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SORN, MOT, Registration for Long-term-overseas UK bikers or drivers SORN, MOT, Registration for Long-term-overseas UK bikers or drivers
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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 May 2018
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topcat View Post
Hi travellers, I'd like to know if anyone has done anything similar more recently, and what was the response? Many thanks

Don't bother. Unless the rules have changed in the last couple of years, (which a quick Google suggests that they haven't) you have no option but to be illegal .. Many posts about it on this thread - My experience here - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...2-8#post419000
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  #2  
Old 11 May 2018
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Originally Posted by panhandle1300 View Post
Don't bother. Unless the rules have changed in the last couple of years, (which a quick Google suggests that they haven't) you have no option but to be illegal .. Many posts about it on this thread - My experience here - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...2-8#post419000
Outside Europe no one cares about MOT or VED. Just SORN it some time after leaving. Book an MOT as you return home, and then tax it.

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  #3  
Old 11 May 2018
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The time that people start to care about whether a vehicle is legal or not is when you have a serious accident.

The Spanish police - see Facebook page for N322 - have been cracking down on British vehicles without tax, MOT, registration and insurance and they use a public database to check on the vehicle status and issue big fines as required.

No reason why other police forces can't do the same.

Those travelling with a Carnet will also need to have valid registration if they need to renew it
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  #4  
Old 11 May 2018
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Originally Posted by Tony LEE View Post
The time that people start to care about whether a vehicle is legal or not is when you have a serious accident.

The Spanish police - see Facebook page for N322 - have been cracking down on British vehicles without tax, MOT, registration and insurance and they use a public database to check on the vehicle status and issue big fines as required.

No reason why other police forces can't do the same.

Those travelling with a Carnet will also need to have valid registration if they need to renew it
I'll repeat the outside Europe bit.

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  #5  
Old 12 May 2018
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Then you are wrong again.

And if you SORN a vehicle that is outside the UK, you will be illegal in UK too because you have made a false declaration.

Quote:
If you’re taking a UK-registered vehicle out of the country for 12 months or more (also known as permanent export) you need to:

Tell DVLA before you leave by filling in the V5C/4 ‘notification of permanent export’ section of your V5C registration certificate (logbook).

Send it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD. Include a letter if you’ve moved abroad and want your vehicle tax refund sent to your new address.

Keep the rest of your V5C registration certificate - you might need this to register your vehicle abroad.
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Old 12 May 2018
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Yes , I know that. But it is the best and easiest approach. No one is going to check that it was out of the country when SORNd. And out side Europe no one will care about that or the MOT.

I never said it would be legal. It is just the best and easiest way.

Then do not return through Europe, come into the UK by sea or air. Book an MOT and tax it .( Assuming the bike makes it back ).

Sometimes you just have to skim around rules. And technically break a few.
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Originally Posted by Tony LEE View Post
Then you are wrong again.

And if you SORN a vehicle that is outside the UK, you will be illegal in UK too because you have made a false declaration.
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  #7  
Old 10 Aug 2022
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Does anyone know if I can get a UK policy with my Canadian license?

All insurance brokers are telling me to check online but the websites are then asking me when I started being a UK resident which I am not...

Thanks in advance.
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  #8  
Old 12 May 2018
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Originally Posted by Tony LEE View Post

The Spanish police - ................................ - have been cracking down on British vehicles without tax, MOT, registration and insurance and they use a public database to check on the vehicle status and issue big fines as required.

No reason why other police forces can't do the same.
Two factors therein:


Hundreds of thousands of Brits have gone to live in Spain over the years and some tend to take a UK registered vehicle over there.


Increasingly, the UK is going paperless and putting a lot of information online, for anyone to view who happens to know a registration number.
https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla
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Old 13 May 2018
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Increasingly, the UK is going paperless and putting a lot of information online, for anyone to view who happens to know a registration number.
https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla[/QUOTE]

Yep .. I got stopped at the Romanian border going into Bulgaria. He asked for my paperwork and when I gave him current MOT cert. he said it was fake because everything is online now. He wouldn't have it that it was gen until he checked the details on DVLA website. Needless to say he wasn't happy 'cos he couldn't scam me.
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  #10  
Old 13 May 2018
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Originally Posted by panhandle1300 View Post
Increasingly, the UK is going paperless and putting a lot of information online, for anyone to view who happens to know a registration number.
https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla
Yep .. I got stopped at the Romanian border going into Bulgaria. He asked for my paperwork and when I gave him current MOT cert. he said it was fake because everything is online now. He wouldn't have it that it was gen until he checked the details on DVLA website. Needless to say he wasn't happy 'cos he couldn't scam me.[/QUOTE]


From next year there won't be a paper copy issued; all records are aiming to be kept online only - this according to my local MOT tester who just tested my bike.
The tester mentioned that some of the test stations aren't too happy with that arrangement - people who have a vehicle tested expect to see something in exchange for their money.



The current new version of the MOT certificate, which changed format just a few weeks ago, looks like a letter addressed to whoever is showing on the DVLA record for that bike (the V5c named person). It still contains the same amount of data though.


So, the border checking officer can't ask to see a test certificate from next year.
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  #11  
Old 21 May 2018
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Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
So, the border checking officer can't ask to see a test certificate from next year.
But he can check the online database the same as you or I can.

I can understand the temptation for people to ignore the UK rules if they're out of the UK for extended periods, but as the man says above that's fine unless you get into trouble, have an accident etc, because insurance cover is generally contingent on the bike being legal in its country of origin, and that generally goes for legal roadworthiness as well. The laws don't really cover extended use abroad, even if you notify a 'permanent export'. The best compromise is to go on a new bike that doesn't need an MoT for 3 years anyway, that way road tax and insurance can be done online. For older bikes you either limit your trip to a year or break the law at your own risk.
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