Hey everyone - probably a common topic here but I do have some unique circumstances in my favour which I'm hoping someone can confirm before I freak out about spending hundreds of pounds per month on Green Card Insurance.

I am from New Zealand but hold a British passport. Googling has told me that it is very difficult to find insurers to provide cheap Third Party insurance in the UK for foreign drivers (which is legally required).

My questions are:

1. When buying insurance from a provider, would I as a UK citizen still be considered as a foreign driver given my drivers licence has not been issued in the UK?
2. It seems that New Zealand drivers licenses can be used to drive for up to one year in the UK, it makes sense to me that UK insurers would take this into account or else it would be impossible for anyone to make use of this system. Does anyone have any experience regarding this? (I believe Australia is the same).
3. Would it be as simple as just sitting a UK drivers test as soon as I arrive, then buying insurance with the UK license? (unsure about this option as I want to get on the road and into Europe ASAP, and I'm sure there is a lot of bureaucracy involved).

Appreciate any help here, I understand it's not a simple question!

It looks like it could be quite easy to exchange a NZ licence for a UK one which might be worth doing, I presume you have use of a UK address. UK insurers seem to be a pita as far as foreigner drivers are concerned but with both passport and licence you should be able to get insurance, although you obviously must answer all questions honestly do not give them any information they do not ask for such as telling them you have just moved from NZ.
There may also be a question about UK residence which as a UK passport holder you will automatically have after you have lived here for six months.

https://www.expatica.com/uk/moving-t...UK_107710.html

My neighbour is Australian, slightly different I know but she drives on a UK licence in a UK car with UK insurance but she has to reapply every few years to keep her Australian licence in force. Not sure if she had to take a UK test though. If u Google the dvla website in the UK it should answer mist of ur questions. U can then Google various UK insurers and look on their frequently asked questions pages. DO NOT start by trying to get a quote from one of them without being sure that u can actually achieve what u want as the moment they say no to u this is logged on the database as a refusal then every other company u call has access to this and it will lead to a higher premium, restrictions or another No.

I don't understand why you wish to become engaged with the UK bureaucracy when you have the option to follow the route contained in the sticky thread in here:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...et-cheap-34822

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Dave

Thanks for the replies, I've done some hunting and by the looks of things there is a stand by period wherein you have to have lived in the country for 6 months in order to exchange your drivers license, although I'm not sure if this also applies to citizens (but I would presume it does).

With regards to the sticky, I'm guessing these providers understandably charge a bit of a premium, but that being said the guys at Lobogola seem to be pretty reasonable. I panicked looking at other providers and seeing several hundreds of euros per month.

For motorcycle specific insurance and unusual cases I have always found Carole Nash brokers very helpful. I think you would need a UK licence and UK address to get bike insurance in the UK, but if you phone or email them they could probably tell you what the requirements are.

https://www.carolenash.com/

Alternatively, tourinsure.de could be worth contacting as they definitely insure non EU registered bikes for use in the EU (of which Britain is currently still part!).

Hi

About our next to UK (see http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...uk-visit-93997) we was making some research about Insurance in UK and EU as a Tourist.

I’m an Argie and hold an International License Permit, and not legal residency in UK or anywhere in the EU. We finally will be borrowing a fellow’s bike registered in the UK, so maybe not all what we found out will applies to the OP.

As a resume:

*For many other mates recommendation, we contact Polly from MotoCamp Bulgaria (look in FB for her), they can issue EU green card insurance for any bike even for a UK one, but in our case as the bike is UK registered and we will be mainly use it in UK there will not be valid. Many out-EU travellers have used them for ride all the EU inclusive the UK by now (Brexit).

*We saw some post on here and on FB groups, that are many companies that can Issue a Temporary insurance for tourist and other similar cases. We were trying to get quotes but always crashed when they ask for our residency and immigration status, also for our UK Licence (number, date of issue, and records). One of the more promise company of those we saw was “Bikesure” but the website always sends us to phone call them to a free phone inaccessible from Argentina. We ask a friend to call for inquire and meanwhile we found a thread about same subject on ADVRiders where the final conclusion was an specific guy in the UK, who finally do it by BIkesure UK Motorcycle Insurance for Non Residents is now available. | Adventure Rider.

