Any way of getting a MOT in spain, or equivalent.

HI, can any one advice, currently we have tax, MOT and insurance to drive our UK car, although, the MOT is due to expire next month and we wish to stay in Spain for another 2 months, is there any way of MOT ing the car in Spain or even a tempory ITV or equivalent, to be legal to drive it back to the UK after the MOT as expired. Any info would be appreciated, if not has anyone any idea how much it would cost to transport a car to England.  Many thanks once again

Hi Twinmummy

The answer is no, a Spanish ITV would not be valid on a UK registered car, your only real options are:

1) Return the car back to the UK before Mot expires.

2) Transport it back to the UK.

3) Register it to Spanish plates. 

I thought that would be the way,  but just checking incase some one knew somthing I didn't, oh well, looks like we are going back early then,. LOL,  Many thanks

I have friends who have had their UK plated car ITV'd.

Not all ITV stations can issue to UK plates, but some can. It is meant to cover you for your journey back to UK, although not to drive around on for months on end. Ask around at your local ITV stations. The one's I know that do it are based in Marbella and Algeciras so I don't think they will be any use to you.

Can you not put a new MOT on it before you go?

I think the car's already here in Spain ....

Obviously I did not read the post properly, soz.

I do not know the exact wording on this, but if my MOT has expired in January, I have had the vehicle off the roadway doing repairs, for example, I then decide in April to go back on the road with it, I can legally drive the vehicle, (whether or not it is taxed,... but it must be insured), to an MOT testing station of my choice, where I had PRE BOOKED the test to be done.

This of course is the situation in the UK, but I would be surprised, if the small print says that you can't start the journey in Spain.

Isn't imagination a wonderful thing.

Dave.

Nice thinking, Dave! I think you'd be taking a chance. However, as long as the tax disc is still valid, I think it highly unlikely that you'd get pulled up entering the UK and asked to show your MoT cert. All due respect to Buzylizzie, but somehow I doubt an ITV on a UK reg car would be worth the paper it's written on under any circumstances. That doesn't of course mean that some testing centres wouldn't offer it if you ask for it.

Have done a bit of research on this matter and it would appear that the only time an ITV has any validity on a non-Spanish reg vehicle is when the certificate is issued as the first stage of re-registration onto Sanish plates.

In this respect Bizzylizzie is correct; only certain ITV stations are so authorised and they are the ones that have a resident Homulgation Engineer and these are few and far between.

The ITV certificate thus issued however has no validity outside Spain since it paired with the Ficha Technica for the vehicle and that is only issued at the time of re-registration;  hence it cannot be used to legally cover a trip to the UK. It cannot replace the requirement for an English MOT all the time the vehicle remains on English plates.

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I'd book an MOT at whatever port I was arriving in UK for the same day I arrived. That's your proof of good faith that you intended renewing it. Get it in writing.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says that insurance policies will still pay out in full on any third party claims, and in the case of damage to or theft of your own vehicle, payouts may be only be reduced to reflect the lower market value of a car without an MoT.

Worst case scenario is something happens to you in Spain  - or any other country enroute to UK - and you might have to explain you have no MOT but that you do have one booked. You are safe once you get off the ferry as you are travelling to a booked MOT appointment.  I think the downside is small.

Be careful entering the UK without an MOT unless you have a prebooked appointment to get one, some of the cameras now have vehcile recognition and know if it has a valid MOT. We know from experience being 2 days overdue and getting clocked and fined for it.

Regards, Poppyseed

 I think you should also speak to your insurance company. I cannot believe they will cover you in the event of an accident without a valid MOT. I do believe some insurance companies, mainly Spanish ones will accept a UK car with an ITV. As most insurance companies will only cover you whilst abroad for three months do you have a valid insurance policy. The only one I know that will cover you for longer is Saga. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I also thought a UK car could only be in Spain for 6 months? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Kevin

I think you would be unwise to ask your insurance company as the Jane on the phone will tell you "No" and if you go ahead, and have a prang, and have identified yourself to the insurance company you have given them ammunition to use against you.

