Buying a left-hand drive car in the UK for long European road trips
I live in the UK and have family in Salzburg, Austria. Whenever I see a cheap flight to Munich or Salzburg (before covid) I fly across the weekend and rent a car. I'm adding up my rental costs over the last 2 years and I could buy a car!
Owning a car in Austria is expensive. The cars are more expensive and I am placed in the highest insurance category (1-9) which works out at approximately 250eur per month. In Austria the cost of insurance is also linked to engine size...bigger engine more cost.
I'm thinking of getting a second hand left hand drive car in the UK, insuring it for 12mth European cover and then driving across and leaving it in Austria. That way whenever I go I have a car to use. I am being quoted £300 per yr for European 12 months insurance. I plan to drive the car back once per year for the MOT and renewal of the insurance.
Is there a better way to do this? I have seen some good left hand drive cars but they are still registered in Spain/France etc. The UK registered cars lights have been modified as have the speedometer.
Best Answer
This plan will probably be considered a by passing of Austrian (and most other countries) laws.
In theory, since you are not an Austrian resident you are not required to register the car after 1 month.
But since the car will (I assume) remain by your family, that are residents of Austria, it will be assumed that the car is being used by Austrian residents.
This will be considered a form of tax fraud, since the Austrian road system will be used without paying the taxes that finance that system.
Assume as a general rule: Where the car is predominantly being used, is where it should be registered.
Registration rules
If you have your main residence in Austria, you may use your car or trailer with foreign number plates only for one month in Austria. The one-month period starts when the vehicle is first imported into the country. A temporary removal of the vehicle from Austria does not interrupt this period.A one-month extension is possible if there are convincing arguments as to why you couldn't register your car on time. No further extension is possible.
When the registration periods expires, you have to hand in your registration certificate and foreign number plates to the relevant regional police headquarters or district authority. From then on, you must use Austrian number plates, for which an Austrian car registration is required. If you fail to register your car on time, you will need to pay penalties.
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Is it more expensive to insure a left-hand drive vehicle in the UK?
It's legal to use a left-hand-drive (LHD) car in the UK, but you need to make sure you have LHD car insurance. This shouldn't be too hard to find, but it might cost more than insurance for a right-hand-drive car.Can I drive a left-hand drive car in the UK?
Even though the vast majority of cars in the UK are right hand drive, It's entirely legal to drive a left hand drive car in the UK. However, you do need to arrange insurance and ensure you've got all the necessary paperwork, such as your V5C.How long can a UK registered car stay in Europe after Brexit?
UK law still applies to a UK-registered vehicle if you take it abroad for less than 12 months. That means you need to make sure: your vehicle is taxed in the UK while it's abroad. you have a current MOT.How long can you drive a British car in Europe?
If you're taking your vehicle to the EU for less than 12 months, carry one of the following documents: your vehicle log book ( V5C ), if you have one. a VE103 to show you're allowed to use your hired or leased vehicle abroad.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mengliu Di, Antony Trivet, Ketut Subiyanto, Tim Samuel