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Crossing the EU with no MOT/road tax/insurance Crossing the EU with no MOT/road tax/insurance
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Europe Topics specific to Western and Eastern Europe, from UK to the Russian border, and south-east to Turkey.
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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  #31  
Old 10 Feb 2017
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Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
Do you mean that if you're stopped by the police in (say) France on a UK registered bike /car can they check "online" that you're taxed, insured and MOT'd in the same way that UK police can here? I don't know but my guess would be that they can't at present so they'd want to see a valid paper insurance document at least. If they can then knowing that would have saved me tearing the house apart when I couldn't find my printed insurance cert last month.

They can't (or don't) follow up on speed camera flashes for UK visitors at the moment but I know there are moves afoot to change that in the fairly near future and you'll be getting virtual points on (actually off ) your licence.
That's changed. They now can and do track you to the UK, as many tourists on their way to catch the ferry in calais will no doubt attest!! According to the German POlice that stopped me, they can check, but I think it's by a phone call as they couldn't do it late at night and so cut my number plates off and made me park the vehicle up.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ace-fines.html
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  #32  
Old 10 Feb 2017
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If that's the case I'll need to drive a bit more carefully!

There was a brief article in last month's ConnexionFrance, an expat English language newspaper I buy occasionally, which said "Britain and Ireland were given until May this year to comply with an EU directive on cross-border traffic offences". That implies that they're not complying with it at the moment and I would have thought that included not having instant access to tax / insurance / MOT status in the way UK police do. It's only my guess though. If the German police can get that info via a phone call it suggests at least some of the mechanisms are in place.

I use the Calais autoroute quite often and there's always police 30/40/50 miles out - particularly on a Sunday morning when loads of British cars are heading for the ferry and the autoroute's empty. Last month we saw two of the warp speeders being "diverted" after they'd gone through the peage near St Omer; it must be like shooting fish in a barrel.
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  #33  
Old 11 Feb 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
Do you mean that if you're stopped by the police in (say) France on a UK registered bike /car can they check "online" that you're taxed, insured and MOT'd in the same way that UK police can here? I don't know but my guess would be that they can't at present so they'd want to see a valid paper insurance document at least. If they can then knowing that would have saved me tearing the house apart when I couldn't find my printed insurance cert last month.

They can't (or don't) follow up on speed camera flashes for UK visitors at the moment but I know there are moves afoot to change that in the fairly near future and you'll be getting virtual points on (actually off ) your licence.
Yeah that's exactly what I mean. I was stopped crossing the border Slovenia/Croatia. I have an EU ID but they where a little bit suspicious when they saw an UK plate so they asked for prof of ownership at which point I show them the VC5/2. Like I mentioned before they seemed quite confused by the paper, like they never seen it before. The only issue was that I have a copy and not the original with me but they let me go at the end. During that trip I crossed few times that same border and they never asked me for VC5/5.

Regarding the speed cameras I have read somewhere that they give because earnings will not be covered the cost of setting and maintaining the whole system. If I find the source will post it.
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  #34  
Old 12 Feb 2017
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I travel on the a26 back to calais fairly frequently, once I hit junction 8 then I am bang on 130 km h, it is literally speed trap alley after that. Have seen a very attractive female gendarmes climb out the bushes complete with radar gun, as an fjr suddenly appeared from nowhere ahead of me and took off after a speeding UK car. They were using a tiny access gate between the hedgerows to access the peage...................
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  #35  
Old 29 Mar 2017
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Returning to UK from France with no MOT/Road Taxfor
In 3 weeks I intend to ride my back thru France to UK after it has been stored in a garage in France for 7 months following a hiking accident last August. MOT expired in December, Bike has been SORNED, bike over legal 6 month limit to be legally in France without a Grey Card,

Any advice to help me get it smoothly back thru UK Customs in Dover? I intend to get MOT immediately upon landing in UK and then Road Tax.

And would anyone know if British insurance would cover me whilst in this situation?

Anyone know if this is all possible.

Thanks
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  #36  
Old 30 Mar 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anita Lobban View Post
In 3 weeks I intend to ride my back thru France to UK after it has been stored in a garage in France for 7 months following a hiking accident last August. MOT expired in December, Bike has been SORNED, bike over legal 6 month limit to be legally in France without a Grey Card,

Any advice to help me get it smoothly back thru UK Customs in Dover? I intend to get MOT immediately upon landing in UK and then Road Tax.

And would anyone know if British insurance would cover me whilst in this situation?

Anyone know if this is all possible.

Thanks
It is not possible if you want to be legal, to keep within the law you will have to bring it back in a van and no insurance will be valid without tax and MOT. Your best chance if you don't want to use a van is to book an MOT at the nearest station to the ferry port and tax it there, just don't have an accident in France.
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