Foreign Register Cars

[summerdays]

I often pass a car parked on the pavement that has Polish registration plates on it. At what point does a car with foreign plates start having to follow the rules of this country with regards to Tax Disk etc?

 

[fossyant]

How long has it been here - TBH best reporting to DVLA. Oh and they act fast !

 

[summerdays]

I don't mean its abandoned ... just in my way when on the pavement walking. But I got to thinking at what point does someone change from being a visitor and not needing to have UK tax and insurance to having to have it. It was more a general query rather than with regards to this one car ... its just it was the one that sparked off the thought.

 

[marinyork]

IIRC it's different for different countries but the allowance is very generous in some cases, up to 6 months.

 

[summerdays]

But how would they be able to prove when they brought the car into the country ... as that could easily be after they first arrived.

 

[subaqua]

if its a european (EU) country they come from 12 months i think .

but its likely that it will just disappear for a few months then come back . ad infinitum.

there was a lithuanian Beemer leaking diesel all over the road out side my house.
the LA here couldn't give a flying f**k . so i bought the cheapest nastiest kitty litter and stopped it going into the drains/all over the road making it a rink for cycles. DVLA weren't bothered either.

next time i might just call plod and say its been abandoned and looks like wires are hanging from it

it disappeared after a week or so and so far hasn't come back.

 

[gbb]

We have a lot of immigrant labour at work, i'll ask tomorrow.
I think, only think, if they return to Poland for instance for 1 month, they are still technically registered there, so dont need a UK VED. It makes sense (assuming i'm not talking rubbish) because a few of them do return once a year for 1 month. They take all their holidays in one hit.
I must remember now...must ask at work, must ask at work...

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Here is the definitive answer:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motorin...cle/ImportingAndExportingAVehicle/DG_10014623

 

[marinyork]

But how would they be able to prove when they brought the car into the country ... as that could easily be after they first arrived.

It's the problem, the onus is on the owner to demonstrate how long it's been in the country. As Gbb has hinted, the rules are like they are because with people who came from Poland before they lived here, may spend a fair bit of time in a year in Poland. It's not ideal because you can see the obvious abuses, but it's worth emphasising that there are plenty enough UK borns that abuse the (other) rules too.

 

[snorri]

there was a lithuanian Beemer leaking diesel all over the road out side my house.
the LA here couldn't give a flying f**k .

S.E.P.A. would deal with that around here, but I don't know the southern equivalent, perhaps the Environment Agency?

 

[upsidedown]

There's a Belgian Peugeot at the bottom of our road with no tax disc, been there at least two years. I've reported it on the DVLA's site about ten times now but nothing so far. I was quite hopeful after they clamped and removed the untaxed fake M3 a bit further up the road

 

[summerdays]

It's the problem, the onus is on the owner to demonstrate how long it's been in the country. As Gbb has hinted, the rules are like they are because with people who came from Poland before they lived here, may spend a fair bit of time in a year in Poland. It's not ideal because you can see the obvious abuses, but it's worth emphasising that there are plenty enough UK borns that abuse the (other) rules too.

I know there are plenty of UK pavement parking cars too!!! In fact the vast majority ... they announced on the radio they were having a crackdown today so hopefully there are a few with fines today - but not the Polish car ... it mysteriously disappeared today (first time it had not been there in ages).

 

[Brains]

We have had a Greek 4X4 parked in our road, with a local CPZ residence permit, for the last 2 or 3 years.

I guess as long as they take a booze cruse over to Calais at least once a year, they can get away with it indefinatly.

Likewise I had a mate who had a UK car in Norway for a least two years, his main problem was having driven it back was then getting an up to date tax disk in the UK as they wanted to know how come he had not had either an MOT or a tax disk for so long (this was pre-SORN notification, which is the loophole you would use today )

 

[slugonabike]

The linked site clearly states that an EU registered car can only be used for a total of 6 months in any 12 month period without requiring UK registration, whether that 6 months is one visit or several shorter ones is immaterial. That means that popping 'home' for 1 month at a time does not invalidate the requirement for UK registration. It also states that the moment someone becomes resident in the UK the car is required to be registered here. It sounds as if there are a lot of cars around, in some areas, which do not comply with this. I would have thought the DVLA would be keen to chase these up and increase their revenue!

 

[Jezston]

"Road Tax"?!?!?