Ex-pat buying new Motorhome -registration question

[watsonjones]

I am a US based ex-pat purchasing a new Motorhome in the UK. Everything was going fine until it came to the dealer registering the vehicle. They are asking me for a document with our name and UK address on it to register the vehicle, which we do not have. We can provide documentation with our name and US address but are being told this is not sufficient. Our insurance company says they have insured several ex-pats that have purchased new motor homes and have never heard of this being an issue. Does anyone have first hand experience registering a new motor home as an ex-pat. What info did you need to provide?

 

[pappajohn]

Appears your insurers don't know the law.



Do I need a UK address for car insurance?


UK Address For UK Car insurance

Expats living abroad who have a car in the UK will need to have a residential address in the UK in order to insure it.

https://www.keithmichaels.co.uk › li...

Living Abroad with A Car in the UK | Keith Michaels Insurance​

 

[97243]

I am a US based ex-pat purchasing a new Motorhome in the UK. Everything was going fine until it came to the dealer registering the vehicle. They are asking me for a document with our name and UK address on it to register the vehicle, which we do not have. We can provide documentation with our name and US address but are being told this is not sufficient. Our insurance company says they have insured several ex-pats that have purchased new motor homes and have never heard of this being an issue. Does anyone have first hand experience registering a new motor home as an ex-pat. What info did you need to provide?

As the insurance rates are geographical, you will have to declare where the vehicle will be normally kept, usually your place of residence.

Even if you were full timers, you would need to provide a UK address for both registration and insurance purposes. That can be a family member, but you will need evidence to support that.

If you are not full timing, then presumably you will have a UK address / base of some sort ?

 

[watsonjones]

Appears your insurers don't know the law.



Do I need a UK address for car insurance?


UK Address For UK Car insurance

Expats living abroad who have a car in the UK will need to have a residential address in the UK in order to insure it.

https://www.keithmichaels.co.uk › li...

Living Abroad with A Car in the UK | Keith Michaels Insurance​

We are dealing with Keith Michaels. They have been able to secure insurance for us with my sisters address as the UK mailing address, the issue is getting the vehicle registered in our name by the Dealer with the DVLA.
Of course Keith Michaels would not have been involved in the registration process, but they said they had secured insurance for numerous ex-pats purchasing new Motorhomes just last year. So I was wondering if anyone knew what paperwork was provided in those instances. The DVLA requires proof of name and address when applying for the registration for a new motorhome, but does not explicitly state that the proof of address needs to be a UK address. We know, from enquiries and posts on this message board, that it is possible to use a relatives address on the V5C since they just need a UK address to mail paperwork to, so we’re wondering if perhaps the proof of identity and address do not actually need to be the same address as that listed on the V5C (i.e we are proving we are who we are, but then using a different UK address for the mailing address of the Keeper).
We have tried contacting the DVLA ourselves to clarify but surprisingly have not been able to get through to anyone.

 

[watsonjones]

As the insurance rates are geographical, you will have to declare where the vehicle will be normally kept, usually your place of residence.

Even if you were full timers, you would need to provide a UK address for both registration and insurance purposes. That can be a family member, but you will need evidence to support that.

If you are not full timing, then presumably you will have a UK address / base of some sort ?

Yes this is what we are trying to do, any advice to that effect would be greatly appreciated.
The Dealership is claiming that they cannot register the vehicle without paperwork with our name and a UK mailing address and will need to register it in my sisters name first and then we can apply to change the name to ours. We are trying to avoid this as it will 1) lead to delays in us being able to pick up the vehicle and 2) result I there showing 2 owners of the vehicle.
We plan to be in the vehicle six months out of the year and then leave it in secure storage when we return to the US.

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[RedFrame]

So can you not use the insurance document, as your sisters address is on that?

Cheers
Red

 

[watsonjones]

RedFrame unfortunately it’s a chicken and egg thing. We can’t get the insurance until the vehicle is registered in our name.

 

[gus-lopez]

What info did you need to provide?

Never heard of anyone wanting physical proof you just supply a name & address. No requirement to prove it.

Sign on the electoral roll at sisters address as you are entitled to now as expats under the new rules.

 

[RedFrame]

RedFrame unfortunately it’s a chicken and egg thing. We can’t get the insurance until the vehicle is registered in our name.

Perhaps a cheap Mobile Phone Contract ? Other than that I have no idea, sorry.

I really hope you get it sorted.

Cheers
Red.

 

[watsonjones]

Per the DVLA website (https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/new-registrations), it seems for a new vehicle they do require supporting documentation. Not sure why this is needed for a new registration but not for a used vehicle.

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[Brains]

This is not the first or second time this issue has come up

Basically to own a UK plated vehicle you must have a UK address.
To Insure a vehicle it must be registered in the UK.

There is no reason why you can not use your name and your sisters address.

If you need proof of residency then go to W H Smiths and buy a STA (Shorthold tenancy Agreement)
And then agree to rent your sisters garden shed for £1 a month. (call it a one bed self contained house)
Ideally it should have it's own 'front' door and a letter box, and give it a name ("The Potting Shed' has a nice ring to it)

There is no need to tell the DVLA or the insurers that you mostly reside outside the UK, as it's the van they are interested in, as long as it spends at least part of the year in the UK and is MOT'ed, taxed and insured.

You insurance will be based on the post code of your 'residence'.
So you may want to check that your sister does not live in an area of high vehicle crime.

Also get a phone and the right to vote registered to your 'shed'


Here is a link to an earlier discussion on the subject.
and here is another
In fact do a search for the word 'shed' and my name, you see it is a conversation that comes up every couple of months

 

[watsonjones]

Thanks for all the answers. After talking further with the dealer we ended up going the route of registering in my sisters name and will do an online name change when we get the V5C.
Keep the answers coming if you have any other info to help others in the future.

 

[watsonjones]

This is not the first or second time this issue has come up

Basically to own a UK plated vehicle you must have a UK address.
To Insure a vehicle it must be registered in the UK.

There is no reason why you can not use your name and your sisters address.

If you need proof of residency then go to W H Smiths and buy a STA (Shorthold tenancy Agreement)
And then agree to rent your sisters garden shed for £1 a month. (call it a one bed self contained house)
Ideally it should have it's own 'front' door and a letter box, and give it a name ("The Potting Shed' has a nice ring to it)

There is no need to tell the DVLA or the insurers that you mostly reside outside the UK, as it's the van they are interested in, as long as it spends at least part of the year in the UK and is MOT'ed, taxed and insured.

You insurance will be based on the post code of your 'residence'.
So you may want to check that your sister does not live in an area of high vehicle crime.

Also get a phone and the right to vote registered to your 'shed'


Here is a link to an earlier discussion on the subject.
and here is another
In fact do a search for the word 'shed' and my name, you see it is a conversation that comes up every couple of months

Brains thanks for the info. If we had realized this beforehand, we may have been able to lay the ground, but at this stage the V5C name change will probably be the quickest solution for our situation.

 

[97243]

Never heard of anyone wanting physical proof you just supply a name & address. No requirement to prove it.

Sign on the electoral roll at sisters address as you are entitled to now as expats under the new rules.

Always need proof of address these days.