nectarine Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 One of our kit cars is in France and then the UK insurance expired so I have insured it with a French company. However, the UK tax disc has now come up for renewal, well obviously I cannot renew it since I don't have a UK certificate of insurance so cannnot do it on line. But do I need a UK tax disc if the car is now in France?I am in the process of moving (next week, to be exact) and will get around to acquiring a French registration for the car. But, meantime, is it legal to drive in France if I have a French insurance but no UK road tax, since it still has a UK number plate.I guess my question is, should I be complying with UK law or French?Apologies if this is a daft question, couldn't find an answer on the forum, but no doubt some kind person (the magnificent Sunday Driver springs to mind !) will come to my rescue and answer this!Many thanks all ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 AFAIK, the car should comply with the requirements of the country in which it is registered.If it is still registered in the UK, the car should have a tax disk.Once you make your move to France permanent, the car should comply with French requirements (French plates and CT as and when required) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 If its UK registered it has to be UK road legal, no buts, no maybe's, no choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 The answer is in the respective export/import procedures as published by the UK DVLA and the French Douanes.If you are permanently exporting the vehicle from the UK, you are required to notify the DVLA of the date of export by sending in the tear off slip from the V5C registration document. The vehicle registration status will be amended to 'exported', and from this point onwards, it is no longer subject to continuous taxation and you will no longer have to display a UK tax disc. You can therefore send the disc in for a refund of any unexpired duty.Upon the vehicle's arrival in France, you must account for any import duties/VAT before you can continue driving it here. You do this by visiting your local tax office and declaring the vehicle as an import. If VAT is due, then you pay it and receive a customs 846A certificate. If there is no VAT due, then you receive a quittus fiscal certificate. These certificates contain your authority to drive your vehicle in France on it's foreign plates for up to one month (four months if a DRIRE inspection is required) whilst you complete the registration formalities. The prefectures require the appropriate VAT certificate before they will register the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nectarine Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 thanks for that, then I guess that as I want to drive it immediatley next week I shall have to get a tax disc ... therefore will need to get UK insurance for it. Hmm, this will be interesting, I wonder if I get UK insurance - in order just to get a tax disc - and then cancel the UK insurance I shall be OK.So, if I have a UK tax disc, and French insurance, I will be alright?Also, what is the qualification for if VAT is due? It's a kit car, so a bit of an oddity, and it's 8 eight years old. Who determines the valuation, or is it taken as the value placed on the insurance certificate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Having brought the vehicle over to France with the intention of importing it and registering it here, you should just follow the above procedures. After all, they're designed to cover this exact situation...[;-)]Send the export notification slip to the DVLA and get your French VAT certificate. The vehicle is over six months old, so there's no VAT to pay and your quittus fiscal will give you immediate cover for driving it here whilst you arrange your DRIRE inspection.I assume you've done all the necessary research and preparation for the DRIRE before bringing the vehicle over..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 What is it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nectarine Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote user="Sunday Driver"] I assume you've done all the necessary research and preparation for the DRIRE before bringing the vehicle over.....[/quote]Well I have read and re-read everything, but know that registering a kit-car CAN be done !!! It takes persistence, determination, time and lots of gritted teeth ... but I am told it can be done!In response to your messages, I guess that I must take out a UK insurance, in order to get a tax disc, and then cancel my UK insurance and convert to the French one, ... the point of this being to give me some breathing space in that I can use the car immediatley during the summer months whilst I am going through the arduous process of getting it registered.Many thanks ... Sunday Driver, I knew that you would have all the answers !! thanks to all who replied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I'm sure we all wish you the very best of luck and look forward to hearing how you get on [:D]Are you going to let us into the secret of what it is ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 [quote user="nectarine"]Many thanks ... Sunday Driver, I knew that you would have all the answers !! [/quote]So why are you ignoring them ?You do not need to UK insure and tax it unless your intention is to drive it around illegally before you 'get round' to going to the DRIRE. Remember once you become French resident you only have one month to re-register your car. For cases such as this where the DRIRE are involved this can be extended to 3 or 4 months, or possibly even more I believe, but, and this is crucial, only if you have begun the process.If you take out French insurance and they do it properly they should tell you that it is only