Insurance companies do not cover you without an MOT because they are benevolent. They insist on it ecause they want you to keep your car maintained. But, since we know by definition that you must have had an MOT within the last year otherwise you wouldn't have been able to obtain insurance. So the Association of British Insurers does not allow companies to weasel out on the grounds of no MOT. Google the subject. All 3rd party claims are paid in full, and damage or loss to your car is reduced only by the reduced price you would have got for your car had you had to sell it without an MOT.

Reading the EU laws you will see that the "six month" period relates to the driver, not the car. It's a very vague subject. I'd like to hear from someone who has a different take on this.

 GuyT, I was not aware that you had to have an MOT certificate to obtain insurance? Road fund yes. Kevin

Kev, you are right, I was wrong. But since valid  tax disc means  MOT & insurance, if your car has a valid tax disk  it means that sometime in the last year it's had an MOT. I suppose if you were to insure a wreck with no brakes & bald tyres, and then take it on the road with no tax or MOT your insurance company would look for a way not to pay out.

As I see it, insurance is the important one not to fudge, because it is irresponsible, particularly if you cripple some poor bugger and do not have a spare few million to sort the matter out, etc. So, always be insured.

The rest is detail. Other than weird circumstances (wreck with no brakes) your insurance is valid for the period you are insured for regardless of whether you have MOT or tax. There is sufficient evidence on Google to say this with certainty. Google will also give plenty of evidence that even if you are caught with no MOT the fine is only £60 with no points. (The fine for no insurance is only £200 on average).

So driving back to UK to a pre-booked MOT test seems to me to be without any serious risk as long as you are insured. The suggestion of having to put it on a transporter is preposterous. People must get a grip! The link below is one example of the thousands of informative websites. If the link doesn't work go to theanswerbank in uk forward slash motoring

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Motoring/Question213968.html

Hi I also will be in the same situation . I will be traveling every summer thru europe. This summer my trip will end in spain where I will then pick it up again in spain and end back in uk. My mot will expire while my motorhome is in storage in spain . I am going to make a pre booked appt when we decide to drive back . My question is this . Can anyone give me the name of an insurance company in spain that will cover me ? I can go to do ITV but I will need insurance since the company in UK will not insure me when I decide to drive back because I will not have had MOT . My other question is this  : I will be storing the motorhome from sept 2014 thru june 2015 in spain . My mot expires sept 2014 . I will be in UK june 2014 with the motorhome. Should I mot it before I leave ? Im conflicted because it will be expired anyways in june 2015 when I will need it . But Im thinking at least if I do get pulled over it will only have been expired for a month since im starting my travel again in june . If I do not MOT it then it would have been expired for a year .

If you don't want to get Spanish plates or the Spanish ITV, and your UK MOT has run out then presuming your in Spain and still driving on your UK car insurance it's quite obvious that your car should not be on the road anywhere.

If your UK MOT has run out forget what google or any website tells you...You are illegal, true your insurance is for the 12 months you bought it for, but when you buy insurance on your car it's for that...Insurance for your car, having the insurance does not give anyone the right to drive on any road with no MOT or Road Tax, the right to drive on any road is only given when you fully comply with the road traffic act regulations by having the whole kit i.e.: Road Tax..Insurance...Mot...And of course the correct driving license.

The fine for no MOT is anything up to £1000.00, any insurance company can, if they choose to, not pay out if you had an accident, due to, you should not have been on the road, they will pay out 3rd party, great if your car is on finance and your car was written of, and you owe possible £5 /10 thousand pounds, which you will still have to pay for while also losing a car.

You can also now in the UK, maybe Spain as well, not sure about that one, have your car taken of you if you have no Insurance, No mot, No road tax, can either be crushed, sold of, money going to the police, or you having to pay to get it back.

Sorry I know thats not what you wanted to hear but thats how it is....If you want to be legal.

Are your dates absolutely fixed? Couldn't you either delay the trip to July and get the MOT done then so that it's still valid when you pick it up in June the following year or, if you're in UK in June only, go over to Spain to collect it a month early?

It's not so much the insurance company insuring you, it's more a case of being stopped in Spain and not having an MOT.