ean_p
Well-known member
What is the situation for a UK citizen resident in say Spain as regards his UK registered car post Brexit in a/ his host country and b/ other Schengen countries please?
Car & camper post Brexit for residents
- Thread starter ean_p
- Start date
Graham376
Well-known member
Simple, not allowed for residents to drive foreign registered cars in most, if not all countries. If pulled, you're a tourist, don't admit to having residence, as long as within 90 day window.
nortada
Well-known member
Hope you are not trying to lead up-standing British citizens (with EU residency) astray.
Graham376
Well-known member
Hope you are not trying to lead up-standing British citizens (with EU residency) astray.
Not unless they're female and willing.
DownWest
Well-known member
Better decorate your zimmer a bit with that in mind.
Portugal was always a difficult one for foreign reg vehicles. They made it tricky to import, so as to protect the local dealers/importers and 'stops' to find out the legality were frequent, back in the days.
It has always been illegal for residents to drive foreign reg. in most countries, but now, it is so much easier for them to check on you, I tried three times to import cars into portugal. Every time, I gave up after a few years. The joke was, one of them would have been a nice earner for them, but delaying it for three years meant we got to use it legally, until we sent it back to UK and they earned zero.
I also remember when Portugal joined the EU. There were massive queues at the borders of high value cars from midnight on the date of entry. Only to be told that the old rules still applied. Lots of dissapointed new Range Rover and Porsche owners...
ean_p
Well-known member
so going forward then it would still be ok to drive a UK car in any of the other Schengen countries that your not resident in as you would be a 'tourist' in those countries ?
ean_p
Well-known member
Ouch !
greeny
Well-known member
I've never heard of that one being "tested" with the police before. But my interpretation would say you would be ok. Even better if you don't mention your foreign residency and just be "a british tourist abroad" , on holiday for less than 90 days with a british car.
But if your driving license is "foreign" (country of residence) then you may be opening a bag of worms.
For example: British with Portuguese residence, Portuguese licence and driving a UK registered car in Spain.
Personally I would think you would be ok but .................................
Graham376
Well-known member
In common with Greeny, I've not come across that situation either so don't have an answer. My previous post assumed you still have your UK driving licence which should have been exchanged for "foreign" one when taking up residence. Not sure what will happen with validity of UK licenses after 31/12, has anything been published?
Graham376
Well-known member
Better decorate your zimmer a bit with that in mind.
Cruel! Actually, doubt the flesh could keep up with my mind these days and 'er indoors won't give me parole anyway.
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Kelpie
Well-known member
Asking for a friend...
what do we think happens after Brexit if an EU citizen wants to take a UK registered vehicle abroad permanently? My understanding is that you can do this at the moment, will that remain unchanged?
what do we think happens after Brexit if an EU citizen wants to take a UK registered vehicle abroad permanently? My understanding is that you can do this at the moment, will that remain unchanged?
25931
Well-known member
You can not do it at the moment. I think that you will find a 90 day limit if you don't have residency and if you do, as stated above you may not drive a foreign vehicle unless its a hire car. There are other problems such as insurance and MOT which , I'm prepared to bet, will not go away, quite the contrary. In other words be prepared to buy a car registered in your country of residence.
Kelpie
Well-known member
Oh, I see! I was under the impression that plenty of people were moving to e.g. France and taking their UK-registered car with them. Maybe it's not as prevalent as I thought, or the people doing it are actually not abiding by the rules.
DownWest
Well-known member
Any car has to be legal in it's country of registration. So Tax and MOT and insurance must be up to date. If you take your car with you to a new country, then you need to import it if you become resident, in the 181 day rule..
Must admit to bending this a bit, as it wasn't so obvious when we moved here and the Ins co happily continued to cover us knowing we had moved our residence and the local MOT guy consulted his 'puter and passed the two cars.
Found out a bit later we were not following the rules.
Must admit to bending this a bit, as it wasn't so obvious when we moved here and the Ins co happily continued to cover us knowing we had moved our residence and the local MOT guy consulted his 'puter and passed the two cars.
