Insurance + European Driving License after Brexit

[autocaravaner]

Has anyone with an European Driving License got an insurance for their motorhome after Brexit? Any problems?

 

[glenn2926]

Has anyone with an European Driving License got an insurance for their motorhome after Brexit? Any problems?

I’m not there is such a thing as a European driving licence. Each country issues their own Driving licences.

 

[autocaravaner]

Sorry, I mean a license issued by a country that is a member of the European Union (Spain in my case).

 

[2657]

No problems, Portuguese licence, Portuguese vehicle.
Agents here would seem to insure all combinations of licences and vehicles.
If you have a Spanish licence why not have a Spanish registered vehicle?

 

[Northern Boy]

Sorry, I mean a license issued by a country that is a member of the European Union (Spain in my case).

I live in an EU country, I exchanged my UK license for a Driving License issued in Estonia. I have an Ex German registered MH re registered in Estonia and an Estonian Insurance policy. That all works for me.

If you live in an EU county even before Brexit then after a certain period of time you have to change your driving license, you also have to re register your car/MH to the country you live in.

My take on this is you need to have all three parts, License, Vehicle, Insurance all in one country. If you mix a UK car with a German License with a Spanish Insurance or whatever its going to get messy.

Now I may have just answered a question you were not asking and if i have, 'woops ey daisy' as Hugh Grant says in 'Notting Hill' 'What did you just say' replied Julia Roberts....

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[gus-lopez]

Sorry, I mean a license issued by a country that is a member of the European Union (Spain in my case).

If you are in the Uk trying to insure a motorhome, or any vehicle , using a spanish licence I think you will struggle. You really need to change back to a Uk licenece & even then might find you come up against the "you haven't held it for 3 years " old nonsense. They're just scanmmers in the UK.Probably easier to use Ibex or Abbeygate out of Gibraltar.

 

[pappajohn]

No problems, Portuguese licence, Portuguese vehicle.
Agents here would seem to insure all combinations of licences and vehicles.
If you have a Spanish licence why not have a Spanish registered vehicle?

Thought that was law in Spain. A Spanish resident and licence holder can only drive Spanish registered vehicles while in Spain.

 

[Bolti]

Thought that was law in Spain. A Spanish resident and licence holder can only drive Spanish registered vehicles while in Spain.

Not only in Spain it also applies to the UK.

 

[2657]

Thought that was law in Spain. A Spanish resident and licence holder can only drive Spanish registered vehicles while in Spain.

It is, as in Portugal and as far as I know in the rest of the EU.

 

[autocaravaner]

So ... We have a Spanish driving license (valid until 2026), we are UK residents (with settled status) and plan to keep our UK residency for the next 3-5 years until we sell our business and move back to Spain.

We want to buy a motorhome and spend the winters in Europe. We will stay in family and friends accommodations and drive around. In summer we will be in the UK. For at least 183 days we will be in the UK to keep our residency.

What's our best option license/registration/insurance wise?

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[2657]

So ... We have a Spanish driving license (valid until 2026), we are UK residents (with settled status) and plan to keep our UK residency for the next 3-5 years until we sell our business and move back to Spain.

We want to buy a motorhome and spend the winters in Europe. We will stay in family and friends accommodations and drive around. In summer we will be in the UK. For at least 183 days we will be in the UK to keep our residency.

What's our best option license/registration/insurance wise?

In my opinion your only legal option as a UK resident is to obtain a UK driving licence.
You are no longer a resident of Spain so do not qualify for a Spanish driving licence
I became a resident of Portugal and was legally required to submit my UK licence for a Portuguese one, this meant that I could not drive my UK registered camper in Portugal so I had to import and matriculate onto Portuguese registration.
I am not an expert but this is what I have been advised and investigated.

 

[Markman]

I'm pretty sure you have one year as a resident in the UK before you have to get a UK license (and the same in Holland and France and USA). At least that was the case 20 years ago (had to do the theory tests but otherwise original license in South Africa, exchanged in USA, then Holland then France, finally UK; my ex got her first license in USA, so exchanged in Holland and France but had to do test in UK, and drive as a learner after 1 year and the date of her test).
I think if you are a UK resident and driving in the UK on a non UK license then beware. Any insurance company could refuse to pay out on the grounds that you are an unlicensed driver.

 

[Northern Boy]

So ... We have a Spanish driving license (valid until 2026), we are UK residents (with settled status) and plan to keep our UK residency for the next 3-5 years until we sell our business and move back to Spain.

We want to buy a motorhome and spend the winters in Europe. We will stay in family and friends accommodations and drive around. In summer we will be in the UK. For at least 183 days we will be in the UK to keep our residency.

What's our best option license/registration/insurance wise?

license/registration/insurance should be UK based in my humble opinion.

 

[jumar]

Take a UK driving test....when possible....keep quiet about your Spanish status....when ready to go back to Spain just do that...depending if you want to re kindle your Spanish residencia..
UK Reg vehicle...UK Licence...restricted to 90/180 whilst in Schengen for now...

 

[emjaiuk]

Why not buy, register, insure and keep the motor home in the EU if you have friends there, and will only use it when touring Europe

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[Tanya_and_Mick]

Unsure if this answers the OP question - Liberty will insure a uk registered vehicle if you hold a EU license issued in Spain.

We did this for a period of time; but note, it was from a Spanish address.

I hope this helps.

 

[gus-lopez]

What's our best option license/registration/insurance wise?

