Selling UK Registered Car in Portugal

rarrainbow

Hello All!

We are currently in the UK, moving to the South Algarve in the next month (May 2012). We have decided to buy a car in the UK and drive it over as:

a) we have heard cars are 2.5x more expensive to buy in Portugal
b) we will know nobody upon arrival and will therefore have no trustworthy people to help us when buying a car (we are getting cheap banger and are not mechanics ourselves!!)
c) we have lots of stuff to bring over (surf boards, dive equipment etc) so even though flights are cheap, once extra baggage has been added, plus taxis etc when we get there, figured a car would be much easier and much more fun too!
d) being involved in the tourist industry my BF needs to be ready to go as soon as we get there, therefore not inclined to buy Portuguese car upon arrival as this will take time to sort out insurance, breakdown, even just finding the car....

We know that:

a) as long as the UK car is UK taxed and MOT'd, we can keep it legally for the first 183 days of entering Portugal
b) after then we need to matriculate
c) there are loads of posts on all forums about this and clearly it is a pain in the posterior and also pretty costly :-( (also I believe you have to have owned the car for 12 months prior to attempting matriculation... well we haven't even bought our car yet..... so can't matriculate anyway!)

However:

a) we need a car as BF is freelance photographer across the whole of the South
b) we are limited on funds!
c) we have found really good insurers to cover UK, Spain and Portugal

Surely:
- with the number of expats moving between the UK and Portugal, something can be set up between us to benefit all. I'm thinking drive a UK registered car over, have it legally no hassle for 6 months, then sell it to somebody who is going to the UK. Maybe part ex for their LHD car?

Pitfalls:
- not sure how many people leave Portugal to move back to the UK?

Overcome by:
- people will be visiting the UK and maybe the idea of a road trip would appeal... see some of Spain and France and even the UK along the way! Use the car to transport more than is allowable on cheap.com flights. Use it whilst in the UK. Then if coming back, sell it onto the next person who needs it!

Surely:
-there must be people needing RHD leaving Portugal who have a LHD car to get rid of??????

-doing part ex or a plain swap to avoid all the absolute red tape of getting the cars re-registered and all the costly checks involved

What do you all think please? As I said, as yet, we have no car but definitely need one... which is the best way to do this based on only wanting a cheap banger and having lots of stuff to bring over...

Any ideas or inspiration to address this situation that clearly a lot of people are suffering with would be great!

Thanks

Savvy_Sue

I will ask some of the ex pats on the Over 50s board to take a look. Not sure any of them are in Portugal, but we have several who know Spain very well ...

rarrainbow

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I will ask some of the ex pats on the Over 50s board to take a look. Not sure any of them are in Portugal, but we have several who know Spain very well ...

Thanks Savvy_Sue!

We also need contents insurance and insurance to cover camera equipment for professional use and car breakdown cover if you know much about that

Want to make sure we do everything above board!!

Thanks

seven-day-weekend

You will either need to matriculate your car, or return it to the UK after 183 days.

We did ours in Spain, it took ages and cost 500euros, not including changing the lights. However, I think we were unlucky with the time it took, I don't think it normally takes that long.

We are now transferring it back onto UK plates! Still a faff, but nowhere near as bad.

I recommend you post on the Portugal forum of https://www.britishexpats.com , there will be people who know more than me there.

Hope this helps a bit.

droopsnout

Well, I think you're asking a lot when it comes to selling your car on, but nothing is impossible, you are young and highly motivated, and I suspect you'll find a way!

Re insurance for the photo gear, I could only suggest that you approach a local broker and/or use a Portuguese website to find cover. Do you speak any Portuguese?

For what it's worth, when we first moved over here (France) we re-registered our UK vehicle with very little hassle and without too much expense. Some forums painted horrific pictures of how difficult it was going to be, but we encountered nothing but friendly help. Speaking the lingo really helps, though.

Don't think any of us on the expats' forum are in Portugal, and I'm sure 7-d-w is correct in directing you elsewhere, but I have the impression that you will already have been there!

You have exciting plans and a good reason for going. You will make it work, and I wish you lots of good luck. Enjoy every moment!

Savvy_Sue

Just occurred to me that the other potentially very useful place to ask this question would be on a motoring forum like Honest John.

rarrainbow

droopsnout wrote: »

Well, I think you're asking a lot when it comes to selling your car on, but nothing is impossible, you are young and highly motivated, and I suspect you'll find a way!

Re insurance for the photo gear, I could only suggest that you approach a local broker and/or use a Portuguese website to find cover. Do you speak any Portuguese?

For what it's worth, when we first moved over here (France) we re-registered our UK vehicle with very little hassle and without too much expense. Some forums painted horrific pictures of how difficult it was going to be, but we encountered nothing but friendly help. Speaking the lingo really helps, though.

Don't think any of us on the expats' forum are in Portugal, and I'm sure 7-d-w is correct in directing you elsewhere, but I have the impression that you will already have been there!

You have exciting plans and a good reason for going. You will make it work, and I wish you lots of good luck. Enjoy every moment!

Thanks Droopsnout! What a lovely e-mail! We unfortunately do not speak the lingo but will pick up the vitals no worries, we managed Thai so imagine Portuguese will be OK...

We have siblings and friends willing to fly over on a cheap flight and take the car back for us to sell in the UK getting a road trip! As long as we get a good amount of tax and mot, it'll be fine. The important thing is getting over and being able to start work in time for the season so getting to grips with insurance etc with Portuguese companies etc seems like a mission for when we first get there.

So we now think we will go ahead with British car, have a nice trip over, camp along the way, then get straight to work when we arrive. As soon as we get there, we can arrange for someone to book flights in time to drive it back before things expire, then we can get to grips with buying a car locally, insuring, taxing etc once we have made trust worthy friends to help us out...

It seems quite simple now! You can complicate things or not, assume they will be hard or not... and you will always be right so we are now assuming it'll all be fine!

Thanks once again for your kind words, we hope you are enjoying France! We will be passing through on our journey, will give you a wave!!