Foreign Car Insurance

Locarno1

Hi everyone,

Cutting a long story short, I have brought my car over to the UK from the Channel Islands as I'm currently living with my parents due to personal reasons. I am getting the car re-registered and onto a UK Plate through a company who is doing this process for me. However, in the meantime I am really struggling to find any car insurance company who will insure me to drive the car as it is now on a foreign number-plate until the UK plates arrive.

Has anyone had any experience in this please? Ideally I don't want to pay for a full year as the UK plates should arrive in a months time but I technically can't drive the car at the moment as my insurer from the Channel Islands cancelled my policy when I told them I'm in the UK..

DullGreyGuy

As an unregistered import you are in the area of specialist brokers like Adrian Flux

400ixl

Insurance will also be more expensive as it will still be classed as an import. Is it a special car (as in not easily available in the UK)? Selling it in the channel islands and buying a UK vehicle would have been a better alternative cost wise (probably worth more in the channel islands than it would be to buy the equivalent in the UK) but guess that ship has sailed now?

Could you not use your channel islands insurance with some foreign use extension to cover it until it is re-registered?

Not sure there is easily accessible monthly insurance for foreign cars.

Mildly_Miffed

As a UK resident, you can't legally drive a foreign registered car here.

You have to wait until it's UK registered.

Car_54

Mildly_Miffed said:

As a UK resident, you can't legally drive a foreign registered car here.

You have to wait until it's UK registered.

1. That is debated. It’s often quoted, but ISTR that nobody on pepipoo could find a law to support it.

2. Anyway, isn’t it six months before you’re regarded as resident?

Whatever, it doesn’t help the OP with the insurance problem.

WellKnownSid

As mentioned before - Adrian Flux will insure you based upon the VIN and then you just update them with the new reg, done this a couple of times.  They normally recognise non-UK NCB, I still have one of my imports with AF, paid £93 for my last renewal in August.

mdann52

Car_54 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

As a UK resident, you can't legally drive a foreign registered car here.

You have to wait until it's UK registered.

1. That is debated. It’s often quoted, but ISTR that nobody on pepipoo could find a law to support it.

2. Anyway, isn’t it six months before you’re regarded as resident?

Whatever, it doesn’t help the OP with the insurance problem.

I've gone down a rabbit hole and have an answer!

It is not illegal per sae, however the issue is Excise Duty. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1975/1208/article/5/made (as amended by https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1295/regulation/6#regulation-6-2-c-i), means that the vehicle can only be imported by a non-UK resident, and if driven by a UK resident the exemption ceases to apply while they are driving it if registered in the EU.

So basically if stopped by the police, the vehicle can potentially be seized for being untaxed, and you can be prosecuted for keeping an untaxed vehicle (but not for driving it)

Car_54

mdann52 said:

Car_54 said:

Mildly_Miffed said:

As a UK resident, you can't legally drive a foreign registered car here.

You have to wait until it's UK registered.

1. That is debated. It’s often quoted, but ISTR that nobody on pepipoo could find a law to support it.

2. Anyway, isn’t it six months before you’re regarded as resident?

Whatever, it doesn’t help the OP with the insurance problem.

I've gone down a rabbit hole and have an answer!

It is not illegal per sae, however the issue is Excise Duty. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1975/1208/article/5/made (as amended by https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1295/regulation/6#regulation-6-2-c-i), means that the vehicle can only be imported by a non-UK resident, and if driven by a UK resident the exemption ceases to apply while they are driving it if registered in the EU.

So basically if stopped by the police, the vehicle can potentially be seized for being untaxed, and you can be prosecuted for keeping an untaxed vehicle (but not for driving it)

Well done for a good bit of research!

But, does the OP qualify as a resident?

maxmycardagain

400ixl said:

Insurance will also be more expensive as it will still be classed as an import. 

If you think about, most cars on UK roads are imports...

Locarno1

I think I’ll wait until it’s fully registered on a U.K. Plate…