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hi my name is greg looking to re import my rhd uk registered van back to the uk as here they wont re register a commercial vehicle had a word with the dvla and they say its ok to re register it in the uk has anybody out there had the same problem is there a re registration cost its seem to be a bit of a cloudy issue anybody got any more info many thanks
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Why don't you ask the DVLC ?
Some years ago, I imported a Gib registered car into UK. I got all the info from the DVLC.
Incidentally it is illegal for a resident to drive a non-Spanish reg vehicle in Spain.
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johnx-tell that to a builder on Camposol ,who has lived here over 10 years, with UK registered 4x4, digger, truck and trailer etc, running his business in full view of the police, who frequently drive past and ignore him. What story he tells, them, if and when he has been stopped by them, I have no idea. Apparently, if if police are to take action, someone has to denounce him, and who is going to risk their personal safety to do that? any advice, anyone?
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Campo,
Well the local police, whom I heard loiter outside schools, in Marbella and other places, and pull the parents when they drop their kids off, (ie, must be resident) seem to manage quite well without a dununcia.
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" Apparently, if if police are to take action, someone has to denounce him, and who is going to risk their personal safety to do that? any advice, anyone? "
Use this ;http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/onlineservices/report_unlicensed.aspx
If you put in everything , name address, registration numbers, car/jcb tax status, etc; they'll eventually do it for you.
The police, if they know the law fully, do not need a denuncia as it is illegal for any resident/spanish national to use /drive/advertise on a vehicle that is not spanish. a phone number on any constitutes this offence.
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Todos somos Lorca.
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Thanks Gus
Incidentally, the exceptions are in an emergency, when a garage mechanic is testing a car etc.
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Gus, will DVLA chase unlicensed cars even if they are reported outside the UK? I find it hard to believe they have the resources to do that, or that they have any effective means of communication with the Spanish police.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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This is going of thread, but I see the web site shown by Gus is to anonymously report unlicensed vehicles being used on a public road.
I know the law has changed somewhat since I administered it. In those days ‘used on a public road, in the UK ‘ was the defining point. Thus on private land or outside UK no road tax was required.
I used to tax my car when I drove back to the UK and then send ithe disc back to the DVLC when I left the UK and returned to Spain for a refund, as for certain THEN the Road Fund Licence only applied to a public road maintained at public expense in the UK. I think it may have changed now.
The web page seems to ‘agree’ with that as it states ‘public road’.
I do not think that site is intented for use outside the UK, But what do Iknow about this !
However, that said, that was not the question which started this tread,
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"...that was not the question which started this tread"
No, it wasn't, but the original question would probably be better answered on a site called EyeOnUK, since here we're trying to provide answers and advice on what to do in Spain. So let's happily wander off thread - I sense this may turn onto another lengthy debate! 
From what you say, strictly from the UK authorities' point of view, a UK reg vehicle in Spain with no valid road tax is of no interest to them, as no crime has been commited in their jurisdiction. I hope it has changed now, because I can already hear the usual suspects claiming that this vindicates them and that they are doing nothing wrong by driving their UK bangers here with no MoT or tax!
It's a shame there isn't a site similar to the DVLA one where one can anonymously report foreign registered vehicles that are known to be driven by permanent residents. Or is there?
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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Roberto,
as I said, it certainly used to be the law that a UK reg vehicle, used in Spain, did not need a UK Road Fund Licence. Whether it has changed I don’t know and in fact I do not really care.
If a vehicle does have one, Spain gets no benefit as all the funds go to DVLC. If there is no RFL, Spain is no worse off.
The most important thing is that:- Any vehicle used in Spain must have third party insurance and must be road worthy, (the object of an MOT / ITV) the person driving must have a legal DL, and the driver must comply with the equivalent to the UK Road Traffic Acts.
The tax paid on the petrol used in any vehicle is a significant percentage of it’s cost, and all of that stays in Spain.
On the general point of the Spanish Circulation Tax:- It varies considerably across Spain, thus many people who go beyond their municipality, drive in areas where the locals may be paying a lot more. So the UK vehicles are not that much out of line.
Re :-
It's a shame there isn't a site similar to the DVLA one where one can anonymously report foreign registered vehicles that are known to be driven by permanent residents. Or is there?
Well if one really has the courage of their convictions anyone can make a denuncia to that effect, but of course they cannot hide behind the anonymity screen.
But, why would the Spanish police be interested in enforcing a law, which would entail expense to Spain, and mean only the DVLC would benefit ?
This message was last edited by johnzx on 26/10/2012.
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All good and interesting points. Except on the last one, I thought that a Spanish resident was obliged by law to re-register their vehicle in Spain and pay the corresponding taxes? A resident driving a foreign registered vehicle is avoiding contributing tax that everyone else has to pay, and from which the local authorities obviously do benefit, so why wouldn't the police be interested? Not to mention the possibilty of the vehicle be unroadworthy because they don't have regular ITV / MoT inspections.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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Roberto,
You missed the point.
What I said did not refer to anyone driving illegally, i.e. resident and driving a foreign reg vehicle.
I had already commented on the illegality of residents driving non-Spanish vehicles.
The police can confiscate such a vehicle. I had already commented on the illegality of residents driving non-Spanish vehicles.
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I was referring to what you said previously about residents & foreign registered vehicles. I thought that was obvious. I understand that the Spanish police can confiscate foreign vehicles that are being driven by residents. The point is, they invariably turn a blind eye, as everyone knows too well. And my point was, that the culprits may feel that if the UK authorities don't see them as commiting an offence, (and the Spanish authorities turn a blind eye) then they are perfectly within their legal rights to carry on as they are. Surely you must have heard the idiotic responses given by people when being told the law in Spain - "but that's not how it works in England"?
