Registering cars

[alaric]

Hi. We're about to head to the La Spezia area. Our two modern cars are taxed and insured in the UK, but we'll need to sort out insurance and tax for them in Italy. Can people recommend an insurance company? How should we approach road tax etc?

Thanks in advance.

Sean.

[NickZ]

Road tax aka bollo will have to wait until you have residence and have registered the car. Then you just pay what ever your local province/region sets the rate.

The people that handle registering the cars will be able to help you with this.

[alaric]

Ok thanks. It doesn't sound complicated then. My plan was to do this sort of thing over the coming few months. The UK insurance company didn't mention a limit on length of time we could use the car abroad but I will check the terms and conditions.

Regards.

Sean.

[italy]

it is a grey area according to some who hold their vehicle for as long as poss and keep it legal in the uk but not here in Italy.. insurance should last until its expiry date as most insurance cover you for 3rd party which is pretty much what you will get in Italy as standard although costing a lot more.. you should attempt to contact your insurance company to see if they have an Italian affiliate or a way to transfer your NCB into the Italian bonus malus system.. otherwise you will be paying a lot more.. then you need to make sure whatever car you have has the necessary technical documentation available in Italian in Italy to enable you to have the car registered ... you will be amazed even with modern cars how long this can take... however being Italy have also heard of people managing with all the correct paperwork in place having it take just a few weeks to a month... in general driving schools or ACI centres are the best people to approach for help ... for a fee ... of course.. am not sure if at the end of it all i would consider it worth importing a car... as if you buy one here its a good deal less involved... but saying that people love their cars and are prepared to go through this absurd and complicated bureaucratic nightmare when Europe was supposed to have simplified our ability to live in any country within the cee we choose.. anyway my thought is prepare the ground and make sure it will all be worth it before you arrive at a point of desperation and throw in the towel..

[alaric]

My plan is to keep one of the cars as it costs money to replace them, and they're all paid for. Sounds complicated then, but I have all the documentation that you can possibly have in the UK, and guess I'll have to find out when I get there. Insurance probably a priority.

Sean.

[italy]

sean

most people seem to manage with not bothering to export their car... it seems to me... and basically manage on visiting the uk once a year to mot it... presume you do tax online.. insurance companies like clements will insure expats if thats required or you could check if you are covered under the green card on your existing insurance as all member states technically have to provide third party cover within the EEC boundaries.. i would suggest that Clements are most probably the best route as an alternative as they seem to been set up for insuring US servicemen on work abroad so you do seem to be able to keep your car registered in its home country and get technically legal insurance cover...ie they supply the insurance disk required here that is displayed in your windscreen.. so it seems there is a sort of loophole that avoids the nightmare of Italian third party insurance.. because here depending on the KW rating of your car and a complicated bonus system it will cost a fortune to insure even the most wretched car for the most basic cover.. i think its a good idea you ask these questions now and research what is your best option before it gets too close to your move and you have limited choices