Baware if you are driving on UK plates

[AnOther]

From all that I've gleaned on the subject it would seem to be the case that as a French resident there is no fully legitimate way to permanantly keep a car in the UK irrespective of which country's plates it bears but I'm sure there are those who will disagree [;-)]

[Quillan]

The insurers I looked a did not define the minimum period of residency, one of them was Admiral, but then that was just on the Internet. I rather suspect it will be the same for the rest of the insurance companies.

As a matter of interest I Googled "Call Connect" and went to their website. I used my French address, I tried to use my French phone number but it would not take it. When it went to get a quote it came back with a big fat zero and said that either I had put the wrong information in or they could not find anyone to give me insurance and that I should call them. I did use my old UK car registration, I don't know if it was that which made it throw a wobbly i.e. its probaby got insurance cover on it at present by the current owner.

[AnOther]

I agree with Quillian, a hire car is likely to be the cheaper and more convenient option.

[quote user="Quillan"]Alternativly you could buy a car for a member of your family and simply get them to put you on their insurance and borrow it when in the UK.[/quote]I'm not convinced of the legality of this as a non UK resident. It's one of the questions they are likely to ask when adding anybody as a named driver. 

On a couple of occasions, whilst still livng in UK, I attempted to get temporary cover for a German friend to drive my car and it proved impossible because they always asked if he was UK resident which of course he wasn't so that was the end of it.

[Just Chris]

Not having read every post in this thread in detail, and not wishing to go off at a tangent or repeat what may have been stated elsewhere, I noticed an article in the November edition of French News (Page 61 - Number Plate Regulations).

Basically it seems that the rules have changed, and the regulations no longer stipulate that you have to have French number plates on your car.  (They quote a response from the French Ministry of Transport in regard to questions relating to Article R323-1 du code de la route).  It used to be three months before you had to re-register the vehicle.

This enquiry was as a result of a reader noticing that an increasing number of British registered vehicles were in evidence displaying French CT and Insurance stickers in the windscreen.  For what it's worth.

 

Chris

[pimpernel]

[quote user="Quillan"][quote user="pimpernel"]

Alright,how does this work. You're a brit living in France. Cars are all legal, CT'd insured etc but you keep a car garaged in the UK for the times you have to go back. Should this car be French or English registered. If it is English registered ,howif you haven't got an English address.? Are you allowed to drive it in France.? If it is French registered how do you keep it in England.?

Probably obvious to most of you .[8-)]

[/quote]

This looks like somebody who is trying to 'bend' the rules a bit but anyway.

 

[/quote]

 

Well I'm not trying to bend the rules ,merely to understand them thoroughly[:@].

 I am a French resident but may soon be working extensively with a vehicle in the UK. While in the UK I will be staying with a family member and I can keep a vehicle at their address. The use I will be making of my vehicle excludes a hire vehicle. I could take my French registered vehicle with me but I wondered what the legal situation would be regarding using a French registered vehicle in the UK for extended periods for business. I assumed this would be illegal so it occurred to me that a UK registered vehicle would be better. It would be easier to fly to the uk and use my vehicle there than drive over every time I go.

 

I repeat,I'm not trying to bend the rules. I only want to be able to drive legally in both countries.Any vehicle I have in the UK may occasionally need to drive in to France. As any French vehicle I have won't be paying road tax I assume I couldn't use it for extended periods in the UK. or do I have to change my country of residence every couple of months.This is plainly absurd.

I am posting this as I've been trying to figure out how other people do this. Hence my earlier posts.

[Panda]

Hi

Just to add something on the  named driver front, I recently called my mothers insurance company as I needed to drive her car whilst in the UK.  I asked for a weeks cover to which they replied it will be cheaper to become a named driver for the year, and it was, just £15 pounds whereas the admin charge alone for a one week cover was £15.  The insurance company asked me my address and I gave them my French address, she asked, would I only be driving the car whilst in the UK and did I have a UK license to which I answered yes, the cover was then issued without further questions.  So it would seem they have no issue with this.

Panda

[Quillan]

[quote user="Khazi"]

Not having read every post in this thread in detail, and not wishing to go off at a tangent or repeat what may have been stated elsewhere, I noticed an article in the November edition of French News (Page 61 - Number Plate Regulations).

Basically it seems that the rules have changed, and the regulations no longer stipulate that you have to have French number plates on your car.  (They quote a response from the French Ministry of Transport in regard to questions relating to Article R323-1 du code de la route).  It used to be three months before you had to re-register the vehicle.

This enquiry was as a result of a reader noticing that an increasing number of British registered vehicles were in evidence displaying French CT and Insurance stickers in the windscreen.  For what it's worth.

