Overwintering abroad, registering!

[Cossieg]

Hi all. Looking for a bit of advice and opening a debate probably. This is our second winter spend on the Algarve and we're very lucky to be able to do this. Debate ongoing on our site is the subject of registering with the local Council and registering your vehicle with the government. Law seems to state that if you are in a European country for over 3 months you should 'register'. In addition, if you have a vehicle in a European country for over 6 months you should reregister the vehicle in the country you're in. The question is, if you're in a Motorhome & travelling around do you have to do this? If you do or don't register what are the implications of doing this or not doing it?
My view is that I'm not taking up permanent residency ( by virtue of having a mobile vehicle) and therefore none of this really applies. What do people think?

 

[Wildman]

can of worms leave it shut.

 

[gus-lopez]

can of worms leave it shut.

Agree , Don't even go there unless you are being asked to. Even then just find somewhere else to move to. It doesn't bear thinking about & you'll never sleep again.

 

[spitfire]

Hi all. Looking for a bit of advice and opening a debate probably. This is our second winter spend on the Algarve and we're very lucky to be able to do this. Debate ongoing on our site is the subject of registering with the local Council and registering your vehicle with the government. Law seems to state that if you are in a European country for over 3 months you should 'register'. In addition, if you have a vehicle in a European country for over 6 months you should reregister the vehicle in the country you're in. The question is, if you're in a Motorhome & travelling around do you have to do this? If you do or don't register what are the implications of doing this or not doing it?
My view is that I'm not taking up permanent residency ( by virtue of having a mobile vehicle) and therefore none of this really applies. What do people think?

All of the above is indeed correct . Six months and one day and you are considered a resident but in a motorhome I shouldn't think they would check however more importantly your vehicle must be road legal for the country of its plates . ie taxed, insured and MOT if required . Also I guess it depends if your insurance company allows over 6 months out of the country . If any of these conditions are not met then you could be in deep trouble if stopped or in an accident !!

 

[gus-lopez]

All of the above is indeed correct . Six months and one day and you are considered a resident but in a motorhome I shouldn't think they would check however more importantly your vehicle must be road legal for the country of its plates . ie taxed, insured and MOT if required . Also I guess it depends if your insurance company allows over 6 months out of the country . If any of these conditions are not met then you could be in deep trouble if stopped or in an accident !!

Here in Spain that is for fiscal residency which is cumulative in a calendar year. Residency is 90 days & then you must register as a " foreign resident " This is consecutive , so leave after 89 days wander around , come back, clock starts again. You can be a resident without being fiscally resident & fiscally resident without being resident. In the OP's case the one thing that rules out doing any of it is that if they registered as " resident " ,albeit temporarily, then immediately they cannot drive the motorhome as a resident of a country cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle.
This applies in all EU countries .

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[DP+JAY]

Border hop.
France, Spain, Portugul, Spain and so on.
Just keep some fuel reciepts or something to prove it.

 

[mjltigger]

resident of a country cannot drive a foreign plated vehicle

I'm not sure in that. When I was a resident of Germany I drove UK registered cars all the time. It was my job... I'm pretty sure the firm I was working for would have known if there were issues with this.

 

[gus-lopez]

I'm not sure in that. When I was a resident of Germany I drove UK registered cars all the time. It was my job... I'm pretty sure the firm I was working for would have known if there were issues with this.

yes there are exceptions for " professional drivers " lorries etc; & persons working for car hire companies etc, where their exists the possibility that they have to return a 'cross-border' hire vehicle to another depot or another EU state.
For the general population it is illegal. I had to & fro's with both the dvla ( useless load of ***. Took 10+ emails before they found someone with a brain ) & the EU . Eu answered within 10 working days. Law has been in place since 1983 but is only recently being enforced by most EU states.


Here's the crux of DVla reply

" The Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 stipulates that UK residents are not permitted to use a non-UK-registered vehicle on UK roads. In the circumstances that you have explained, your daughters or your daughter’s partners will not be permitted to use a non-UK registered vehicle as they are residents within the UK."

& EU;

" The short answer is that the car must not be lent to a third party in the circumstances you relate (in this case, the car is lent by you to your children (and their respective partners) whom we assume are habitually resident in the UK).

Under EU law, cars must be registered where the owner is habitually resident. In this case, the car in question appears to be properly registered in Spain. However, article 3 Directive 83/182 forbids for the car in question to be lent to a third party.

Different rules apply for vehicles destined for business use; this is not your case or that of your children, given that the use of the car in question is for a private use. "

 

[BwB]

I think, if you went to the local town hall and tried to register, you'd be politely discouraged by the staff. And, it's a process which once started could cause you all sorts of difficulties when you head for home (uk).

Best left well alone

 

[mariner]

Just forget it, lots of us do.

If you make sure that your vehicle insurance provides proper longer term cover then that's all you need to worry about.

Here in Spain you can apply for NIE so you can buy property or a car, but there is no pressure to become resident.

Many are here long term, but don't apply to be resident and nobody worries about it.

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[jumar]

Please close this thread, it will, and has in the past caused nothing but problems, come to Spain and enjoy your holiday, if the authorities in the UK are happy, then you should be too, making complications for yourselves will only put you off from coming. Can of worms postings is the best way I can put it, for a more precise explanation what Gus has written is 100% fact. Spain has had more problems to worry about than visitors travelling around and overstaying a little. The rules apply to all, but the Authorities are out to get the ones who abuse to system big time, that's not you guys visiting for extended holidays.

 

[Snowbird]

Excuse me my man, I am English .

 

[mjltigger]

With all this though bear in mind the NHS rules regarding length of stay on a EHIC

Although I have no idea if you can change doctors to a Spanish doctor without registering anything else.

 

[jumar]

Excuse me my man, I am English Posted by Snowbird a regular to European travelling.

Are we missing something.? Can you explain please.

 

[2657]

In Portugal it is possible to obtain a 'Fiscal Number' by simply producing a UK passport, UK address and €10.20 at the local Town Hall (don't know the Portuguese).This enables access to various things including mobile phone contracts.

Surely something so simply obtained, no Portuguese address necessary, does not mean that you become a 'resident' of Portugal.

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