Car & camper post Brexit for residents

[st599]

You just have to look at the farce at Geneva airport to understand how difficult it will be.

You see the queues at Hertz trying to complain because they didn't read the rules and had either been caught out:

• at French customs leaving Switzerland with the EU citizens can only drive an EU registered car in the EU rule
• at Swiss customs re-entering Switzerland with the only the registered owner can reimport a Swiss registered vehicle in to Switzerland rule.

(The second catches many every day as there's a cheap supermarket just over the border, so families risk it)

 

[Graham376]

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.

That's fine in theory, but when a mate tried that in Faro, there were all sorts of hoops to jump through and they wanted €8k duty on a 20 year old €1k Merc. I know that's correct as we were with him, my wife translating.

P,S. It seems there are different rules for those who formally immigrate and cut ties with previous country of residence, they are able to import at cheap rate. Those of us who just arrive and take up residence are treated very differently.

 

[25931]

That's fine in theory, but when a mate tried that in Faro, there were all sorts of hoops to jump through and they wanted €8k duty on a 20 year old €1k Merc. I know that's correct as we were with him, my wife translating.

P,S. It seems there are different rules for those who formally immigrate and cut ties with previous country of residence, they are able to import at cheap rate. Those of us who just arrive and take up residence are treated very differently.

As I've said before there are registered agencies who deal with imports. It will obviously cost but they will tell you in advance how much. I think that ACP - Automovel Clube de Portugal also deal with imports.

 

[greeny]

That's fine in theory, but when a mate tried that in Faro, there were all sorts of hoops to jump through and they wanted €8k duty on a 20 year old €1k Merc. I know that's correct as we were with him, my wife translating.

P,S. It seems there are different rules for those who formally immigrate and cut ties with previous country of residence, they are able to import at cheap rate. Those of us who just arrive and take up residence are treated very differently.

I guess that's Portugal for you. There are the rules and then there is their interpretation of the rules. I personally know 2 people who have successfully imported cars under this scheme and it cost them some paper work charges and nothing else. Oh and headlight changes as well. I also know someone who became resident 4 years ago and decided to import his old CRV from UK recently. He was out of the time limit and was told it would be 16500 euros to import it. He didn't bother.

 

[DownWest]

I guess that's Portugal for you. There are the rules and then there is their interpretation of the rules. I personally know 2 people who have successfully imported cars under this scheme and it cost them some paper work charges and nothing else. Oh and headlight changes as well. I also know someone who became resident 4 years ago and decided to import his old CRV from UK. He was out of the time limit and was told it would be 16500 euros to import it. He didn't bother.

Portugal was supposed to follow the EU rules and charge a max 135 euro for processing imports, but old habits die hard and they still charge eyewatering fees. The EU fines them every year for non complience and every year they don't pay the fines...

Like many, I used an agent in Faro, but in the long run, found while he was nice and spoke some English, he just stuck things in a file and ignored them. This was in the 70s, but things may not have improved.

We imported two masts for a ketch. When they were finally cleared by the Lisbon customs, we went to collect them from the customs compound. Well we got the masts, but every item had been stripped off them, including the halyard winches.. They was no come back with the Customs and I expect still not.
'Nother guy I know imported a big cement mixer. No import taxes, but needed customs clearence. Went to collect it and found an oily patch.. Again, no redress. I would hope that generation has gone, but not holding my breath.

 

[Graham376]

................ Again, no redress. I would hope that generation has gone, but not holding my breath.

Although the dictatorship ended in the '70s, Portugal is still a police state and compared to UK has mind boggling laws and bureaucracy. To get many things done, you can't just pick up the phone, it needs a day off work and spend half the day waiting in a queue and then be told you are missing one document so, come back another day when you have it. On return, another official will then demand something else. That's where agents are useful but expensive. OTOH, if you have a personal contact then get called to the front of the queue and it's sorted in minutes. Plenty of corruption and favours will at some point need repaying, maybe by a nice meal.

Many years ago, we were hit by a ferry running on forged insurance documents. The police took no action until it made the front page of a daily paper a month later (after we spoke to a reporter), turned out a relative of the then mayor had an interest in the business.

 

[DownWest]

Plenty of corruption and favours will at some point need repaying, maybe by a nice meal.

I needed a 100kva transformer, 500mtr of HT connection and 300mtrs of LT underground cable. So I get a company lined up to supply and install and met the EDP engineer in Faro, as he would have to sign it off. His 'Professional' fee (bearing in mind he worked for a public company) was way over what I had expected to pay. But, no payee, no signature. So bit my tongue and coughed up. Plenty of other occasions, but that stuck in the mind. (Around '85)

 

[Graham376]

This is the weird thing about this place, we had the opposite. When changing gas suppliers was told a safety inspection would be needed. Inspection showed out of date cooker hose so I told them to change it €2 for labour and hose, inspection was free.

