Vehicle import to Britain, and registration
 

Want to import my currently overseas vehicle into Britain, and register it there, but have fallen at the first hurdle. Ouch! Help!

To do this, (one of) the following is required, I've discovered:

Documentation confirming your address:
· utility bill valid within the last three months e.g. gas, electricity, water, landline telephone
· bank or building society statement valid within the last three months
· medical card
· council tax bill for current year

Well, I' a British citizen but don't live there so:

don't have utility bills; the address shown on my bank/building soc statements is overseas; have been removed from NHS records through being overseas (have a -therefore expired-UK medical card showing an old address); don't pay council tax.

So maybe it really is the case that I can't register and insure a vehicle there. Should I give up or is there a way? I figure this might be an issue that others have experienced.

Will you have a residential address in a few months? I'm not certain of the precise time allowed but usually you have a time limit on registering vehicles but that's (if you look at the small print) from when you establish residency. Until you have, by buying/renting a house, getting utility bills, NHS stuff, etc then you're not resident, you just happen to be staying there, and so of course you can drive round on your old plates with your old insurance from whichever country that was.

Assuming you have old plates and insurance, and the insurance is OK about it.

Just be careful: My insurance co (Carole Nash) would only give me 30 days insurance cover when I got back to the UK with my Aussie bike until it was UK registered.

Ignoring the fact that this being Scotland and that it got stolen about 5 minutes after I finally registered it (and spent about £600 doing so!), make sure your insurance will cover for theft!

In reply to Alexlebrit,

I'm not planning on establishing residency in the UK. I want to register the vehicle there and after a fairly short time, take off overseas again, with the vehicle.

Is there a way of getting it registered under these circumstances?

I'm not sure if there is any point in registering it then, I'd just be getting some insurance cover.

In the interests of trying to keep things simple, I haven't so far been telling the whole story.

Yes, I want to register the vehicle there in nthe UK and then take it overseas. After at least two years away I want to take it back to the UK and sell it there. At that time (when selling it) I still wouldn't have a UK address.

Pleased to help
 

Hi :mchappy:

I can help by registering the bike in UK and then "selling" it back to you. No problem, I am a dealer and have imported many in the past and know the ins and outs.

Can also help you sell your bike later on or sell yours there and buy another here, I'll do you a trade deal. Bikes are cheap here at the moment.

Email me.

Cheers


Chris