*Finally, our benefactor (who will lend as a beautiful Africa Twin for our ride) have call his insurer to ask if he can add me as a second rider on his same policy. They ask for few of my personal details, we gave it to them and they just produce a new policy with me there, Shazam! That’s it. They don’t even ask for any probe of anything, no scans, no my passport, licenses, residency (he declare his home address) or anything else.

Hope this can help
Cheers

Javier & Sandra, soon going around UK, see you at the HUBBUK in June!

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Javier...
Dakar Motos “ ”

Don't get excited about Bikesure. They will call and say yes to everything because their sales people are probably on a sales commission. When you get past sales they will stop saying yes. They are a low end broker, just another shark in the pool cruising to take your money. As soon as they realise you are not an old lady in Walton-on-the-naze trying to insure a Nissan Micra they will lose interest. (They will keep calling, but only because failed call centre contacts get passed to super salesmen).

Best way to visit the UK is via Germany. I'd do insurance that way, but its not allowed because I live here.

Andy

What ever has been suggested if it's a bike that is intended for use in the UK it must be registered to a UK address, kept at that address not somewhere else unless travelling of course. current mot and road tax and a valid UK insurance in force for that vehicle before u can even wheel it onto the road, u can't take a UK insurance out on someone else's UK registered vehicle full stop. So u either, rent one, buy one and export it or get ur self on the vehicle owners policy as a named rider.
Some people on this site whine about the restrictions but they are there to stop uninsured txxt s causing grief on the roads. Bear in mind this country is covered in Anpr cameras, most police vehicles have them too as do all the ports. If u trigger one on a vehicle that isn't legit u can expect to b stopped the vehicle seized, u will b arrested as a foreign national b in no doubt about that...... I say that as a retired officer, no insurance is considered up there with drink driving.
Just b careful and sensible about what u do

And if u think its bad here trying pulling a stunt in a Scandinavian country or closer to home.. France.

Tourinsure are highly rated by some people; haven't used them personally but their website explains, very clearly, how vehicle insurance works within the EU rules.

International motor insurance and frontier insurance for travelling with your own motorcycle through Europe

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Dave

Tourinsure price for 6 months is 653 Euro for third party only, and 1,233 Euro for Comprehensive / Collision and Third Party. Eye watering stuff as I'm in the market.
Lobagola is half of that but only does third party.

Third party is the minimum.

Do not assume it is the cheapest though. In the twisted minds of the sewer ants if you ask for third party you may know something they don't and they charge more. They will do anything to keep your money in this legalised mugging, so ask a lot and do not expect human logic to apply.

If you can avoid UK insurers do it, they are simply bent bookies who will try and welch on the bet for the slightest excuse. Anything out of the ordinary like a non-UK license hands them that excuse.

Andy

As far as I know Bulgarian insurer that Motocamp uses is not providing coverage for EU registered vehicle ridden/driven by non EU resident as it's a generic product.

We at Lobagola B&B have a coverage that will insure EU registered vehicle ridden/driven by non EU resident. As far as I know we're currently still the only specialised provider of such insurance in EU.

Tour insure is not covering EU registered vehicles ridden/driven by non EU residents. This coverage is Axa one, they're just reselling it.

Bike sure-forget about them, inmates provided valid facts how they treat their customers.
Carol nash will cover you only inside UK, if you plan to cross the channel forget it.

Comprehensive is not valid outside EU (the one that is provided by Axa and resold by Tour insure).

2Threewheelbonnie: Please do not mix my company and my name with plain insurers that won't answer the phone call. My name is known in the community, and my name is standing behind each product or service we offer. Clients know they can call me on my mobile in the middle of the night if they ran into troubles, only happened twice, but we reacted promptly and sorted everything is extremely short time.

I do not have interest to cheat people, or entice them to use this or that service, but always want to provide pure facts.

We're registered tour operator, registered insurance re-seller, shipping agent and we also provide hospitality services.

If anyone need any more info you can directly reach us:

borderinsurance@lobagola.com
mototours@lobagola.com

Wishing everyone a great riding season.

cheers
Dooby