 

[Seastoke]

Well you would be illegal after a while , ie no tax no mot , no insurance.

 

[greeny]

Well you would be illegal after a while , ie no tax no mot , no insurance.

You just don't know how it works, do you. Here we go again.

 

[Seastoke]

You just don't know how it works, do you. Here we go again.

Xplain then ,

 

[greeny]

Xplain then ,

No. I tried once before and you were impossible. I'm not wasting my time again.

 

[wallacebob]

I took a vehicle (motorbike) to Spain, I'm not resident but have NIE as I own house. After 3 months I had to have it tested - ITV plus conformity - changed to Spanish reg and logbook. Lots of firms do it all for you, approx 500 euro. You in theory can wait until either your insurance isn't valid, or the MOT expires. You need to drive back to UK to MOT it. Some Gib insurance firms will cover it, but maybe not next year? Not worth the hassle, just do the legal thing. The process is similar for Spanish etc coming to UK. Spanish second hand cars are expensive compared to UK, so it can be worthwhile, but your selling market is limited to Brits - RHD! Buy a local car and save yourself a lot of trouble.
If you are resident, then you need to get a Spanish license ASAP - no test, straight swap; otherwise next year you have to take a Spanish test. A friend got a 200 euro fine for not having his licence changed after 10 years. He has residencia. The Guardia will now take a more stringent view of offences, as we are not EU citizens . Living "under the radar" is not a sensible option anymore.

 

[greeny]

I took a vehicle (motorbike) to Spain, I'm not resident but have NIE as I own house. After 3 months I had to have it tested - ITV plus conformity - changed to Spanish reg and logbook. Lots of firms do it all for you, approx 500 euro. You in theory can wait until either your insurance isn't valid, or the MOT expires. You need to drive back to UK to MOT it. Some Gib insurance firms will cover it, but maybe not next year? Not worth the hassle, just do the legal thing. The process is similar for Spanish etc coming to UK. Spanish second hand cars are expensive compared to UK, so it can be worthwhile, but your selling market is limited to Brits - RHD! Buy a local car and save yourself a lot of trouble.
If you are resident, then you need to get a Spanish license ASAP - no test, straight swap; otherwise next year you have to take a Spanish test. A friend got a 200 euro fine for not having his licence changed after 10 years. He has residencia. The Guardia will now take a more stringent view of offences, as we are not EU citizens . Living "under the radar" is not a sensible option anymore.

Pretty similar situation in Portugal.
I fully agree, going legal is definitely the sensible option now.
The situation with the license and having to take another driving test has also been muted here in Portugal. But before you take the test you have to have done (i was quoted) 28 hours practical training and 32 hours classroom work. That would turn it into a very expensive option. Best thing again is to go legal now and exchange your license before it's too late.

 

[neil1967]

Of course UK visitors to Europe will require an international driving permit (IDP) as their UK licences will not be valid - and depending on the countries being visited perhaps more than one: France and Spain have signed up to different versions of the IDP treaty and so someone driving to Spain through France will need two IDPs, which have different validity periods.

 

[DownWest]

Pretty similar situation in Portugal.
I fully agree, going legal is definitely the sensible option now.
The situation with the license and having to take another driving test has also been muted here in Portugal. But before you take the test you have to have done (i was quoted) 28 hours practical training and 32 hours classroom work. That would turn it into a very expensive option. Best thing again is to go legal now and exchange your license before it's too late.

The odd thing is about that, there was no requirement for foreign residents to take tests before they were in the EU, one just filled in the paper-work and filed it. Around 6 months later you got your exchange licence with the option to swop it back at any time.

 

[Seastoke]

The odd thing is about that, there was no requirement for foreign residents to take tests before they were in the EU, one just filled in the paper-work and filed it. Around 6 months later you got your exchange licence with the option to swop it back at any time.

That’s why we are leaving.

 

[DownWest]

That’s why we are leaving.

Leaving? Is that Portugal or UK out of the EU?

 

[tgpt21]

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?

It's the same in every country even before Brexit. Six months is the maximum time to have a vehicle in a foreign country. After that time has elapsed it should be registered in that country and the taxes paid on it and all testing and homogolation proven.
I KNOW that it does not happen. But that is the law.
The rules for importation vary from country to country.
I thought about buying a local car for Croatia. But I cannot register a car unless I am a citizen or a full resident.
I found this out looking into the 90/180 rule for Schengen.

 

[DownWest]

It's the same in every country even before Brexit. Six months is the maximum time to have a vehicle in a foreign country. After that time has elapsed it should be registered in that country and the taxes paid on it and all testing and homogolation proven.
I KNOW that it does not happen. But that is the law.
The rules for importation vary from country to country.
I thought about buying a local car for Croatia. But I cannot register a car unless I am a citizen or a full resident.
I found this out looking into the 90/180 rule for Schengen.

The six months is if non-resident. Residents are not allowed to drive foreign reg cars.