Driving back to Greece-which car insurance

[curlysue]

We sold our car prior to sailing to the med. We have returned briefly to the uk and have decided to buy a car and drive back to Greece with all the shopping we needed. I've spent all morning trawling the compare sites etc to try and find car insurance that best covers us and am still at it. Would anybody out there care to tell me who they are with for their journeys to and fro. I know there are a lot of people do this trip, so there must be a wealth of helpful advice on the good, the bad and the ugly.The car will be out of the uk for the best part of the year. Cheers.......

 

[Cloven]

I think you will find that the best you will get is a policy that covers you for up to 60 days - possibly extended to 90 days - abroad. Check the legal situation for Greece because in France, if you use your car in France for more than 90 days in a calender year, legally you should take out French car insurance. I only discovered this recently after reading an article in a French property magazine.

Hope this helps.

 

[duncan99210]

Depends on the cover you require. Under EU law, a car insured in one country is automatically insured in all EU countries to the minimum required in each country. So if you buy an old banger and just want the minimum cover, all you need to do is to insure it in UK for third party and you will have cover across the EU. On the other hand, if you want something a little more up market and want to have comprehensive insurance, then you're into the business finding a company which will give you a good deal for being out of the UK for an extended period. Can't help with which company but perhaps that'll help the decision tree......

 

[vyv_cox]

The Caravan Club insurance will cover overseas trips for up to 180 days. No need to be a member.

 

[Oliveoyl]

Think it might also depend on which route you choose - if ferry from Italy, all EU, if via Serbia / Albania, might be more difficult to get cover

 

[jordanbasset]

After much searching we found Marks and Spencers covered us for 180 days abroad. Most only do 60 days

 

[Davy_S]

The car will be out of the uk for the best part of the year. Cheers.......

Be carefull, you are only allowed to use your car for six months of the year, there are many Brit reg cars driving around with no tax, insurance or MOT. Local plod have been known to impound the car and fine you, if they can be bothered! They are tightening up.

 

[ccscott49]

Be carefull, you are only allowed to use your car for six months of the year, there are many Brit reg cars driving around with no tax, insurance or MOT. Local plod have been known to impound the car and fine you, if they can be bothered! They are tightening up.

I will refine this statement, you are only allowed to have your brit registered car IN greece for 6 months, not just use it. After 6 months it has to be removed, but still not found out for how long it has to be out of Greece yet, but it seems the last ferry ticket showing it arriving is OK.

 

[gavin_lacey]

Saga insurance used to include unlimited european use. Probably still does. You have to be over 50.

 

[Davy_S]

EU citizens are free to circulate in Greece in their EU state registered car
for six months without customs controls. After six months the car must be re-
exported or cleared through customs.

Generally speaking it is still an expensive and complicated exercise to
permanently import a car into Greece. Although officially there is no import tax
within the EU, Greece charges a "registration tax" on vehicles imported for
longer than six months and this can be high, even on older second hand
models. This registration tax is worked out on a percentage of the value of a
new car, with a sliding scale of discount for older vehicles and it appears to be
open to interpretation by the customs officer in charge.

If you are intending to stay longer than six months it may be wise, and most
likely cheaper, to buy a new or secondhand car in Greece.

However for those who wish to persevere, you will find below the official
information on the documentation and conditions for car importation to Greece
from other EU countries


The following information is from the British Embassy's "Notes on Greece".

Temporary Importation of Cars by Tourists

Tourists from other EU Member States, whose cars are registered in that EU
State, are free to circulate in Greece for a period of six months without
customs control. The car registration document and proof of ownership of a
caravan or boat is required. Travellers should at all times be able to prove to
the authorities when the car was brought into Greece.

To qualify for a second period of tax free circulation: either both the car and
the owner should be out of Greece for at least 185 days or while the owner is
away, the vehicle can remain at a special Customs compound in Greece for the
period stated. Greek road tax is payable for all additional periods of
circulation. The entitlement to circulate on foreign plates is strictly personal,
consequently only the wife/husband or children may use the car in addition to
the owner. After the expiry of the period granted by the customs authorities,
the person concerned will be required to either:
1) re-export the car,
2) seal it with the customs for a period of at least 6 months (but no more than
12 months) after which time, provided the owner can show that he/she has
been out of Greece for at least 6 months during this time, another 6 month
circulation period will be granted, or
3) clear it through customs.

