here's something for Deleted User

[wotayottie]

The EU law, which came into force on 1 May, bans any European Union citizen (including British nationals), from driving non-EU registered cars in EU countries.

Once we have left, there will be no more car tours of the EU. Wonder if it will affect motor caravans? Mind you getting all the Polish / Latvia etc registered cars off our roads would be good

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Once we've left the EU we won't be EU citizens. Therefore the ban on EU citizens driving non-EU registered cars won't apply.

It only applies to EU citizens who have imported cars from outside the EU and continue to drive cars the cars on a foreign registration. It's never been legal in the UK.

So a non story on two accounts.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Once we've left the EU we won't be EU citizens. Therefore the ban on EU citizens driving non-EU registered cars won't apply.

It only applies to EU citizens who have imported cars from outside the EU and continue to drive cars the cars on a foreign registration. It's never been legal in the UK.

So a non story on two accounts.

Quite - and in anycase the EU Customs law has always required that when entering any country within the EU - say a british car in Greece, that you have to pay the local tax as soon as you have hit 6 months in that country. The Greeks try to enforce it.

 

[Sandyman]

Quite - and in anycase the EU Customs law has always required that when entering any country within the EU - say a british car in Greece, that you have to pay the local tax as soon as you have hit 6 months in that country. The Greeks try to enforce it.

My understanding was that after 6 months you not only had to pay the tax but also register the car.

 

[Chris_Robb]

My understanding was that after 6 months you not only had to pay the tax but also register the car.

Not sure as you may be taking it home again. Expensive way to do it though

 

[Davy_S]

There are British Reg cars on some of the Greek islands that are driving around with no tax, no MOT, no insurance, and have been doing so for years, so do the Greeks! I have only ever heard of one car getting impounded. If the Greeks made it simpler and cheaper to import a vehicle, then the argument is they would then tax and insure their car, well thats the view that i am led to believe. I suppose if this were possible, at least the Greeks would get some income from illegal vehicles.

 

[jimbaerselman]

My understanding was that after 6 months you not only had to pay the tax but also register the car.

To legally keep an EU car in another EU country for more than 180 days, you have to "import" the car into it's new home. "Import" may be temporary (keeping old registration valid), or permanent (obtaining new registration). Either way, what's required is the same. The imported car will have to be listed on the local registration database, and meet the same fees, insurance and inspections that local cars do.

There isn't a means of tracking how much time cars spend in many countries. UK and Greece, fed by ferries, tunnel or non-EU borders, can track how long vehicles have stayed. Greece conducts spot checks on departing vehicles, and levies heavy fines when it detects over-long stays.

The Greeks had a long history of levying a high "duty", in addition to a fine, on imported EU cars. This broke EU customs zone practice, and after multiple challenges in EU courts, has ceased.

 

[vyv_cox]

My understanding was that after 6 months you not only had to pay the tax but also register the car.

That's what we had to do when we lived in Holland. To avoid that we brought the vehicle home and bought a local one. When we returned that to UK we had to re-register it and of course pay UK road tax.

 

[GrahamM376]

To legally keep an EU car in another EU country for more than 180 days, you have to "import" the car into it's new home. "Import" may be temporary (keeping old registration valid), or permanent (obtaining new registration). Either way, what's required is the same. The imported car will have to be listed on the local registration database, and meet the same fees, insurance and inspections that local cars do.

There isn't a means of tracking how much time cars spend in many countries. UK and Greece, fed by ferries, tunnel or non-EU borders, can track how long vehicles have stayed. Greece conducts spot checks on departing vehicles, and levies heavy fines when it detects over-long stays.

Not forgetting of course that if you spend more than 6 months there, you have become resident in that country and should register as such.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Not forgetting of course that if you spend more than 6 months there, you have become resident in that country and should register as such.

The EU directive allows that a person spending more than 182 days out of 365 in a country becomes a tax resident of that country, a fiscal matter. In practice, different countries play this differently. In Spain it's a tax year, which also happens to be a calendar year. In UK it's a tax year.

"Residence" has many sub-sets which affect different aspects of taxation and responsiblities - IHT, capital gains taxes, property taxes, wealth taxes, voting rights. A minefield!

 

[GrahamM376]

"Residence" has many sub-sets which affect different aspects of taxation and responsiblities - IHT, capital gains taxes, property taxes, wealth taxes, voting rights. A minefield!

Went to renew my residence yesterday, SEF were on strike so couldn't do it. Something I've only recently been made aware of which applies to those with property in participating countries - Under Brussels 4, nationals of one country resident in another can choose which country's law applies to inheritance rules. Although UK hasn't signed up, if the country you are resident in has, then a declaration can be made and your UK Will would be valid.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Went to renew my residence yesterday, SEF were on strike so couldn't do it. Something I've only recently been made aware of which applies to those with property in participating countries - Under Brussels 4, nationals of one country resident in another can choose which country's law applies to inheritance rules. Although UK hasn't signed up, if the country you are resident in has, then a declaration can be made and your UK Will would be valid.

Many thanks. I wasn't aware of that. Useful info.

 

[GrahamM376]

Many thanks. I wasn't aware of that. Useful info.

The method of documentation may vary depending on country. I asked our Portuguese notary about it and she said just make sure the declaration is in our UK wills.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

here's something for Deleted User

Not sure why I deserved a name check on this forum but its much appreciated

 

[akyaka]

The method of documentation may vary depending on country. I asked our Portuguese notary about it and she said just make sure the declaration is in our UK wills.

I also understand that the wording has to comply with the laws of the country the UK will is to be enforced in.