Found out a bit later we were not following the rules.
greeny
Well-known member
Many thousands of Brits have, over the years flaunted these rules and most have got away with it. Just like the Dutch and Germans.
However, some do get caught.
Friend of mine went to Faro airport to pick up a friend in her uk car 3 years ago. Got pulled for a document check. Whilst they were checking her docs they noticed 6 years of back MOT's at the back of her documents. All Portuguese. Silly mistake. They confiscated the car and impounded it. Fined her 400 euros. She had to get a taxi back to Portimao. She had 2 weeks to get it out of the country or another 400 euro fine. 400 for each 2 weeks she didn't get it out of the country. They charged her 200 for the tow truck to take it away, they charged again for storage when she finally went to the pound to pick it up in Faro. Then she had to get a document signed at the Portugal Spain border and return it to Faro to prove the vehicle had left the country or the fines would continue. Then she drove it to Ayamonte (spain) where she stored it on a car park for 6 weeks (at a cost) until her son could fly over and drive it back to UK for her.
Then all the problems of getting it off SORN and re taxed in UK. Couldn't do it without an MOT. Had to have an MOT booked in Portsmouth ready for him on arrival, then having passed that he could unsorn and tax the car on his laptop whilst sat in the carpark, then he could legally drive it home to Scotland. All at her cost.
On balance she maybe still saved money over the 6 years but it was a lot of hassle and worry. She reckons getting caught cost her around 3k euros in total.
She drives a Portuguese car now.
However, some do get caught.
Friend of mine went to Faro airport to pick up a friend in her uk car 3 years ago. Got pulled for a document check. Whilst they were checking her docs they noticed 6 years of back MOT's at the back of her documents. All Portuguese. Silly mistake. They confiscated the car and impounded it. Fined her 400 euros. She had to get a taxi back to Portimao. She had 2 weeks to get it out of the country or another 400 euro fine. 400 for each 2 weeks she didn't get it out of the country. They charged her 200 for the tow truck to take it away, they charged again for storage when she finally went to the pound to pick it up in Faro. Then she had to get a document signed at the Portugal Spain border and return it to Faro to prove the vehicle had left the country or the fines would continue. Then she drove it to Ayamonte (spain) where she stored it on a car park for 6 weeks (at a cost) until her son could fly over and drive it back to UK for her.
Then all the problems of getting it off SORN and re taxed in UK. Couldn't do it without an MOT. Had to have an MOT booked in Portsmouth ready for him on arrival, then having passed that he could unsorn and tax the car on his laptop whilst sat in the carpark, then he could legally drive it home to Scotland. All at her cost.
On balance she maybe still saved money over the 6 years but it was a lot of hassle and worry. She reckons getting caught cost her around 3k euros in total.
She drives a Portuguese car now.
Graham376
Well-known member
No you can't do it at the moment, an EU citizen has to import/matriculate the car which, in Portugal for instance, costs several thousand euro. Same will apply after Brexit as rules in EU for citizens isn't changing.
Graham376
Well-known member
Your question #11 was about EU citizens, not about Brits moving abroad.
greeny
Well-known member
But don't forget that when you become resident you are allowed to import one vehicle per person free at that time. You must have owned that car for 6 months prior and must keep it for at least 12 months afterwards. Or at least that was the criteria when I last looked at it. Going off thread I know - sorry.
cherod
Well-known member
thing is , if you live in rural area, maybe even urban , the local Guardia ( spain ) get to know you and they will remember you and will know how long you been there with that car,, i know .
nortada
Well-known member
Think you may find when people take their British plated car into the EU, they either, ‘live under the radar’ and as tourists and continue to drive on a British license (with an international permit next year) - OK until you get caught, or matriculate the vehicle, which then becomes subject to local regulations and as residents they drive on a local license.
Post ETIAS, I suspect ‘living under the radar’ will become more difficult and fewer Brit plated cars will be going to Europe.
In a similar vein, it will be interesting to see if the same number of Brits continue to go to Europe longer term (over 90 days).
We live in interesting times, that in 4 months could get a whole lot more interesting
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