Buying & registering a car in the UK as a foreigner?

[Cancun]

Hi,

it should be possible for EU citizens to buy and register a used car in the UK, shouldn't it?

Does anybody know which criteria need to be met? Would you need a permanent residence inside the UK, and if so, how do you prove that you have one?

 

[Aston Martin]

Insurance would be biggest issue. The new tax rules could be tricky too.

 

[Heathrow]

Hi,

it should be possible for EU citizens to buy and register a used car in the UK, shouldn't it?

Yup!

Does anybody know which criteria need to be met?

What sort of criteria did you have in mind, other than address?

Would you need a permanent residence inside the UK, and if so, how do you prove that you have one?

Yes, you would need an address, I am not sure you have to prove it though.
With some other official documents, you sometimes need utilitiy bills like electric or gas bills.

Have you looked in here?:
DVLA- Registering a Vehicle

Insurance would be biggest issue.

Yeah, he will need insurance, but other than the costs he can do that on-line or through a Broker.

The new tax rules could be tricky too.

Road tax or do you mean something else? :?

 

[Aston Martin]

Road tax or do you mean something else? :?

Car tax is now owner based, not car based.

 

[Cancun]

Yup!
What sort of criteria did you have in mind, other than address?

Well, I was wondering how to go about it; the procedure. Potential snags. How do Her Majesty's loyal subjects go about it after they bought a car?

DVLA- Registering a Vehicle

Great! This probably covers a lot.

In Germany we need the contract of purchase, the previous owner's vehicle papers, a successful T?V report (=MOT), a numerical insurance confirmation code, our identity card or passport (seeing as we have mandatory citizen's registration AND mandatory identity cards), and a bank account for the road tax. Then it's off to the DMV ('Zulassungsstelle' at the 'Stra?enverkehrsamt'), take a number, wait forever, produce all of the above, get sneered at, cough up at least 65 Euros, sign a direct debit authorisation so Ms Merkel can withdraw the road tax directly from said bank account, run across the parking lot to have some tags printed (40 more Euros), return and have some T?V and registration stickers stuck to the tags, bolt the tags to the car, and you're done.

But of course I've no idea what kind of 'Sonderbehandlung' they have in store for foreigners.

I've done this in the USA already, inspired by the first Top Gear USA special, and needless to say I was even more ambitious AND more rubbish than the trio and it basically bankrupted me instead of being cheaper than just renting a car (although I did have a good time.)

I had asked around in a few forums a bit in advance but nothing special had turned up by the time I was leaving, and since this was at a time in my life when I just didn't care any more I just went for it.

Once there, it gradually turned out that it depends very much on the individual state you're in. So in New York, for instance, it would have been completely out of the question for me as a foreigner on that visa waiver thingy. I was very lucky to get it done in the end, another story.

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking 'Epic Multi-Stage Top Gear Memorial Tour of Europe'. Hitting all the spots, from the Cnoc an Fhreiceadain and ?resund bridge to Verbier, Spain and Monaco. Sleeping in (and towing) a caravan of course. Which would of course mean no permanent residency in the UK. I'm a freelancer, see, so all I need for work is a bit of internet.

And I quite like the idea of doing the British bit in a right-hand drive car for a change and learn to get on with one of those.

 

[Heathrow]

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking 'Epic Multi-Stage Top Gear Memorial Tour of Europe'. Hitting all the spots, from the Cnoc an Fhreiceadain and ?resund bridge to Verbier, Spain and Monaco. Sleeping in (and towing) a caravan of course. Which would of course mean no permanent residency in the UK. I'm a freelancer, see, so all I need for work is a bit of internet.

And I quite like the idea of doing the British bit in a right-hand drive car for a change and learn to get on with one of those.

Ah now, I see the plan!

Simple Solution:

Buy a car in Germany, register and insure etc. Then, you can drive and live in the UK for up to a year using your German registered car and EU licence.
(Some EU citizens actually drive their cars for much longer and get away with it for years, as the Cops ususally have something better to do.)

UK Registered Car:

You need a permanent address, so they can send you parking fines and speeding tickets. :lol:

I dunno how you register car without an address, email or call the DVLA and see if they can help.

Well, I was wondering how to go about it; the procedure. Potential snags. How do Her Majesty's loyal subjects go about it after they bought a car?





In Germany we need the contract of purchase, the previous owner's vehicle papers, a successful T?V report (=MOT), a numerical insurance confirmation code, our identity card or passport (seeing as we have mandatory citizen's registration AND mandatory identity cards), and a bank account for the road tax. Then it's off to the DMV ('Zulassungsstelle' at the 'Stra?enverkehrsamt'), take a number, wait forever, produce all of the above, get sneered at, cough up at least 65 Euros, sign a direct debit authorisation so Ms Merkel can withdraw the road tax directly from said bank account, run across the parking lot to have some tags printed (40 more Euros), return and have some T?V and registration stickers stuck to the tags, bolt the tags to the car, and you're done.

But of course I've no idea what kind of 'Sonderbehandlung' they have in store for foreigners.

As per the link I posted before, the DVLA registration of new owner (V5C/2), is by POST only and takes 2 -4 weeks.

Paying "annual road tax" (V62) is done at ANY Post Office and you can pay cash, debit or credit card, etc. You will also need a vaild MOT certificate and insurance certificate.

Car tax is now owner based, not car based.

I knew there were some changes, but the V62 looks the same.

 

[Andeh]

Owner based tax isn't a problem, I've taxed three vehicles in the last month (two for free!) you just go to the website, type in the numberplate, the V5 ref and your card details, no need to prove it's even your car, you can effectively gift tax to someone if you like. (And have a V5 number).

 

[Heathrow]

Owner based tax isn't a problem, I've taxed three vehicles in the last month (two for free!) you just go to the website, type in the numberplate, the V5 ref and your card details, no need to prove it's even your car, you can effectively gift tax to someone if you like. (And have a V5 number).

There is no way you know of registering a vehicle initially, if he has no permanent address? :?