Good Europeans ( Insurance )

[Val & Frank]

I thought that now we are all Europeans ( like it or not ) That if you are fully insured in one country of the EU, you are then covered for any country in the EU ? Or are we being conned by the Insurance Industry ??

It works for your Driving Licence ( I think the International Licence is a thing of the past ) The MOT Certificate and Tax Disc are also both valid in other EU countries, why not Insurance. Afterall your not going to become a lunatic just because your driving in France (even though the local population do ) -)

Being a cynic I was just wondering are we still being conned from something that was the norm in the past.

Val & Frank.

It would be good to see some of the Caravan Magazines exploring these topics from time to time.

Val & Frank

 

[john_5040735]

Hi Frank - my insurance company cover extends my policy, free of charge, for up to 180 days of European motoring, and yes with same standard of cover/excess etc.

many insurance companies now do this - check around.

John

 

[Val & Frank]

I know they do extend cover, my gripe is why do you have to notify them etc when you should just be automatically covered. And what critera do they use to say your covered for 180 days but, if you want more you have to pay for it.

val & Frank

 

[Lutz]

Insurance policies on the Continent automatically provide coverage throughout the EU. Often the Green Card comes with the policy although sometimes you have to ask for it. My insurance company only provides the Green Card upon request but I've never bothered to get one because although being able to produce one may avoid some unnecessary questions in case of an accident, I don't have any less insurance protection without it.

International driving licences are only a thing of the past within the EU. As soon as you go further afield, the picture is rather different.

To my knowledge, a tax disc is not required once you are abroad. It is possible to drive abroad untaxed (but obviously not uninsured) but maybe someone can put me right if this is not the case.

 

[JamesFrance]

I got rid of my UK registered motorcaravan because of all the hassle with the insurance and Tax & MOT. I didn't want to keep having to visit the UK just for these and reregistration would be almost impossible here for a model not sold in France. I believe there is a european directive saying that the full cover should apply throughout the EU, but the British insurers ignore it.

If you have no tax disc you have to declare sorn, which clearly would be incorrect, or else deregister the vehicle by claiming it has been exported. In either case I don't know how an insurer would view a claim. I think you would need to have the MOT anyway.

Lots of people in Spain seem to ignore all this, although I have heard of a round up by the Spanish police accompanied by DVLA officials, but this could be a story.

I believe the official requirement is for a foreign vehicle to be legal in its home country, which would mean showing a tax disc.

James

 

[john_5040735]

Hi again frank - i don't have to inform them when i go on continent.

john

 

[john_5040735]

and again Frank!!

actually my insurance wording is

"not used abroad for more than 180 days in a row".

I presume this means that I can stay within the EU for 179 days, return to England for 1 day, and then go back into the EU for a further 180 days - etc, etc;

Cheers again

John

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi John

My insurance says 90 days, What I was trying to put across is their is no rhyme or reason for any of it ??

regards

Val & Frank

 

[Lutz]

Maybe they have tightened up over the years but I took my car from the UK over to the Continent many moons ago and drove it untaxed for almost 18 months prior to re-registering it in Germany. I was able to arrange insurance locally even while it had UK plates.

 

[Lutz]

I got rid of my UK registered motorcaravan because of all the hassle with the insurance and Tax & MOT. I didn't want to keep having to visit the UK just for these and reregistration would be almost impossible here for a model not sold in France. I believe there is a european directive saying that the full cover should apply throughout the EU, but the British insurers ignore it.

If you have no tax disc you have to declare sorn, which clearly would be incorrect, or else deregister the vehicle by claiming it has been exported. In either case I don't know how an insurer would view a claim. I think you would need to have the MOT anyway.

Lots of people in Spain seem to ignore all this, although I have heard of a round up by the Spanish police accompanied by DVLA officials, but this could be a story.

I believe the official requirement is for a foreign vehicle to be legal in its home country, which would mean showing a tax disc.

James

The requirement for a foreign registered vehicle to have to be legal in its home country applies only to the technical side, not for taxation purposes.

 

[Surfer]

You are not restricted to using a British company when insuring your vehicle. You probably can use any insurance company in the world as long as the vehicle is insured. You may find that EU insurers based in other countries are cheaper than the rip off insurers in britain. Maybe Lutz can help on this aspect.

 

[JamesFrance]

The requirement for a foreign registered vehicle to have to be legal in its home country applies only to the technical side, not for taxation purposes.

Hi Lutz,

The UK DVLA web site only seems to cover vehicles temporarily imported into the UK. It says that all taxes (including vehicle excise duty) must have been paid in the home country. I suppose it must depend on the regulations in each country visited.

How we are expected to know about all this is beyond me.

Thanks and best wishes,

James

 

[smiley]

We were told even if your fully comp here over there your only 3rd party on your insurance!!!!