Failure to conform to the provisions of Greek Law as above may result in the
Greek Customs imposing fines for each extra day after the expired period.
Such fines can be very steep. Under such circumstances, the vehicle is not
released to the owner unless he agrees to clear it through customs or export
it from Greece.

Advice on extensions, transfer or sale of tourist cars in Greece can be
obtained from the Directorate for the Supervision and Control of Cars
(DIPEAK) at the following address:

Directorate for the Supervision and Control of Cars
DIPEAK
Akti Kondyli 32
Piraeus 185 10
Telephone No: 210 46 23615 / 46 26325 and 46 27325

 

[ccscott49]

To purchase a greek car, you must be registered and have a tax number.

 

[Davy_S]

To purchase a greek car, you must be registered and have a tax number.

Colin, you have lost me now!
I was showing the cutting that allows you to keep a car longer than 6 months.

I have owned a Greek car for 5 years, tax number needed to purchase, registered as what?

 

[ccscott49]

Colin, you have lost me now!
I was showing the cutting that allows you to keep a car longer than 6 months.

I have owned a Greek car for 5 years, tax number needed to purchase, registered as what?

Sorry, but you mentioned it is easier to purchase a Greek car, but you have to register as a resident to get a tax number (I think??) and you need a tax number to buy a car. Of course if you plan to stay in Greece for extended periods, then I guess its better to register anyway, easier to get phones etc, but you then come under the greek tax regime and have to file a tax return to stay fully legal etc etc etc. Do you want to do all that?

By the way, I'm getting all this info from my bruv, who has also been in Corfu 5 years, owns car, house etc and is totally legal, thats the way he is!

 

[bryantee]

greek car

yes you need greek registration and a greek tax no. to purchase car.not expensive for the initial paperwork like 2 euro.. BUT yearly road tax expensive, depends on cc of car.insurance eye watering compared to uk . have had 1990 cc for 6 year from new. now third party ins and cost for year E1100.road tax is from january to january. miss the renewal in december and tax doubles.hiring is starting to look more cost effective except trying to sell the tucson is not easy as the goal posts were moved and suddenly 1990cc cross bar moved down to somewhere around 1600cc. knocked the bottom out of the mid range sales.oh and theres talk of charging more for older cars.( somebody has been to japan?).
hopefully jim b will correct any mistakes in the above.

 

[Davy_S]

Sorry, but you mentioned it is easier to purchase a Greek car, but you have to register as a resident to get a tax number (I think??) and you need a tax number to buy a car. Of course if you plan to stay in Greece for extended periods, then I guess its better to register anyway, easier to get phones etc, but you then come under the greek tax regime and have to file a tax return to stay fully legal etc etc etc. Do you want to do all that?

By the way, I'm getting all this info from my bruv, who has also been in Corfu 5 years, owns car, house etc and is totally legal, thats the way he is!

My mistake, I simply cut and pasted from the Euro site!
When I first moved here you had to get a resident permit, the requirements vary from place to place (its Greece after all) some people had to prove they had enough money to sustain them if not working. This also varied (the amount) from place to place, however it could not be legaly more than the basic Greek subsistance level. The Resident permit was deemed illegal two years ago, but no one told the Greeks! You now have to register and get a Blue card. If you had the old residence permit for five years, you get the new card without having to prove anything.
Back to cars, I bought new nearly six years ago, I had a tax number but no residency permit. No probs said the smiley garage, you are not staying for more than three months are you/ wink wink, no said I and I got the car (I am fully Legal) this is what a few people do, they spend a few weeks out here and leave their car till they come again. But as Bryantee says, insurance is very expensive, tax for a 2.5 litre car will be 800 euro this year. Not for me of course as I drive a noddy car. I see no point on a small island to have a big car, plus I am a cheapskate!