Chris

[/quote]

The reason it may of appeared that nobody took any notice of your post is that unfortunatly this paper has got things wrong in the past and in some cases it has been on quite serious issues that really effect people. Just go and have a look at the Health threads where this paper has been quoted is just one prime example.

Anyway, that aside I did a search on "R323-1 du code de la route" and found it on the French government website (it came up at the top on a Google search) and as I suspected I personally can't see any mention of this issue. I also think if it were correct Sunday Driver would have picked up on it as he s usually on the ball with these things.

[Quillan]

[quote user="pimpernel"][quote user="Quillan"][quote user="pimpernel"]

Alright,how does this work. You're a brit living in France. Cars are all legal, CT'd insured etc but you keep a car garaged in the UK for the times you have to go back. Should this car be French or English registered. If it is English registered ,howif you haven't got an English address.? Are you allowed to drive it in France.? If it is French registered how do you keep it in England.?

Probably obvious to most of you .[8-)]

[/quote]

This looks like somebody who is trying to 'bend' the rules a bit but anyway.

[/quote]

Well I'm not trying to bend the rules ,merely to understand them thoroughly[:@].

I am a French resident but may soon be working extensively with a vehicle in the UK. While in the UK I will be staying with a family member and I can keep a vehicle at their address. The use I will be making of my vehicle excludes a hire vehicle. I could take my French registered vehicle with me but I wondered what the legal situation would be regarding using a French registered vehicle in the UK for extended periods for business. I assumed this would be illegal so it occurred to me that a UK registered vehicle would be better. It would be easier to fly to the UK and use my vehicle there than drive over every time I go.

I repeat, I'm not trying to bend the rules. I only want to be able to drive legally in both countries. Any vehicle I have in the UK may occasionally need to drive in to France. As any French vehicle I have won't be paying road tax I assume I couldn't use it for extended periods in the UK. or do I have to change my country of residence every couple of months. This is plainly absurd.

I am posting this as I've been trying to figure out how other people do this. Hence my earlier posts.

[/quote]

Perhaps if you said all this in the first place instead of going at it in a very round about way people may have been more helpful.

I think, in your shoes, I would firstly contact the DVLA using the number I gave at the front of this thread and explain the above to them. They may well not be able to help directly but may be able to forward you to somebody that can. With English beaurocrates it is possible to ask them for an opinion as to what is the best way to solve your problem. You could also try phoning round some of the insurance companies and then following up with an email if they say OK. That way should anything go wrong you have proof that you told them the truth and that they agreed to insure you. It is true to say that you can insure anybody against anything but the more complex the insurance the higher the price.

As somebody said putting a family member with a foreign address on a policy does not seem a problem. I have also done this for my brother-in-law who is resident in Spain when he visited the UK 6 years ago when I lived there. He had a English licence (no that I think it makes a difference) and it did not cost much. All you can do is be truthful and tell these people everything and see how you get on. If they say no then you may need to rethink things.

You could look at Contract Hire or Leasing which may suit your needs better and are tax allowable still I believe.

[bigears]

hi

you might find that the residency rules also apply to named drivers.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Khazi"]This enquiry was as a result of a reader noticing that an increasing number of British registered vehicles were in evidence displaying French CT and Insurance stickers in the windscreen.  For what it's worth[/quote]Although the odds are against it this is quite possible. My new car for instance currently sports it's original Belgian plates yet I have French insurance for it plus a CT sticker just acquired on Thursday. I have also got my new CG and will be off to get my plates made up tomorrow so all perfectly legit, as it would have been on UK plates, albeit in the very short term.

As I say though, odds are that most UK cars you see with stickers are not kosher but if they've gone as far as getting the CT why on earth not complete the job, surely it can't be the cost [:-))]

[pimpernel]

[quote user="Quillan"][quote user="pimpernel"][quote user="Quillan"][quote user="pimpernel"]

Alright,how does this work. You're a brit living in France. Cars are all legal, CT'd insured etc but you keep a car garaged in the UK for the times you have to go back. Should this car be French or English registered. If it is English registered ,howif you haven't got an English address.? Are you allowed to drive it in France.? If it is French registered how do you keep it in England.?

Probably obvious to most of you .[8-)]

[/quote]

This looks like somebody who is trying to 'bend' the rules a bit but anyway.

[/quote]

Well I'm not trying to bend the rules ,merely to understand them thoroughly[:@].

I am a French resident but may soon be working extensively with a vehicle in the UK. While in the UK I will be staying with a family member and I can keep a vehicle at their address. The use I will be making of my vehicle excludes a hire vehicle. I could take my French registered vehicle with me but I wondered what the legal situation would be regarding using a French registered vehicle in the UK for extended periods for business. I assumed this would be illegal so it occurred to me that a UK registered vehicle would be better. It would be easier to fly to the UK and use my vehicle there than drive over every time I go.