temporary to allow you time to complete the registration procedures. Unfortunately many French insurers are very happy to take your money but not too sharp in following this up and in the worst case of an accident you could find your self in a situation of being uninsured.Your only locical and legitimate route is to do as SD says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nectarine Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 Ernie Y, thanks for your answers. Well it is a Blackjack Avion ... look at www.blackjackzero.com to see what they are like. I'm trying to straddle two camps at the moment, the car is parked in someone's garage in France and I need to get it to our house ... only a few miles but I don't want to do that without proper insurance etc. You can guarantee that the one and only time the police would ever stop me might be if I was taking the car just those few miles ...So I need to get it from A to B (and yes, I have no trailer !!) legally and want to enjoy it during the summer months. I know that DRIRE will take some time to do and wonder if I am just better getting 'temporary' UK insurance, registered at my UK address (since we still have the house there) and UK tax disc and, meanwhile, start all the paperwork about changing our address to France. Once I get to France next week I need to start the DRIRE process but I think it will be at least three or four months ... they have done kitcars before but don't make it easy. Luckily I know someone who has offered to advise me through the paperwork, he has cracked the DRIRE system.!!With regard to the other vehicles, they are on UK insurance and UK tax discs and then I shall start the re-registration process in France, using the notes and information I have gleaned from this forum.Ernie, if you fancy a scoot out in one of our three-wheelers you only have to pm me ..... !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalky Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 [quote user="nectarine"] the UK tax disc has now come up for renewal, well obviously I cannot renew it since I don't have a UK certificate of insurance so cannnot do it on line. [/quote]Have you tried renewing your UK tax on line? I have a UK registered motorhome and a UK registered scooter, both of which are insured in Spain and I have renewed the UK Tax on line with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 [quote user="Chalky"][quote user="nectarine"] the UK tax disc has now come up for renewal, well obviously I cannot renew it since I don't have a UK certificate of insurance so cannnot do it on line. [/quote]Have you tried renewing your UK tax on line? I have a UK registered motorhome and a UK registered scooter, both of which are insured in Spain and I have renewed the UK Tax on line with no problem.[/quote]Chalky you will have to let us in on the secret of using a Spanishinsurance certificate to re-tax a UK registered vehicle online orotherwise.This is what it says on the government website.Insurance certificates and cover notes These are usually a printed or laser-printed document, or a plastic credit card style document.The following documents are not acceptable:policy schedule, renewal notice, statement of Insurance or receipt for paymentamended certificate or cover note - unless stamped or initialled by the insurer‘legal protection’ policy certificatesforeign certificatesphotocopies or faxesinsurance certificates downloaded directly from the internet by the policy holderGreen Card (International Motor Insurance Card) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 NectarineAs previously mentioned, there is no need to straddle two camps...The proper legal process covers you for driving your car in France on it's UK plates for up to four months to give you time to complete the DRIRE inspection process and register the car. During this time, it no longer needs a UK tax disc and a French insurer will sell you cover.Completion of the DRIRE process is largely down to you and how quickly and how completely you get the necessary technical documentation together. If you submit a dossier which is complete in every respect, and evidences compliance with the necessary regulations, then they should be able to offer you an inspection appointment within a couple of weeks. The physical inspection is used to check the vehicle and confirm it matches the documentation you provided. If the serial numbers match, then you'll get your DRIRE certificate of conformity within a few days, then it's off to the prefecture.Don't make it unecessarily hard for yourself....[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalky Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 [quote user="gosub"]Chalky you will have to let us in on the secret of using a Spanishinsurance certificate to re-tax a UK registered vehicle online orotherwise.[/quote]I've replied on the other thread (Camper Van) and, due to the slightly obscure forum rules it appears I can't delete that posting, so rather than repeat myself I refer you to the other post!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 Well I don't doubt you, when you say that you have done this, and looking at the MIB website it appears that if you re tax on-line, then there maybe a loophole because the UK goverment website only appears to check via MIB to see if if you are insured in an EEC country, contrary to the rules of normal retaxing a vehicle in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterj Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 [quote user="ErnieY"] I'm sure we all wish you the very best of luck and look forward to hearing how you get on [:D]Are you going to let us into the secret of what it is ? [/quote]The suspense is killing me. Regards Peterj. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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