I'm guessing you mean if you're going for more than a year? Because if you're going for nine months and lets say had four months on your current tax disc, you could get a refund on it and apply for a new year's one.

But if it's more than a year, I don't know, I'd guess SORN-ing it would be an option, as after all it's not on the public highway (in the UK) anymore, but then what do you do when you come back? I suppose you could say you were on the way to the MOT Station? Probably best to contact the DVLA directly, I have to say I've never had a problem and they've always e-mailed me back very quickly.

In France I see plenty of old UK cars with old tax-discs on, which clearly have no MOT either, and of course the big question then is, if any of these has an accident, will the insurance pay out?

So, I'd ring your insurer too and explain, and see if they would cover and get it in writing, I reckon in many ways that's more important than a tax disc.

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As in many previous threads -

UK Road Tax is only payable for UK registered vehicles when using public roads in UK. ie within the jurisdiction of UK Road Traffic Acts etc. If not on UK public roads not payable.

You can even apply for a part refund as you leave.

If a UK vehicle registered vehicle is not to be taxed (or a refund is requested because it is not going to be used on UK public roads) a SORN declaration must be made (free) that it is not going to be used on UK public roads. This must be done again annually. It can be done 'on-line' (ie from anywhere in the World) during the month before and after the Road Tax or SORN expires.

MOT is similarly only necessary if the vehicle is going to be used within the jurisdiction of the UK Road Traffic Acts (ie UK public roads).

On returning to UK it is permitted to use the vehicle without MOT and Road Tax to get to and from a MOT Test Station for a pre-arranged test appointment. The station can be anywhere in the land, not near the point of entry or your home - if stopped you be able to show you are reasonably en-route and give details of the appoiment time/date/place so they can check up.

So, book the test as you disembark, or while you are still away.

Insurance is a necessity throughout the EU and most of the rest of the World, so it is assumed you will have that anyway.

Never NEVER NEVER ask the DVLA. The only people you get to speak to generally know nothing!

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Yep, here we go again.

Trouble is that when you de register your vehicle in the UK, to comply with the law in practically every country that you visit it must be registered. Your Green Card insurance or legal minimum insurance (EU) will be invalid as soon as you de register.

Within the Vienna Convention countries its an absolute must to have current vehicle registration to be legal and comply with the international treaty that allows free(ish) movement of vehicles - and a lot of coppers and border guards KNOW what a UK tax disc looks like, as well as the uniform registration documents. Its even harder for UK residents as so many people speak and read English and can easily read a UK V5.

Vienna Convention summary;
"The vehicle must meet all technical requirements to be legal for road use in the country of registration.

The driver must carry the vehicle's registration certificate, and if the vehicle is not registered in the name of an occupant of the vehicle, proof of the driver's right to be in possession of the vehicle."

If you travel with a carnet, then a condition on the carnet is current registration, some countries will only permit entry on a carnet based on the length of registration that is left.

I see a business opportunity here!!!

So the answer is to buy a new bike which will not need an MoT for three years; tax and insure it remotely - get the disc posted to you and you're away. Of course the difficulty is buying a new bike....

SW

I presume then that the Vienna Convention equally applies to any MOT then, as that's a legal requirement for a British vehicle too?

I see a nice little dodge though, bring your vehicle to France, I'll register it at my address, and then you won't EVER need a tax disc as we don't have them here.

DVLA, I wouldn't telephone for a response, I'd e-mail them, you don't usually get and instant reply, you'll get a considered reply a couple of days later, and that will have the correct information and help within.

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For a vehicle to be legal outside its country of registration, it must be legal in its home country.
For the UK, that's taxed, MOT'ed and insured.

However, how many foreign fuz would look for a tax disc, I don't know. There are plenty of Brits living in France and Spain that dodge the tax disc... with seeming impunity...

Alexlebrit, are your quad things classed as bikes or cars in France?
In China, I had to get a "Safety Inspection" done on my BM because, being registered in France I didn't have one. My mate forgot to bring the MOT certificate for his bike so was in the same boat.
Simple check though... sit on bike, squeeze brake and clutch levers, passed!

John

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Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

So to the OP it looks like there's no strictly legal way to do it, I'd guess drive on your tax disc till it gets close to running out then get to an internet café and SORN it from there.

But look out in France, I don't know about Mister Boots, but up here in Brittany les flics have started impounding British cars without the proper documentation.

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Hi Alex,
I often leave a bike in spain but have to bring it back to ripoff britain for the paperwork. how does reg in france work, as give 2 fingers to the dvla would be a bit nice
steve

We moved from the Uk to la belle France a couple of years ago and I bought a couple of UK registered bikes with me and re-registered them here.
In my experience you will need a French address and my BMW was relatively straightforward to re-register but my Hornet was a bit of a nightmare.
It's a bit of a lottery really.
Both bikes took a couple of months waiting for paperwork and getting them tested and registered.
Yes I saved quite a lot of money although there was a chunk of money for headlights and re-registration and on balance I'm not sure I'd do it again.