I repeat, I'm not trying to bend the rules. I only want to be able to drive legally in both countries. Any vehicle I have in the UK may occasionally need to drive in to France. As any French vehicle I have won't be paying road tax I assume I couldn't use it for extended periods in the UK. or do I have to change my country of residence every couple of months. This is plainly absurd.

I am posting this as I've been trying to figure out how other people do this. Hence my earlier posts.

[/quote]

Perhaps if you said all this in the first place instead of going at it in a very round about way people may have been more helpful.

[/quote]

Sorry about that ,but I was hoping the information would emerge without me having to explain my personal involvement and getting flamed by all and sundry and told to go back to the UK if I want to work there.

[ESB]

Nil caborundum and all that pimpernel. - you are venturing into the bible-belt of France after all  [6]

A couple of observations:

1. would any driver insurance work if named driver doesn't?

2. what is wrong with bending rules anyway - I thought that breaking rules is what gets you in trouble.

[AnOther]

I though it was getting caught that got you into trouble...................[;-)]

Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.

[allanb]

[quote user="Quillan"][quote user="pimpernel"]

You're a brit living in France. Cars are all legal, CT'd insured etc but you keep a car garaged in the UK for the times you have to go back. Should this car be French or English registered?

[/quote]

This looks like somebody who is trying to 'bend' the rules a bit but anyway.[/quote]

I don't understand this response.  Pimpernel asked a straightforward question (which nobody has yet answered, by the way.) 

[Ron Avery]

Post withdrawn I cannot be bothered to respond to p iss takers anymore

[peteone]

Sorry but am I missing out on something here.

I f you live in France and have a car with UK plates,and it is insured in France, also has a French CT.

Why should you pay UK road tax, if the car is not going to go on UK roads ?

But at the end of the day, if you live in France you should have your car on French plates!!

But the reason many people dont is that it is bloody complicated,I know it is also expensive, but I am sure most people would gladdy pay if it was easy to do!

And on the subject of expense does anyone know how much it costs to change ownership of a French Reg car ?

[bigears]

hi

For me the logical answer to pimpernels question should be uk reged as the car is kept and used in the uk.  The problem is such a car would not be insured by a uk insurance company as the owner is a foreign resident.  It seems daft to me, but its the uk.  The uk will have rules prohibiting the alternative solution a french reged car kept permanently in the uk for occasional use.  Perhaps I'm wrong but that is how I see it.

[pimpernel]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

French registered because the owner lives in France.

 

[/quote]

Right I'm begining to understand.

 It's alright for a French person to keep a French registered car indefinitly in England. Not paying any road tax and having the bi annual CT instead of the yearly MOT test. Sounds good to me.

[Tony F Dordogne]

No Pimpernel, surely it's not.  If the car's owner is in France but the car is permenantly in the UK, then surely the UK rules apply, has to be taxed and insured, MOT'd a la UK laws, EU directives and all that - I think we've come full circle here.

[Ron Avery]

Post deleted

[pimpernel]

Thanks Ron ,I think thats answered it.

[Chezstevens]

The fudge wins again.

[Ron Avery]

Just to reinforce this, the DVLA consider that any car taken out of the country for more than 12 months has been exported, however, if it is brought back to the UK inside 12 months which it would be for an MOT, the only criteria for taking it abroad temporarily is to have the V5 with the car and comply with local rules for taxation etc.  As Ernie Y keeps saying a car must be UK legal or French legal not a mixture of the two, so IMHO, any car of either status would be completely legal in use in France or the UK, provided residency rules on which these criteria  are based are not contravened.

[bigears]

Hi

Ron, I have a french reg for france and I am buying a uk reg car for the uk.  My scenario ie, what I think is logical is that it should be legal to have a car registered where it is used (based) rather than to do with the tax residency of the owner. 

I wonder what the french insurance company would make of it, if they were informed the car was being driven exclusively in the uk apart from a quick trip back to france every two years.  A ron avery type neighbour in the uk might also acuse the french resident of avoiding uk road fund and get all hot and bothered about it. 

[bigears]

hi

ron, just say your last post about the dvla.  What does the french equivalent of the dvla think of a french reged car that is kept in the uk for more than 12 months? Does it consider the car 'exported'?  If if was a new car, following your legal scenario it wouldn'd have to come back for a ct for 4 years (?), so its ok to use it permanently in the uk for all that time?.  I'm sorry I'm no expert, it just doesn't feel right.