Hi all.

I left the UK with my UK registered car in February 2007. I drove across North Africa, The Middle East, South Asia and then Thailand etc. Later in 2008 I will be returning home. As can be imagined, the UK MOT and road tax have long since expired and you can't get UK MOT, Road Tax or insurance outside the UK. DVLA told me I had to declare the car exported - which I have done. While I am outside the EU, it's not a problem but as soon as I set tyre in the EU - which I will have to do to drive across it to get back to the UK - I will be committing an offence by driving a car that is registered in an EU member state but which doesn't have a current MOT, road tax and insurance in that state. Just like a German would be doing if he drove his German-registered car in the UK without current German MOT, road tax and insurance. DVLA tell me it will be up to the Polish/German/French police to catch me as I am passing through those countries - if they don't, it isn't an offence in the UK. So - someone on this forum must have faced something like this on various long-term overland trips - do you have any experience of the likelihood of problems with the authorities in each of these countries?

As soon as I get the car back to the UK, I will need to get it transported from the ferry port, which shouldn't be a problem. Then I will get it MOTd and taxed and get it re-registered with DVLA.

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www.overlandcruiser.wordpress.com

If you have declared your car exported from the UK surely it's no longer registered. Now you have the problem of registration because if you get stopped or at customs they are going to ask where it is registered since you exported it.
It might be worth getting the car test done in the country you are in, that way you have a document that says your car is road worthy and you should be able to get insurance. AXA might have an office where you are eg I am in Saudi and have ins through AXA for the middle east and when I ride home they will arrange cover for the rest of my trip to UK. I don't think road tax is a problem when you transit through a country.
My bike will be deregistered and off the Saudi computer but I will have export plates.
I'm not sure it was a good move to declare your car exported as now it doesn't have a home.
Cheers
Ian

Hello, what's done is done - declaring your car exported.

Ian does have a point about having a cover letter from an insurance group.

Axa is a popular insurer in France. I'm sure if you had a quick visit to an agent, as soon as you arrive in the EU, a quick check over and then back to the agent for the document, its the best decision for travel through EU countries. You're looking at about 200€ tops for the CT (Controle Technique) and the 1-2 month insurance. It's the wisest choice, considering you're a danger on the road without insurance for yourself and for others. Good luck with your trip.

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This is (yet again) DVLA being less than helpful towards anyone daring to step outside their customer model of domesticity at home and regularly paying their money over to Government departments and Agencies.
They really should not be so interested in Revunue raising matters such as Road Tax and Penalties, and start solving problems of their own creation.

My thoughts (and these are just that, I am no Lawyer but have spent a lifetime interpreting other UK Law and Regulations) :-

Registration. It is probably deregistered having been declared Exported. I would like to think they could reactivate the registration even though the vehicle is not yet on the UK public roads. The problem could be proof of its continued existance until they (or their Inspectors) actually see it - as can happen if transferring a Cherished Number from a vehicle not currently 'on the road' and without MOT, insurance etc.

MOT. Cannot be done outside UK. There are technical 'check up' tests in some other countries but DVLA are not interested in them. You can drive/ride legally without Road Tax and MOTin the UK if going to a pre-booked test. There is nothing that says this must be close by. So you could telephone from (say) Dover to book a test in (say) Scotland, and drive there quite legally on this count.

Some countries (even in EU) do not even have tests for some classes of vehicles eg. motorbikes are never tested in France. This implies other EU countries have no interest in UK MOT certificates - despite what DVLA might like you to believe

Insurance. This is a 'private' contract between you and the Insurer resulting from what you both agree, but they must be fully aware of everything. A valid MOT is not a requirement 'per se', but they could decline a claim if it is something that resulted from a mechanical defect. eg lack of MOT should have no bearing on a theft claim.
Whether they are flexible enough to accommodate your situation I do not know, but a good Broker would be able to sort it out. Only real problem I forsee is the lack of a valid Registration and the submitting of signed originals of declarations and payment from afar. Lack of MOT, for travelling to get one should be declared to the Insurer, but this cannot be a problem for this use.

Road Tax. This is (was?) only payable if the vehicle was being driven on the UK public roads. However I notice DVLA quietly changed their website a few months ago which previously said it was not payable if the vehicle was outside UK - now says it must be paid. I do not know if this is an actual change in the Law or just them trying to collect more money for the Government. Anyway you cannot buy this until you have a valid MOT, only capable of being obtained within the UK. This implies UK Road Tax is not payable for using the vehicle outside the UK and as other countries are not interested in MOTs they are equally not interested in UK Road Tax. Despite what the DVLA would like you to believe.

Personally, I would like DVLA to allow an annual SORN declaration to include vehicles not intended to be permanently abroad even though on extended trips - afterall they are not being used on the UK roads. But I doubt they would accept this if they knew the truth.

What I wonder is, as you have declared the vehicle as Exported you presumably sent back the entire V5. How then, have you been travelling since? You clearly have crossed numberous borders and my experience is that Registration Documents must be produced to enter, and sometimes to leave, countries beyond the EU - sometimes even within, particularly if it is a Schengen area border.

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www.sibirskyextreme.com

In my experience last year road (7 months in Europe) border crossings are almost all unmanned now in the EU and within Schengen countries. If manned they are interested only in people in the vehicle.

The only border actually controlled seems to be the UK, which seem more interested in illegal arrivals than anything as mundane as rego and MOT.

Remove the tax disc to avoid an obvious out of date query from a copper, pre book an MOT test as sugested above.

You'll get as far as Turkey before insurance is an issue again. You need it to enter. If you come from Iran, you'll have to get to Dogbiscuit somehow before they will let you in. When I came back from Syria, I actually got someone at the border to ride into town and buy me insurance. I wasn't going to leave the bike at the border, naturally. It cost me a day.

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http://www.nohorizons.net

Here the rego people were quite nice in comparision -

Get an inspection by someone with govt recognition [if I could not get that .. then I'd get something ! Anything is better than nothing .. and put an explantion letter with it] - have it translated into english .. send that to them with the fee (they take internet money things) .. and pay the australian insurance (more internet money) and they'll let me have registration (post it out to me .. long wait) .. even though I'm not in the country ..

I'd think you have done the wrong thing by 'exporting it' .. you are travelling and will return so need your local registration and insurance. You need this to be able to travel in another country as they require your vehicle to be registered (even if not registered in that county). If the govt department is not cooperating .. a lettter to your local represtiative (govt or oposition) may get things fixed .. for the next trip. I'd suggest if this is a problem for UK residents that all you UK residents write in. And at the next HU UK meeting you have a petition ready .. and get every one to sign .. small though you may be in total numbers. Better if every one writes in using personal letters.

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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S