Me,I'd buy a left hand drive UK vehicle and register it at your address,assuming Ibex,abbeygate or liberty ,would insure it there. I'd check first in case it wanted registering elsewhere.

we are UK residents (with settled status)

I take that to mean you aren't British?

For at least 183 days we will be in the UK to keep our residency.

If the above is correct then you must come under the Withdrawal Act which allows you to be out of your country of residence for up to 5 years without losing residency.

You are no longer a resident of Spain so do not qualify for a Spanish driving licence

I've no idea if it has now changed but you didn't have to change in UK until it expired?

 

[2657]

If the above is correct then you must come under the Withdrawal Act which allows you to be out of your country of residence for up to 5 years without losing residency.

That may well be the case but the OP has already stated:
"we are UK residents (with settled status) and plan to keep our UK residency for the next 3-5 years until we sell our business and move back to Spain."

My understanding is that on becoming residents of a country then within a certain time frame it is necessary to obtain a driving licence issued by that country.

 

[autocaravaner]

My understanding is that on becoming residents of a country then within a certain time frame it is necessary to obtain a driving licence issued by that country.

Let's see if someone can clarify this because it's very confusing. I've read the gov UK pages and my understanding is that we can drive with our Spanish licenses until they expire. We are on our late 30s and early 40s.

Spanish nationals.

 

[autocaravaner]

Why not buy, register, insure and keep the motor home in the EU if you have friends there, and will only use it when touring Europ

We could do that if necessary but the ideal scenario will be to bring the motorhome to the UK. Our plan was to live in it full time while in UK and rent AirBnBs when we need it a break. We are very fortunate so while in Europe we have a lot of friends and family with empty second properties that we have been offered to look after that we will not need to rent. My parents have a beach apartment that sits empty during the winter as it is very cold for them ... About 20 degree Celsius in December ...

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[Markman]

Let's see if someone can clarify this because it's very confusing. I've read the gov UK pages and my understanding is that we can drive with our Spanish licenses until they expire. We are on our late 30s and early 40s.

Spanish nationals.

Agree, you are right and I was wrong, as it applies to you:

"If you were younger than 67 when you became a resident, you can drive on your EU licence until you’re 70.
You can exchange your EU licence for a GB licence when you cannot drive on it anymore.
You can drive in Great Britain for only 12 months if you got your EU licence by exchanging your non-EU licence."

So you are legal until your Spanish license expires. The last sentence applied to me. So if you are driving legally then should just be up to the insurance company to decide to insure you, or not.

Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence

Use this tool to see if you can drive in Great Britain with your non-GB driving licence

www.gov.uk

 

[jumar]

Well if the OP gave more information in the first post, answers of a more accurate nature could have been forthcoming....this is Motorhomefun not the Spanish inquisition....

 

[DangerMousy]

Put your details through this checker: https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence

But assuming you passed your test in Spain and its just for car & motorcycle and you were younger than 67 when you became resident in the UK, you can drive on your Spanish licence until you're 70. You also have the option to exchange your EU licence for a British one if you wish - no driving test needed.

 

[autocaravaner]

Put your details through this checker: https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence

But assuming you passed your test in Spain and its just for car & motorcycle and you were younger than 67 when you became resident in the UK, you can drive on your Spanish licence until you're 70. You also have the option to exchange your EU licence for a British one if you wish - no driving test needed.

Thank you. Yes, I used that tool and it came back as OK. My interpretation was in line with what you just said. Thanks!

 

[2657]

Thank you. Yes, I used that tool and it came back as OK. My interpretation was in line with what you just said. Thanks!

I wish they would have done that with my UK licence in Portugal

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[gus-lopez]

My understanding is that on becoming residents of a country then within a certain time frame it is necessary to obtain a driving licence issued by that country.

Yes like us that was when we were in.Now we are out the Uk requirements are different. as are the spanish

 

[Bolti]

One thing to note, UK insurance company's will be very reluctant to insure you with a Spanish licence.

 

[gus-lopez]

One thing to note, UK insurance company's will be very reluctant to insure you with a Spanish licence.

I think that is why it was asked. Even if he changed it to a Uk one they still wouldn't as they'd use the "have you had a licence for 3 years" nonsense. Makes me laugh You can insure anything in europe using any licence yet the scammers in the Uk use any excuse not to want you.
That's why he would be better using liberty or one of the others in gibraltar as all details go on the UK database ,less hassle .

 

[Stoosal]

Let's see if someone can clarify this because it's very confusing. I've read the gov UK pages and my understanding is that we can drive with our Spanish licenses until they expire. We are on our late 30s and early 40s.

Spanish nationals.

Unless things have changed post brexit then a ‘foreign’ license can only be used in the uk for a period of twelve months, after which it becomes invalid for driving in uk. It should be a simple case of applying for a uk license as there was a system for reciprocal driving standards between most eu countries....if that no longer applies then I’m afraid you will need to sit uk test.

 

[Keep Right On]

If you are in the Uk trying to insure a motorhome, or any vehicle , using a spanish licence I think you will struggle. You really need to change back to a Uk licenece & even then might find you come up against the "you haven't held it for 3 years " old nonsense. They're just scanmmers in the UK.Probably easier to use Ibex or Abbeygate out of Gibraltar.

The potential (note I said potential) problem with Gib firms is that they are not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority but operate under Gibraltar Financial Supervision. Solvency and the ability to pay claims is not therefore guaranteed

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