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oz bike in uk and europe? oz bike in uk and europe?
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Trip Paperwork Covers all documentation, carnets, customs and country requirements, how to deal with insurance etc.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 11 Feb 2011
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Location: Aussie expat in Switzerland half way RTW
Posts: 611
NSW plates and unregistered in Switzerland
Since our arrival in Europe in 2009 we still haven't done the official and permanent import of our bike which is NSW registered. Basically Switzerland (not in the EU) gives one year, 12 months, from the time you decide to import the vehicle (and get a customs import number) until they start to hassle you.

But as I haven't got the customs import number I'm just riding around on my NSW plates. I have however bought a 3rd party GreenCard Insurance from MotoTouring in Milan so that if I get involved in an accident, heaven forbid, or pulled over by the cops that I have the min required cover.

Neither has happened and I've been riding quite regularly but not commuting with the bike. The bike is now unregistered in NSW so it could be a little tricky to explain my way out of it if I get pinned down by the boys in blue.
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  #2  
Old 15 Feb 2011
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Location: perth,australia
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thanks for the tip i will need to replace my green card in october for a longer stay in the EU. i dont really want to register my bike on a pommy plate as i will be taking it home eventually and its hard enough to deal with australian customs as it is without any deviations.i am sure if i did re register my bike i would be put on the government hit list for trying to destabalaize the whole ozzi economy.i been away a yr and still am trying to get my importation license to take my aus bike(bought ,registered,ins) back into oz.go figure!!
"everyone has the right to be stupid but some people just abuse the privelidge"
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  #3  
Old 15 Feb 2011
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Location: Aussie expat in Switzerland half way RTW
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Re-importation into Oz
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajmac View Post
thanks for the tip i will need to replace my green card in october for a longer stay in the EU. i dont really want to register my bike on a pommy plate as i will be taking it home eventually and its hard enough to deal with australian customs as it is without any deviations.i am sure if i did re register my bike i would be put on the government hit list for trying to destabalaize the whole ozzi economy.i been away a yr and still am trying to get my importation license to take my aus bike(bought ,registered,ins) back into oz.go figure!!
"everyone has the right to be stupid but some people just abuse the privelidge"

Hi Ajmac,

I'm interested in knowing how you get along with the re-importation into Oz as I will be looking to do the same down the track. Please post what happens.

Cheers!
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  #4  
Old 10 Aug 2011
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sydney, Aus.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TurboCharger View Post
Hi Ajmac,

I'm interested in knowing how you get along with the re-importation into Oz as I will be looking to do the same down the track. Please post what happens.

Cheers!
I'm also interested in this as I'm looking into taking my troopie back to Aus. I emailed the vehicle imports people at dept of infrastructure & transport and they told me 15 days to have import approval granted. Sounds optimistic, but that's what they're saying.
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  #5  
Old 15 Jul 2011
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Location: Sydney
Posts: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurboCharger View Post
Since our arrival in Europe in 2009 we still haven't done the official and permanent import of our bike which is NSW registered. Basically Switzerland (not in the EU) gives one year, 12 months, from the time you decide to import the vehicle (and get a customs import number) until they start to hassle you.

But as I haven't got the customs import number I'm just riding around on my NSW plates. I have however bought a 3rd party GreenCard Insurance from MotoTouring in Milan so that if I get involved in an accident, heaven forbid, or pulled over by the cops that I have the min required cover.

Neither has happened and I've been riding quite regularly but not commuting with the bike. The bike is now unregistered in NSW so it could be a little tricky to explain my way out of it if I get pinned down by the boys in blue.
Turbocharger...i like your work!
Would the swiss cops actually check for valid ergo if its outside Switzerland? I ask because I've just moved to Norway and am looking at buying a bike in the UK and riding it back here. Im hoping to leave it on UK plates for a year before paying the outrageous Norwegian import taxes. Im having trouble getting UK Third Party insurance to maintain the UK ergo. I can however get Green Card insurance for everywhere outside the UK(eg Alessie). If the UK rergo should get cancelled but i have GC insurance will any officials (cops/any EU customs) outside the UK ever check/care whether or not its actually registered in the UK??.....this is all assuming i NEVER ride the bike back to the UK intil its on Norwegian plates
Cheers
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  #6  
Old 3 Aug 2011
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Location: Aussie expat in Switzerland half way RTW
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmyd View Post
Turbocharger...i like your work!
Would the swiss cops actually check for valid ergo if its outside Switzerland? I ask because I've just moved to Norway and am looking at buying a bike in the UK and riding it back here. Im hoping to leave it on UK plates for a year before paying the outrageous Norwegian import taxes. Im having trouble getting UK Third Party insurance to maintain the UK ergo. I can however get Green Card insurance for everywhere outside the UK(eg Alessie). If the UK rergo should get cancelled but i have GC insurance will any officials (cops/any EU customs) outside the UK ever check/care whether or not its actually registered in the UK??.....this is all assuming i NEVER ride the bike back to the UK intil its on Norwegian plates
Cheers
Within the schengen zone you will have different laws that apply. I know for a fact that a resident cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle in Switzerland or Germany. This might be the same for other countries. If you are caught then it would mean a heafty fine at the very least. The things that you will be checked if controlled or in an accident are :
  • GreenCard Insurance,
  • Bike Registration,
  • Proof of Ownership (or permission to drive the vehicle by it's owner, ie it's not stolen) and
  • Driver's Licence.
In Europe and in the Schengen zone there are bilateral agreements that exist between countries. I suspect that UK and Norway have such an agreement and this means that they would have certain level of access to vehicle registrations. I would strongly recommend you check our the relevant laws in Norway to make sure you know what you are up against.

IMO trying to fudge registration in the Shengen zone is not a good idea. I would if I were you, bite the bullet and stay on the right side of the law, especially in Norway where they are likely to come down on you like a tonne of bricks if they find your paperwork to be out of order.

Good luck.
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