Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Thu 25 Mar 2010 18:33

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - Mike H

I moved to Austria last September. My car is in the process of being re-registered in Austria but is still UK-registered as of this instant. Due to circumstances beyond my control, the local registration hasn't happened yet. I am still driving on UK insurance, based on my UK address and with a 12-month green card. Unfortunately.....my UK tax expiresat the end of March, and the MOT on 28th March. There's an outside chance I could retax it (I have the paperwork, but no valid MOT on the 1st April which would be the first day of the validity if the tax), but the MOT is a no-no!

I'm hoping it will sort itself out tomorrow, if the manufacturer's paperwork arrives in the post, but if not, I may be driving without tax or MOT. The insurance is valid until September so at least that isn't a problem - except that the car will technically not be UK road legal. I'm thinking that this is all going so wrong! I don't really want to open this up to the insurance company, but I believe I'm right in saying that, from the insurance point of view, as long as the car is roadworthy (whether or not it has an MOT), it shouldn't be an issue from their pespective (after all, you are insured when you drive your car to get an MOT if there is gap between the old one expiring and the appointment for the test to get a new one).

I'm really not sure how to play this. I'm happy to tax it for 6 months, then cash the tax in when the austrian registration happens, but I'm unsure whether the DVLC will allow me to tax the car if it's MOT'd on the day I tax it, but not valid on the day the tax is due to start.

Anyone any thoughts...please!

Edited by Mike H on 25/03/2010 at 18:37

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Tue 8 Jun 2010 16:48

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - traveler

I have almost the same situation, although I live in Moscow, my UK car is in Austria with my Wife's parents... what do I do??? Have already had a UK road tax reminder, I'm insured.. test due very soon.. do I pay my UK tax, drive back to UK and get an MOT test, continuing as a Brit driving a handful of times a year in Austria, or do I register with Austrian plates (technically I don't even live there)...??? I wish folks in Authority would think this stuff through.

PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ... !!!!

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Tue 8 Jun 2010 17:27

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - LucyBC

You can only keep a vehicle abroad for a limited period before you have to re-register it. Beyond six months (in most cases) your need to re-register and your insurance will be void.

The options are:

to ship the car back to the UK and sell it
to re-register the vehicle and insure it in either Austria or Russia fully complying with their local rules
to take it off the road and store it.

There are well established rules which deal with these cases and for the most part they have been thought through.

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Tue 8 Jun 2010 18:19

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - carr

The car needs to be road legal in Austria, it must be insured and presumably it needs some sort of MOT. You should already have the Austrian MOT as part of the re-registration process but you need to check with your insurance company that the insurance is still valid.

I don't see why you need to pay the road tax, tell the DVLA that the car has been exported or SORN it. I'm assuming that you are not anticipating bringing the car back to the UK before it gets the Austrian plates.

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Tue 8 Jun 2010 21:35

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - Cliff Pope

Why isn't there a standard Europe-wide MOT and registration system, valid anywhere?

Edited by Cliff Pope on 08/06/2010 at 21:37

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Wed 9 Jun 2010 09:51

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - carr

Why isn't there a standard Europe-wide MOT and registration system, valid anywhere?

Good idea, but in France. we've only just moved from a departmental to a national registration system. Before this you had to re-register your car if you bought it in one of Frances's 100 other departments

Also the UK would have to start driving on the right so the lighting tests in the MOT could be common across Europe.

In any case the Telegraph would become very upset by any increase in Euro federalism so it's best not to dwell on this idea too long.

Edited by carr on 09/06/2010 at 09:52

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Thu 10 Jun 2010 09:40

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - Cliff Pope

Also the UK would have to start driving on the right so the lighting tests in the MOT could be common across Europe.

No, I don't think so. Lots of things in the MOT are not universal, but are tested according to the car's age, or the presence or absence of particular features.

Cars made before a certain date don't require rear foglights. So they aren't tested. Cars made after another date have to meet a particular emission standard - so it is tested. If the car doesn't require seat belts, but they are fitted, they have to work. etc.

