# Insuring uk car



## Lauranewman (Aug 12, 2014)

Hello, 

I'm moving to Portugal in a couple of weeks. Got a couple of questions about my car.

Driving to portugal with extended insurance for Europe for 120 days. After that my insurance company want me to return to uk. 

Can I get uk insurance for my uk registered vehicle while living in portugal (as I have an address in the uk) WITHOUT having to return to the uk after my European insurance cover ends?

Will I eventually have to buy a car in portugal or are there other options?

Thanks:fingerscrossed:


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Afraid it's not that easy you need to consider

The legal bit says that as a visitor you can only keep a NON Portuguese registered vehicle in Portugal for a maximum of 183 days in *any* 12 month period.
For the car to be road legal in Portugal it must be road legal in UK, which means valid UK MOT, insurance & Road Tax

The other legal bit says that if you remain in Portugal for more than 3 months you must register your Residence by end of month 4

The next legal bit says that as a Portuguese Resident you cannot drive a NON PORTUGUESE REGISTERED vehicle

So if you don't follow the law you join that group of people who drive illegally which means that if stopped you can be fined, your car can be impounded, you can be given the option to matriculate it, scrap it or remove from Portugal within a time limit.

Yes there are companies that will insure "overstayers" like Ibex (who are listed by DVLA so Road Tax is available with a UK MOT) but you still run the above risk and also if you read their small print it is very *unclear* that a claim would be paid if you did not have a valid UK MOT as they are covered by a opt out clause

The reason it is so difficult to get extended UK insurance is because of EU regulations on Registering Residence so I'm surprised you've found 120 days as it's normally 90


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

You're allowed to keep your UK registered car in PT for 182 (or 3?) days before returning it to the UK or beginning the matriculation process.

If you're a new immigrant and provide the correct (easily obtainable) paperwork and fit the various criteria, you can import it free of import tax.

Alternatively you can sell it in the UK and buy another one here but be warned, cars are stupidly expensive here.

There are companies that will offer insurance under the circumstances you detail and a friend of mine has just done that very thing with a Spanish company. I'm not sure who they are but will try to find out and will PM you if I can get their contact details. (You need to make 5 posts before you can send/receive PMs)

You should remember that your car will need to have UK road tax & MOT for the duration it's here and until you matriculate (if you do go that route)

Oh and welcome to the forum.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

travelling-man said:


> You're allowed to keep your UK registered car in PT for 182 (or 3?) days before returning it to the UK or beginning the matriculation process.
> 
> If you're a new immigrant and provide the correct (easily obtainable) paperwork and fit the various criteria, you can import it free of import tax.
> 
> ...


Not quite as a visitor you can only keep car in Portugal for a max of 3 months at a time with a 3 month break in-between as otherwise you must register your Residence

Re Matriculation you must first register as a Resident and the 183 day (6 month) timescale to start matriculation is from date car left UK or elsewhere not the date you Register Residence

A UK MOT can only be done in the UK nowhere else, so if your undecided what to do I'd suggest getting a new MOT if reguired just before you leave


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

canoeman said:


> Not quite as a visitor you can only keep car in Portugal for a max of 3 months at a time with a 3 month break in-between as otherwise you must register your Residence
> 
> Re Matriculation you must first register as a Resident and the 183 day (6 month) timescale to start matriculation is from date car left UK or elsewhere not the date you Register Residence
> 
> A UK MOT can only be done in the UK nowhere else, so if your undecided what to do I'd suggest getting a new MOT if reguired just before you leave


Ja. I'd forgotten that but as usual, you're quite right. 

I can't remember where I saw it but have a vague idea rule changes that'll make it easier to keep a foreign registered car here for longer are being considered?


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## Lauranewman (Aug 12, 2014)

*Conclusion to insuring uk car*

Thank you for all your very helpful replies!
This is a wonderful resource.

So I will need to register as a resident by the end of 4 months stay in portugal. Which is also the time I have managed to get my car insured by my uk company.

So......am I correct that at that time I will have to do one of the following:

1. Register my car in portugal. 
Is this the matriculation process?

2. Return to the uk & sell my car
And buy a Portuguese car

3. Sell my car to an expat who is returning to the uk????
I have a Nissan Qashqai bought new in 2013 with only 6,300 miles, paid £19,000

(I realise I need 5 posts to get started so this is number two.)

(If I return to the uk in 4 months, & stay for a month say, does the 3-4 month process of registering for residency start again?)


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## Lauranewman (Aug 12, 2014)

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Very helpful


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## Lauranewman (Aug 12, 2014)

Thanks for your helpful reply


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Yes you need to Register as a Resident by end of month 4
1. Yes the criteria are
You must start Matriculation process first registering as a Resident and within 6 months of car leaving UK
You must be able to prove ownership of vehicle in your name and residence for a min of 12 months prior to move and have had a full valid D/L
For matriculation you require
Cars log book in your name
CoC
Certificate from UK Portuguese Consulate in Portugal (Portimao or Lisbon) stating date you left UK
Headlights & rear lights to conform with RHD, tyres must be matching pairs front or rear
Type B MOT in Portugal
Passport, Residencia, NIF 

Downside Road tax is based on the year of Matriculation not the year car first registered in UK
You cannot sell or lend car in first 12 months, if you sell car within 5 years you pay pro-rata the saving in ISV, you must remain a Resident during this period.

2. Probably the best idea

3. Your likely to get less money apart from trying to actually find a buyer in Portugal

"(If I return to the uk in 4 months, & stay for a month say, does the 3-4 month process of registering for residency start again?)"

Should be if I return to the UK in 1 day less than 3 months yes but this does not mean a weekend or a stay of less than 3 months in UK as what people also forget is that again officially to retain your rights as a UK Resident then you must spend a min of 6 months per year in UK, re the car if you did 3 months Portugal 1 month UK 3 months Portugal you've used up your allowed 183 days in 7 months.


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## Lauranewman (Aug 12, 2014)

Thank you again.
After reading the responses here & researching the matriculation process on this forum, I have decided the best idea is to return to uk & sell car. 
You have saved me a lot of time! Thanks


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

Lauranewman said:


> Thank you again.
> After reading the responses here & researching the matriculation process on this forum, I have decided the best idea is to return to uk & sell car.
> You have saved me a lot of time! Thanks


not to put you off, but when you sell the Nissan in the U.K. for £17 - 18k you will be able to buy a lovely 1989 Toyota Corolla here for that sort of cash ( no air-con and mod cons )....

No.. only joking. Have a look at Standvirtual - O Nº1 em Carros Usados, Carros Baratos and olx.pt for an idea of what the prices are. 

The chaps on here are truly the lexicon of all things PT.

p.s I'll give you two goats, a pig and all my children for your car..


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