Anyway, I think we basically agree on this topic. Unfortunately you seem determined to find a way to disagree with me on pretty much anything and everything on this forum.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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Roberto,
On the point of road worthiness.
I have said this several times in various posts, that having an MOT / ITV only proves only that at the moment the vehicle was tested it was road worthy. If for example upon driving out of the test centre one is unlucky enough to say drive over a bottle and it cuts a tyre, it is no longer road worthy.
It is the responsibility of the owner / driver to ensure a vehicle is maintained permanently in that condition. Un-roadworthy vehicle are not covered by their insurance policies.
On the point of people who become resident importing a vehicle. I personally cannot understand why anyone would want to do that, as they would normally end up with a right hand drive, and pay a fairly high amount for the privilege. I sold my car and bought a Spanish one.
NB Roberto please note, I am not disagreeing with you, just making a point.
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I do not fully understand the main heading of this thread.... RE-importation of a van.
Surely if it is still on U.K. plates then it might not have been exported so therefore it can not be 'imported' back to the U.K. I assume that at this moment the van does not have a valid MoT or RFL and as such should not be driven ANYWHERE as it is illegal. If the van is not strictly 100% road legal in the country of registration then the insurance is also null and void.
However if the van has been nominally exported by the owner sending in the relevant slip to DVLA and also returned the RFL it means that the car anywhere is 100% illegal as there is no address where the authorities can contact the owner and as stated above not fully road worth in country of registration.
I assume that as an honest member of this forum that the owner will not drive the van back to UK but have it delivered there and taken IMMEDIATELY to have its MoT etc. The police in the UK will be very interested to stop the van as soon as it hits the UK roads if it is without tax, MoT etc.
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Stephen
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I assume that as an honest member of this forum that the owner will not drive the van back to UK but have it delivered there and taken IMMEDIATELY to have its MoT etc. The police in the UK will be very interested to stop the van as soon as it hits the UK roads if it is without tax, MoT etc.
In UK, although not in Spain, as long as there is an appointment for an MOT then a vehicle can be legally driven to that appointment. There is no limit on how far from the point of entry that may be.
Of course it must have third party insurance.
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Hi not sure if this is currently the case, but a while ago I moved to The Republic of Ireland and re regstered my car there, admiitedly after being continually being stopped by the police..
On my return to the the U.K I declared the car at customs adsing that is was a UK car that was returning. They gave me a form to cover being stopped if stopped by the police and I think I had a month to get the car M.O.T'd , and send the customs paperwork and the MOT to the DVLA who subsequently issued a new number and V5 or whatever is is now, allowing me to tax and insure the vehicle.
If you were unable to re register your vehicle in Spain, I presume it is on UK plates in which case it does not have to be declared and re registered. If the tax has expired then, as someone else has said, you could have a problem with the authorities on arrival if it is being driven ashore.
There again, when did anyone see a policeman in Britain, If the police see a crime and have to deal withn it and we don't want that do we since it increases the crime figures, Far better to keep police off the street, close down police stations and make contact numbers difficult so that we can report crime going down. OH and then we can priase the new Police Commisions for doing a good job. - nOtsure if I am getting toom cynical or just telling the truth.
Regards
Gordon S
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Going back to the OP
GPWBB
Did you declare the van SORN (off road) with the DVLA when you left? or did you just leave the country with it? If the latter, you will have a number of fixed penalties to deal with unless you have some how maintained the road tax.
There is still confusion about UK vehicles in Spain, I'm sure the Spanish authorities do not care about Road tax and this is what a major expat insurer has to say about MOT's (from their website FAQ's)
Do I need to produce an MOT Certificate before I can obtain insurance for my UK registered vehicle?
At *****gate our Insurers do not insist on an MOT. It is now becoming common in Spain for UK vehicles to be tested at the local ITV (MOT equivalent) centre. But remember the ITV certificate will only be valid in Spain, so if you travel back to the UK and don’t have a valid MOT certificate it could lead to problems with the Police there. One of the policy conditions stipulates that your vehicle must be kept well maintained and in a roadworthy condition at all times. Any breach of this could invalidate cover.
What a load of cobblers
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At *****gate our Insurers do not insist on an MOT. It is now becoming common in Spain for UK vehicles to be tested at the local ITV (MOT equivalent) centre. But remember the ITV certificate will only be valid in Spain, so if you travel back to the UK and don’t have a valid MOT certificate it could lead to problems with the Police there. One of the policy conditions stipulates that your vehicle must be kept well maintained and in a roadworthy condition at all times. Any breach of this could invalidate cover.
But remember the ITV certificate will only be valid in Spain,
But valid for what ?
As the vehicle is registered in another country and an ITV / MOT is not required in Spain, it has no relevance. Except to say at that moment the vehicle was road worthy.
However, my broker informs me that whilst the insurers do not require an ITV/MOT as far as cover is concerned, each of the Insurance companies he acts for, compensates for the write off vehicle of a vehicle with an ITV / MOT as market value, but without as trade value.
One of the policy conditions stipulates that your vehicle must be kept well maintained and in a roadworthy condition at all times. Any breach of this could invalidate cover.
That’s what I said earlier, the driver is responsible for ensuring that the vehicle is roadworthy, at all times it is being used, otherwise, the cover is invalidated.
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I agree with you John, re: the owner being responsible for maintaining the vehicle in a road worthy condition AT ALL TIMES. However, my belief (based purely on experience and what one hears all the time about insurance claims) is that if a claim is made for a vehicle with a valid MoT or ITV (depending on where it is registered of course), the onus would be on the insurance company to prove that the vehicle was unroadworthy in order to avoid paying out; if there is no valid test certificate, they will certainly just claim it was unroadworthy and WILL NOT PAY.
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"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please"
Mark Twain
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