EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea?

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
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Sat 2 Mar 2019 21:57
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - Bilboman

There has been a lot of news (and a fair bit of scare-mongering) about the "fate" of UK drivers finding themselves in an EU country post-Brexit, but so far almost nothing about the opposite scenario, i.e. drivers/cars from the EU in the UK.
Out of idle curiosity, I wonder what will happen in a no-deal scenario. The UK has always been fairly relaxed about EU driving licences, as one example, which can be kept until expiry (which for a German driver can be for life; a friend of mine in a car hire once hired to a driver from Leipzig with a DDR-era driving licence!) There is also a fairly tolerant attitude towards foreign drivers with non-adjusted headlight beams, lack of nationality stickers and so on. And of course, parking fines are rarely followed up.
As I said, just wondering... What do backroomers think should happen? (Ducks under parapet as gunfire begins!)

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Sun 3 Mar 2019 11:16
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - Bromptonaut

In a no deal scenario it's anybody's guess what will happen. We will be third parties in EU countries and same for their citizens here. Unless something more drastic than need for IDP's, Green Cards and possibly Schengen visas and bail bonds hass being in news I'm not sure it can be described as scare mongering.

In a hard brexit scenario one would hope we'd quickly negotiate mutual recognition of licences, insurance etc. But if food and medicine supplies are struggling drivers won't be a high priority.

I live in Northampton where logistics and warehousing are a massive local industry employing a huge number of migrants from Poland, Baltics etc. My perception is that very few of them now drive around in foreign registered vehicles. I know from my work in the advice sector that local police have clamped down on this. Once you're resident in UK car has to be re-registered here. Most seem to buy and drive UK registered RHD vehicles. Mutual recognition deals with licences.

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Sat 9 Mar 2019 14:43
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - Gerry Sanderson

Gleaned from elsewhere :-

At the moment, UK driving licences may be used to drive anywhere in the EEA (this is the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).

If Theresa May's withdrawal agreement is passed, UK licences will still be valid for visiting EEA countries.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, then the situation gets complicated.

The government will try to do deals allowing UK licences to be recognised for visits to Europe. But if it doesn't manage to do so, then drivers will need an International Driving Permit (IDP) for all EEA countries except the Republic of Ireland. IDPs can be bought at Post Offices for £5.50. You may also need to carry your UK driving licence.

There are three different types of IDP, known as the 1926, 1949 and 1968 IDPs - the numbers refer to the dates of the conventions on road traffic that established them.

  • The 1926 IDP will be needed for drivers wanting to visit Liechtenstein
  • The 1949 permit covers Spain, Iceland, Malta and Cyprus
  • The 1968 permit allows driving in all other EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland

IDPs apply only for visiting other countries. If you are a UK licence-holder living in another EU country, then you need to exchange your UK licence for a licence issued by an EU country, before the UK leaves. If you wait until after the UK leaves, then you may need to take another driving test.

EU and EEA licenses will continue to be accepted in the UK for visitors and residents.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, you will also need to get a Green Card from your insurer to prove your car is covered.

Dvd

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Sun 10 Mar 2019 00:00
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - Bilboman

IDPs apply only for visiting other countries. Returning to my original question (I was actually wondering about EU drivers driving in post-Brexit UK), from what you say I assume the UK is a 1968-convention country, so if I were to drive my (Spanish-registered) car through France to the UK one summer, I'd be OK with my Spanish licence as far as the ferry terminal (Cherbourg, for example) but would need a green card and 1968 IDP to drive in Britain.

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Sun 10 Mar 2019 00:12
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - gordonbennet

What do i think?

Little will change, the scaremongering (now at fever pitch :-) will prove to be a non event just like the millenium bug, we'll still deal with the EU and the EU will still deal with us, and yes the scaremongering will carry on amusing/boring the rest of us for years.

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Sun 10 Mar 2019 10:56
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - focussed

As regards exchanging a UK - EU licence for a French- EU licence if you are French resident, be warned that there is a very long waiting time to receive your French licence - I applied in September 2017 and got the licence in April 2018.

Recent delays are even longer.

Recently, because the french system for issuing licences is in chaotic overload mode, not entirely due to brexit, the french have simply been returning valid applications for no reason - to reduce the backlog!

The french police, gendarmes and customs police have also been concentrating on investigating UK registered vans and trucks that appear to be connected with trade use in france for conformity of registration of the vehicle, and registration of the associated business.

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Tue 19 Mar 2019 17:31
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - craig-pd130

the scaremongering (now at fever pitch :-) will prove to be a non event just like the millenium bug

The Millennium Bug was a non-event precisely because of the well-founded concerns and awareness of the problems it would cause.

Computer hardware and software vendors globally worked in collaboration for years to check, fix and upgrade their systems so that they wouldn't fail on the allotted date.

Unfortunately, we can't say the same with Brexit.

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Wed 13 Mar 2019 00:21
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - focussed

IDPs apply only for visiting other countries. Returning to my original question (I was actually wondering about EU drivers driving in post-Brexit UK), from what you say I assume the UK is a 1968-convention country, so if I were to drive my (Spanish-registered) car through France to the UK one summer, I'd be OK with my Spanish licence as far as the ferry terminal (Cherbourg, for example) but would need a green card and 1968 IDP to drive in Britain.

I've no knowledge of what a Spanish driving licence looks like - but if it's in the standard EU format like my French licence, you might find that on the back of the licence your UK driver number is printed out, indicating that you exchanged it. So an IDP should not be necessary.

And I was under the impression that all european insurance certificates are actually a green card? Except for the jolly old UK of course!

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Wed 13 Mar 2019 18:14
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - T Lucas

Brexit,it just keeps giving......well done Smog,Boris and Faridge along with all their useful idiots.

Just getting on the ferry with your car was way to easy.

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Fri 22 Mar 2019 18:34
EU cars/drivers in UK post Brexit - any idea? - daveyjp
My insurance company emailed me today with details of how to apply for a green card. With such uncertainty they are suggesting one is applied for to ensure continuity of cover. It has to be a hard document and should be applied for at least 4 weeks before travelling. How quaint.
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