not much interested in a passing camper van on foreign plates. Es normal. Just like all the other campers out there doing the same thing on all sorts of plates. 

This is, of course, the unauthorised version but I know, because I've asked, that there are campers which have been down and around Malvarosa beach for months during the winter, on French and German plates. 

But I call to mind the only words of a Bob Dylan song that have ever really meant anything to me, personally.

"To live outside the law you must be honest". I'll try


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

chrisnation said:


> Life gets complicated for me because my vehicle is a self-built camper van.


WHOA STOP 

Everyone has been talking about cars for which in the normal scheme of things you can get a certificate of conformity. 

A production caravan is not a mass produced vehicle and therefore as such, has to have a special ITV which in itself costs 1,800€ last time I asked (a couple of years ago). There are only two test centres in Spain that can test such vehicles - Madrid and Barcelona. 

Go back to you Gestor and explain about the vehicle 

Davexf


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

davexf said:


> WHOA STOP
> 
> Everyone has been talking about cars for which in the normal scheme of things you can get a certificate of conformity.
> 
> ...


Well. That is exceeding bad news. By definition, a self build camper is not even a production caravan.

But what about if it is listed on the V5 as a Class IV vehicle? In UK this puts it in the same MoT class as a car - DVLA specifically include 'motor caravan' as a Class IV vehicle.

I can see that I am going to have to operated in Plan B mode.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

Part of the confusion seems to be that chrisnation may not have finished converting his van. The DVLA is very specific about what constitutes a motorhome, https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...caravan/converting-a-vehicle-into-a-motorhome . It really is a case of all or nothing.

When we converted our Citroen Jumper van we stopped short of permanent cooking facilities, so could not register its change, which suited us but we did enquire whether we should. We only brought the van to Spain for a few weeks at a time.

Those French and German vans may have been tolerated in Valencia province over the winter but Murcia beaches now have large signs everywhere saying no camping/motorvans as well as no dogs and quoting the law which applied. It was clear to us that these signs were being obeyed too.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

chrisnation said:


> Well. That is exceeding bad news. By definition, a self build camper is not even a production caravan.
> 
> But what about if it is listed on the V5 as a Class IV vehicle? In UK this puts it in the same MoT class as a car - DVLA specifically include 'motor caravan' as a Class IV vehicle.
> 
> I can see that I am going to have to operated in Plan B mode.


Hola 

Who cares what the UK does - this is Spain and Spain does it the Spanish way 

Please talk to your Gestor and then return here with any news 

Davexf


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> Who cares what the UK does - this is Spain and Spain does it the Spanish way
> 
> ...


I care what the UK does because when I am asked to produce the reg doc - V5 - by anyone authorised to ask for it, perhaps in the process of trying to get it reg to Sp plates, it will be seen to be a Class IV vehicle. 

This may make a difference. At this point, I don't know.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

chrisnation said:


> I care what the UK does because when I am asked to produce the reg doc - V5 - by anyone authorised to ask for it, perhaps in the process of trying to get it reg to Sp plates, it will be seen to be a Class IV vehicle.
> 
> This may make a difference. At this point, I don't know.


Hola 

The ITV test station will decide what category it is in - "They have their rules" - but I will say that if there is a point of discussion as to classification then they will listen and in my experience, bend if possible - unless they've had a bad day 

Davexf


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> The ITV test station will decide what category it is in - "They have their rules" - but I will say that if there is a point of discussion as to classification then they will listen and in my experience, bend if possible - unless they've had a bad day
> 
> Davexf


That's somewhat encouraging. My gestora seems to be on good terms with the manager of her local/fave ITV test centre. She recommends giving him a look-see, on an unofficial basis, to see what he has to say. If there's some flexibility in the system, I'm sure she will take best advantage.


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