How to insurance my motorhome with a portuguese driving license? (1 Viewer)

[lady_liberty]

I've been looking for an insurance for my motorhome, but it's not being easy.
The problem seems to be the non UK driving license.

My boyfriend (26 years old) has held a portuguese driving license for 6 years, and has already drove in the UK with it (in rental cars), but it seems that it is not enough to make an insurance for the motorhome...

We thought about upgrading his driving license to International, but I'm not sure if insurance companies will accept it. We also thought about him taking the UK provisional driving license, but it won't work either 'cause insurance companies require a license held for at least 2 years.

I've phoned all the insurance companies I can find, but so far the only one that would accept his portuguese driving license was SafeGuard, who quoted us with £1020.35 per year. But we do have a problem with their policies too, as it require us to own a house in the UK or a longterm rental contract, which we don't, because we intend to live in our motorhome. It also requires that we are registered in the electoral roll, and we aren't either (we never bothered 'cause we don't believe voting changes anything...). Then it also says that for them to give us the insurance we would need to change the driving license to a UK one, on DVLA, and the address in the driving license has to be the same of the house we own or have a long time rental agreement (which we don't).

Is just too much confusion, and I'm becoming really disappointed, 'cause this insurance thing is the only thing keeping me in this rainy country and not being able to enjoy the summer.

Shouldn't it be good enough to have a valid EU driving license and money to pay the insurance quote?

Please somebody give me some advice, or suggest any other companies I should try to contact, 'cause I don't know what else to do...

Thank you very much.

 

[hilldweller]

Please somebody give me some advice, or suggest any other companies I should try to contact, 'cause I don't know what else to do...

Admit defeat. Sell UK MH and buy abroad.

 

[haganap]

you could try asking the question on motorhome365.com, this sites sister or brother,

they are full timers whom come across these problems often and may be better placed to give some advice.

Good luck,,

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[Landy lover]

I agree with Haganap - join www.motorhome365.co.uk and read the posts on there - to stay within the law you will need a UK address for all your driving documents - there are some insurance companies who will offer full time insurance but the price makes your eyes water - the issue with the Portugese driving license is just another problem. You need to check the legality of the length of time this can be used in the UK with a UK registered vehicle on a UK insurance - I am fairly certain it is about 12 months before a UK driving license has to be applied for. Be very careful - under UK law if you get it wrong on insurance you can end up loosing your vehicle. Its a bit of a minefield and getting more complicated by the day to stay safe and legal

 

[Pikey Pete]

You could try Comfort Insurance for a Fulltimers policy, though you will need a C/O postal address in the UK. If you get cover from them it won 't be cheap.

Other than that you could look into exporting the van to Portugal.

There are other ways of getting around a problem like this but the van would not be road legal so I can't offer any advice on how to do it. You would need to research that yourself.

Pete:Cool:

 

[scotjimland]

Shouldn't it be good enough to have a valid EU driving license and money to pay the insurance quote?

I'm afraid not .. without a UK address or c/o address.. you simply won't get insurance.. at any price.

Your first priority is to get a c/o address.. you need this not only for insurance but also your driving license and vehicle registration .. without one your plans are dead in the water... :Sad:

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[lady_liberty]

I got good news (at least I hope).
After much research and phone calls, today I spoke on the phone with somebody from Discover Insurance and they said they accepted either UK or EU driving licenses! My boyfriend's driving license is portuguese, and portugal is part of the EU, so his driving license can be qualified as EU.
I didn't tell them we would be full timing, and I gave them the address of a friend. That address is not the same address that is on the V5 (we have another friend's address on there), do you think it will be a problem?
Oh and they quoted us with only 178£ per year! is it too good to be true? Does anyone here uses Discover too?
I've read their policies and the only thing that seemed not so good is that they only cover up to 100£ for theft of personal belongings. But I suppose I can do it, after all I don't have many expensive stuff and the important documents etc I can carry with me all the time... And at least I'll be legal with an insurance...
Thank you all for all the replies :thumb:

 

[grumps147]

