Hi, I'm so happy I found this forum!!

I'm planning to travel through EU countries. I was born in Poland but I've been living in the US for the past 15 years. I just got my US citizenship and I was planning on buying a bike in US and bringing it to Europe. I don't want to register the bike in EU because I'd have to pay a lot in taxes. I'd rather use US plates and insurance but I read there are limitations on how long I can do that for. Threads say up to 6 months, then I have to register it in Europe, but the law is rarely enforceable because there is no way of tracking how long I've been there since. My questions:

1) can someone confirm the above because some of the treads I read were a little old? How long can I realistically use the US plates and insurance?

2) I know I could avoid the custom and other tax when registering if I brought the bike under the promise that I'm moving back to Poland and the bike has been in my possession at least 6 months in the US (registered and insured). However, I'm buying the bike now, just couple of days before leaving. Will the time spent in the EU while I drive on the US plates count towards those six months? In other words, can I register the bike without paying tax after it is owned by me for 6 months in the EU but on the US plates?

3) do I need international drivers license, or can I use my US one for all of EU countries?

4) should I get an insurance in US that covers EU or get something in one of the countries in EU? Can I get an insurance in EU while the bike is still registered in US?


thanks for any comments in advance, Mariusz.

Its a 'grey' area you won't get an 'official' or 'authoritative' answer to. I've been to Knopf Tours near Heidelberg - lots of US registered bikes being stored there. You can basically use your foreign plates for 'years' as long as you are a US resident using it occasionally. This does't mean you can get by on this in regards to your specific situation. (I think you are asking about how long you can get away with this will residing in Poland. This is different then leaving it in Europe and returning to the US, coming back 6 months later to do more riding.)
[/quote]

An Intl. D.L. is really a 'permit', not a DL itself - simply your existing license transfered to another document with a dozen or more languages to indicate what the information translates into. Just go to the AAA, pay a small fee and you get the permit.

Can't advise whether you need it or not. For me, I think I was asked once in 3 years. Of course, my IDP has been 'expired' for 2 years now. Am I worried?

You can't get insurance in the US that will cover you in the EU - get Green Card insurance from the agency in Belgium - inexpensive (22euro) per month for me a month ago (contact info on the HUBB - do a search).

__________________
quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thanks for your reply, quastdog. Lots of useful info.

To clarify, I don't intend on staying in Poland more then couple of months. I'm planning to "travel" through EU countries for 2-3 years. Was hoping to keep the US plates through all this time. However, it would be nice at some point to have the option of selling the bike in EU (I might want to travel further but will need an all-terrain bike for that; my current one is a cruiser) and in order to have that option I'd have to register the bike in EU (probably Poland). I know that during registration I'd avoid custom and VAT taxes if I do it under the promise of changing my permanent residency from US back to living in Poland AND proving that I used the bike for at least 6 months in US. (however, to prove that I used it in US for 6 months they require US registration - which I could "prove" anyway even though the bike was being used in EU - riding on US plates).

Not sure if this clarifired thingsbut here is my plan as of now:
1. shiping a bike to a EU country (probably other then Poland) with US plates.
2. purchasing green card insurance in Europe
3. using my US passport when picing up the bike at the customs and telling them that I'm planning to travel through various countires in EU for the next six months.

QUESTION: does anybody at the customs enter the info somewhere in my bike paperwork as to when my bike enters EU? so when a police stops me, can they see in my paperwork if the bike has been present in EU for more then six months?? (it seems from ur post "QDog" that this info rather isn't tracked)

Quote:
Originally Posted by dukun
4) should I get an insurance in US that covers EU or get something in one of the countries in EU? Can I get an insurance in EU while the bike is still registered in US?

You can't get insurance in the US that will cover you in the EU - get Green Card insurance from the agency in Belgium - inexpensive (22euro) per month for me a month ago (contact info on the HUBB - do a search).

Not quite true; you CAN get Green Card in the US:
BMW Motorcycle Owners of America | Insurance
but the US-brokered Green Card minimum liability is more expensive than getting from any German ADAC office, or the Luxembourg (not Belgium) Arisa underwriter linked here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...et-cheap-34822

On the other hand, you may WANT to [consider] getting US-sourced Green Card IF your bike is new and IF you want [optional] comprehensive cover for physical damage--which is not available for US-registered bikes from Euro sources.

It also partly depends on your personal & bike pick-up schedule/ itinerary/ convenience: you NEED Green Card to clear the bike at Euro Customs/ Point of Entry. If your personal arrival in Europe allows time before bike arrival, no problem to wait and get Green Card in Europe before clearing bike; if, on the other hand, you want to go 'straight' from, e.g. airport to pick up bike, then you'll want to have the Green Card document in hand before leaving US.

You can always buy minimum monthly Green Card cover from (more expensive) US source initially, then buy future periods from ADAC or other Euro source.

QUESTION: does anybody at the customs enter the info somewhere in my bike paperwork as to when my bike enters EU? so when a police stops me, can they see in my paperwork if the bike has been present in EU for more then six months?? (it seems from ur post "QDog" that this info rather isn't tracked)

ANSWER: No. There's nothing in the Customs entry paperwork for vehicles that shows bike entry date in your personal bike paperwork (or your personal passport). The info is not cross-tracked at your personal paperwork level that local police would see.