It is not a universal standard test, but it seems to meet all requirements. I don't see that regional or national variations would be a problem.

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Thu 10 Jun 2010 11:52

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - Collos25

I have changed many cars from uk to Germany and vice versa I hope your headlamps are ok because normally you need to change them deflectors will not do,the rear fog light is normally on the wrong side the speedo must read in KM as the main option.You can take the car for a TUV test for both emissions and mechanical condition this certificate will satisfy most european police.You should have informed the DVLA that the car is exported and told your insurance because without doubt they will not honour any claim infact the car is not insured.The car without an MOT,insurance or local road tax is illegal and you stand having the car impounded never to be seen again, it only needs one inquisitive police officer.the punishment is having your permission to drive in Austria revoked.You are not in the UK where anything goes sorry to be so pessamistic but I have seen plenty of people in your situation were it has cost them more money than the car is worth it is generally better to buy local and sell your car in the UK at least then you will have a LHD.

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Thu 10 Jun 2010 15:25

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - carr

. I don't see that regional or national variations would be a problem.

The headlight dipping is the problem. Most cars have different reflector lenses for the left and right hand drive versions so the whole headlight assembly needs changing.

If you've got a newish car with these huge moulded units and perhaps levelling adjustment and no recourse to the sc*** yard, then you are looking at the thick end of a €1000 for the replacements.

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Sat 12 Jun 2010 14:12

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - Collos25

I think the main problem is that this car is roaming round Austria without insurance a custodial offence and if it were to be involved in fatal accident then throw away the key seems to springs to mind.

Why do people when they come to mainland europe think that the laws do not apply to them and are astounded when they get caught and punished.

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Wed 2 Apr 2014 18:22

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - ericpellon

Most European Union countries do have an mot system, certainly when cars visit us in the uk, they can have an mot ,we recently tested a Spanish car for a girl who was a student teacher living here. Also in France you can drive around using your British mot for six months then you can go out of france and then back in again. There will be many ways round these things. thanks eric roberts

Edited by Avant on 03/04/2014 at 22:54

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Wed 2 Apr 2014 20:37

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - focussed

The situation with car insurance within the EU is as follows:-

If an insurance contract has been taken out on the vehicle and the premium has been paid in any EU country, the minimum legal cover covering driving in any EU country is in force for the whole period of the insurance contract. This minimum legal cover cannot be withdrawn or abrogated by the insurance company for any reason whatsoever.

It's that simple folks - that's what EU law says since 2009.

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Wed 2 Apr 2014 23:37

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - Mike H

A useful observation on a 4-year old thread! ;-)

Edited by Mike H on 02/04/2014 at 23:38

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Thu 3 Apr 2014 16:49

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - martint123

The thread may be ancient, but re MOT/Insurance, this is recent.

=========================================================

My eamil to them :-

A question please about the clause below please re MOT.

My vehicle is currently laid up due to the weather and the MOT expired this
week. My insurance is due for renewal next week and it is currently taxed.

Would I be covered travelling to an MOT station? I know it is legal to drive
without an MOT and tax disk for the purpose of a test, but the wording of
your policy would indicate I wouldn't be covered by insurance.

quote"

Your policy does not cover the following:

1. Any accident, injury, loss or damage whilst any vehicle insured
under this policy is being:
<big snip> does not have a current M.O.T. certificate <big snip>

=========================================================

Thank you for your email.

The underwriter has advised me that unfortunately you will not be
insured to drive to the MOT centre.

The only way around it would be to get them to pick your vehicle up.

If I can be of further help, please contact me.

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Thu 3 Apr 2014 17:02

Bit of a dilemma - living abroad & no MOT/tax - skidpan

I have driven my car for an MOT when the previous one had expired with no tax and was assurred by my insurers all was OK. Providing the MOT station is the closest to where the car is stored and you have a timed appointment it is perfectly legal.

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