I got good news (at least I hope).
After much research and phone calls, today I spoke on the phone with somebody from Discover Insurance and they said they accepted either UK or EU driving licenses! My boyfriend's driving license is portuguese, and portugal is part of the EU, so his driving license can be qualified as EU.
I didn't tell them we would be full timing, and I gave them the address of a friend. That address is not the same address that is on the V5 (we have another friend's address on there), do you think it will be a problem?
Oh and they quoted us with only 178£ per year! is it too good to be true? Does anyone here uses Discover too?
I've read their policies and the only thing that seemed not so good is that they only cover up to 100£ for theft of personal belongings. But I suppose I can do it, after all I don't have many expensive stuff and the important documents etc I can carry with me all the time... And at least I'll be legal with an insurance...
Thank you all for all the replies :thumb:

Hmmm, That means if you are full timing, and they can prove it, then in the event of any accident your insurance will be void. Not pleasant for anyone you have an accident with - that could be one of my grandchildren and I would be more than upset.

If you are in the UK for over 12 months, you will both have to obtain a full UK drivers licence if driving (EU membership is not enough to escape that one).

Having a new address for the latest official document (your insurance) is not a problem, but failing to notify change of address to the new one for the V5 is, it is a criminal offence.

You seem to me to be building problems for yourself which you do not need to, unless you have some other reason why you want to leave a false trail?

 

[lady_liberty]

Well I read on forums (from other fulltimers) that it's always better not to tell the insurance companies that you are full timing... And anyway, I didn't even lie, 'cause they didn't really ask, and there's nothing on the contract talking about it, so I guess it was just an innocent omission. Plus it was just a quote, I still haven't buy or signed anything, and I can always tell them that information on the next time I talk with them...
I think the period you have before having to change to a UK driving license is 3 years, and my boyfriend plans to do it, the problem would be that if he changed to a UK driving license today he could only make an insurance in 2013, 'cause it requires him to have a driving license for at least 2 years. He has held his portuguese driving license for 6 years....
Of course I don't want to be building problems to myself, but sometimes this way UK has to be different in all aspects from the rest of Europe gets a little bit absurd...

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[grumps147]

Well I read on forums (from other fulltimers) that it's always better not to tell the insurance companies that you are full timing... And anyway, I didn't even lie, 'cause they didn't really ask, and there's nothing on the contract talking about it, so I guess it was just an innocent omission. Plus it was just a quote, I still haven't buy or signed anything, and I can always tell them that information on the next time I talk with them...
I think the period you have before having to change to a UK driving license is 3 years, and my boyfriend plans to do it, the problem would be that if he changed to a UK driving license today he could only make an insurance in 2013, 'cause it requires him to have a driving license for at least 2 years. He has held his portuguese driving license for 6 years....
Of course I don't want to be building problems to myself, but sometimes this way UK has to be different in all aspects from the rest of Europe gets a little bit absurd...

Your right about the three years
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022556

Surely in all countries, including those not in the EU, insurance is not valid if the questions have been deliberately answered incorrectly. So I do not think the UK is absurd.

 

[John & Joan]

Well I read on forums (from other fulltimers) that it's always better not to tell the insurance companies that you are full timing... And anyway, I didn't even lie, 'cause they didn't really ask, and there's nothing on the contract talking about it, so I guess it was just an innocent omission. Plus it was just a quote, I still haven't buy or signed anything, and I can always tell them that information on the next time I talk with them...
I think the period you have before having to change to a UK driving license is 3 years, and my boyfriend plans to do it, the problem would be that if he changed to a UK driving license today he could only make an insurance in 2013, 'cause it requires him to have a driving license for at least 2 years. He has held his portuguese driving license for 6 years....
Of course I don't want to be building problems to myself, but sometimes this way UK has to be different in all aspects from the rest of Europe gets a little bit absurd...

Don't believe some of the idiots you encounter on forums. Your insurance is invalid if at any time during it course your circumstances change and you do not inform them of that change.

It is not a case of them asking the correct questions it is your responsibility to inform them of everything. Before, during and after taking out the insurance.

Read all of the terms and exclusions on any policy document. You may get a piece of paper to wave at the law, but when crunch comes to crunch you will be left high and dry if they find any loophole they can wriggle out of. There is no such thing as an Innocent omission when dealing with insurance companies