OK- say it meets it! Just there is no requirement to have a certificate to that effect (MOT) with you. Some countries have no periodic Technical Examination for all or some classes of vehicles.


LOL.
UK Registration is known a Continuous Registration and is perpetual unless it is declared as sold, scrapped or permanantly exported. (See Final notes on a V5,Page4).
Hence the obligation is to SORN it or to buy Road Tax EACH AND EVERY year for ever and ever.
Therefore a UK Registration is always 'current', even if the Road Tax or SORN is not. So this Carnet condition is not a starter for UK vehicles.

-- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steve.
Got your PM. Will reply fully later. In the meantime these are some similar threads
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mot-road-32649
and
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rn-again-34052
and
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ax-while-25088
- - - - - - - - - - - - -- -

Alex/Red
I think your local fuz are after UK and other non French registered vehicles that are more or less permanantly in France and should really be registered locally. EC Directive 83/182 allows for visiting vehicles for visits of up to six months in a 12 month period - thereafter local registration necessary. We all know this is being considerably 'extended' by many ex-pats.

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However, how many foreign fuz would look for a tax disc, I don't know. There are plenty of Brits living in France and Spain that dodge the tax disc... with seeming impunity...

There was a widely reported roundup of UK (un)registered cars in Spain last year when we were there in April. It was conducted with English speaking coppers and by all accounts UK officials were involved with providing additional information from the DVLA about the vehicles and drivers. The German residents had also been caught, but they are very easy to spot with date stickers on their number plates.

Oh I'm sure they are after those ex-pats who think they can get away with not re-registering, my point was more that if say you're on your way back through Europe and you don't have a current tax-disc on display, they might impound first and ask questions later. There's enough illegally used British cars here for them to all be aware what a UK tax disc should look like.

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Forgive me - how does that work?
Illegally used cars would presumably not have a current or out of date tax disc showing, and more likely not one at all, so how do they know from this source what it should look like? They are used to looking at nothing!

Back to my original point. UK Road Tax is a UK tax, for UK registered vehicles only (ignoring commercials), being used on UK public roads only. If it is not on UK public roads it is not due. But you should SORN it as not being used or kept on UK public roads.

The Geneva Convention (GC) is about recriprocal rights for visitors temporary use of public roads elsewhere than in their own country, without the need for payment of local Customs and Import Taxes of the Country being visited, or have local registration. Customs Import Taxes, Sales Tax, etc, if any, would have been paid in the country of origin, prior to it granting the registration.

The GC is not about an internal tax for internally registered vehicles for using or not using public roads in their own country. But for use in other countries it does require the vehicle to be technically valid (ie in terms of design, specification, construction and mechanical maintenance) in the country of Registration. Even to the point of not having to comply with local laws of the country being visited, if their rules are in conflict.

It also stastes the white GB, F, AUS etc discs be displayed - not the little blue squares on number plates - they are not valid under the GC. So much for Blair/Browns regard for internationally accepted rules when it suits them cow-towing to the EU seeking their place in history!

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Alex
I posted before reading yours.
Well done. A most useful document to have. Are they backing it up with a hard copy? That is one of the points I have been banging on about for years.

Not only does it show they cannot make up thier minds and keep changing their view, but it also throws some light on what has been a potential can of worms- Permanant Export.

Someone at DVLA did once verbally insist Road Tax was payable if using public roads abroad but could not cite the actual legislation empowering this.When asked a few weeks later they could not give an answer!

Permanant Export. Their website and V5 (V5C) says if taking the vehicle out of the UK for more than 12 months it is regarded as Permanant Export. As has been gone through many times previously on HUBB, this would effectivly nullify the Registration and make longer journeys illegal under the GC. The general advice on HUBB had been to ignore this, dont put your head above the parapet by asking, and just go and keep SORNing online.

As someone once posted (and I have oft repeated) never, NEVER, NEVER tell DVLA anything. Now that might be changed!

This Email (and hopefully a legal hard copy) is most useful.
Thanks.

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In addition to road Tax and MOT issues you'll need to consider vehicle registration.

I spoke to the DVLA about an imminent motorbike trip through Mexico, Central and South America (April '09 for 12 months +) and they informed me that "if exporting the bike for less than 12 months it remains registered in UK but if over 12 months I send them section 11 of my V5 (Notification of Permanent Export)". I wanted to keep my V5 intact (to reduce questions at border crossings on my trip) so they were happy for me to send them a photocopy of my V5 with a letter, stating I'm taking the vehicle out of the UK for 12 months or more and I'll re-register it on my return. Send to "Exports Department, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD".

Haven't given returning the bike to UK much thought yet but if I decide not to risk it from UK port to home I'll get the thing transported all the way home in a van/trailer I guess.

Ollie

Greasy Sproket