Insurance for non-resident

[Olorin5]

Can anyone provide any information on arranging insurance on a UK based bike (specifically a new R1300GSA) for a non-UK resident as the policy holder? I’m currently a named rider on another policy held in the UK but would like to get my own machine and start accruing NCB. Thanks in advance.

 

[Wapping]

Are you saying:

1. That you are a New Zealander, permanently resident in New Zealand.

2. You plan on buying a UK registered bike.

3. You want to insure the bike, here in the UK, with the intention of accumulating a no claims bonus allowance.

Await your words.

PS Insurance for a spanking new 1300 GSA might well prove very costly, even before you start.

 

[Olorin5]

1. I am a dual UK/NZ citizen with UK & NZ full motorcycle licences but normally resident in NZ
2. Yes, kept permanently in the UK (I own property there and therefore have an address)
3. Correct

I appreciate that it probably won’t be cheap.

Edit: I have a GSA in NZ and can (probably) provide proof of >5yrs NCB on my policy if any company in the UK is interested. I have also previously held motor vehicle insurance in the UK in my name before I moved (including on a 1200 Bandit)

 

[wessie]

Edit: I have a GSA in NZ and can (probably) provide proof of >5yrs NCB on my policy if any company in the UK is interested. I have also previously held motor vehicle insurance in the UK in my name before I moved (including on a 1200 Bandit)

I think your best bet is to get a statement from the broker or underwriter of the UK policy where you are a named rider. A UK insurer might be willing to take this into account, much like being a named driver on a company leased vehicle.

Otherwise, with a UK address and UK licence you should be okay, with the caveat that some postcodes and situations are not desirable e.g. we recently had a situation where a chap could not get cover for a R1300GS stored in a communal basement garage at his posh flats in Canary Wharf, despite other vehicles in the garage being cars from Ferrari, Range Rover etc.

 

[Olorin5]

I have tried getting a quote online with multiple companies and am unable to be quoted every time. The postcode is rural England and low risk according to multiple sources. The only question I’m ticking Yes to which is technically incorrect right now is am I currently a UK resident (I might be soon anyway).
So I don’t know whether it’s the bike, my lack of NCB, my postcode, occupation or any number of other things that is causing the problem. Time to talk to a broker I think….any suggestions?

 

[Snaf]

I think the question that needs answering is do you qualify as dual resident along with dual nationality. I'm not sure what the rules are now but it used to be something like being in the country for at least 21 days a year and registered with HMRC and have a national insurance number.
I knew a few mariners and motorsport engineers that I worked with in the past who used the dual resident route.

 

[Davey B]

I don't think the online quote things will cover a non resident or someone in your position. (I live in France and our daughters struggled to even get us on their car insurance as named drivers because 'non resident') Perhaps ring someone like NFU Mutual or the next time you're in the UK, (or perhaps a friend or family member can do it for you) visit a broker in person and see what they can do for you.
For us, some insurers have stated that they will accept a translated proof of French NCD if we provide them with it. This is what we did when we left the UK for France and got full NCD here.

 

[er-minio]

Stupid question: do you pay council tax at the address where the bike is kept?
Or, I rephrase, do you pay council tax anywhere in the uk?

 

[Berin]

I have tried getting a quote online with multiple companies and am unable to be quoted every time. The postcode is rural England and low risk according to multiple sources. The only question I’m ticking Yes to which is technically incorrect right now is am I currently a UK resident (I might be soon anyway).
So I don’t know whether it’s the bike, my lack of NCB, my postcode, occupation or any number of other things that is causing the problem. Time to talk to a broker I think….any suggestions?

Try Adrian Flux. They sorted out insurance for my Aussie mate who was over here and bought a bike for a trip into Europe

 

[MrC99]

I think the question that needs answering is do you qualify as dual resident along with dual nationality. I'm not sure what the rules are now but it used to be something like being in the country for at least 21 days a year and registered with HMRC and have a national insurance number.
I knew a few mariners and motorsport engineers that I worked with in the past who used the dual resident route.

Pretty sure from my own experience that for the purposes of tax, legal address, insurance, etc you can only be considered legally resident in one country. Countries (eg FR & UK, internal EU countries) may have agreements that blur the line a bit but even they insist that you are legally resident in only one country (usually the one where you spend most time). Most companies that you deal with will ask the question which country are you resident in and you can only answer with one country.

 

[wessie]

The online quote engines do a soft search on your credit file. This is trying to match you to the address. If you are not on the electoral roll or some other way to link to the address such as a utility account you might be declined.

 

[EKIMYRF]

I am a dual citizen UK/Aus when I moved back to the UK after 25 years in Aus I was able to transfer my NCB from Aus (or part of it I cant remember TBH) with a letter from my Aus Insurer

As a point of interest I was in Halliwell Jones (NW Dealer) and I overheard a salesman saying they have had a few sales have fallen through because the purchaser is unable to get insurance on a new R1300GS

 

[Wapping]

I overheard a salesman saying they have had a few sales have fallen through because the purchaser is unable to get insurance on a new R1300GS

This has been going on in London and parts of the south-east since bikes broke the £20,000 threshold, I’d guess in around 2017. The same challenge is now extending to high end / attractive motorcars. Park it on the public road and the price goes way up or it’s ’No quote’. Likewise, insurers are demanding secondary electronic immobilisation, over and above what is fitted at the factory, when previously an S5 classified tracker might have been viewed as sufficient.

 

[Olorin5]

Thanks for all the replies and information. That was exactly my thought Wessie - even though I’m ticking all the right boxes I’m still being declined. I am not on the electoral roll but there will be a paper trail of sorts linking me to the address.
As has been mentioned you can only be “normally resident” of one country at a time (which for me isn’t the UK right now). So unless I can find a policy that will serve my needs I guess it’s a matter of being a named rider on another’s bike & policy.
I will check out Adrian Flux.

 

[Wapping]

Time to talk to a broker I think….any suggestions?

Everyman and his dog will have their favourite, with one year’s “They are the best” rapidly changing into “They are robbing low life” a year later. Not least, what suits one fellow, very possibly might not suit another. Your own case is atypical, as a starter.

Google: Best motorcycle insurance brokers (or words along those lines) and work your way patiently through the list by calling them, rather than trying to do it online, which caters only for the mass market. Dull? Yes but you’ll end up making your own luck…. Or drawing a complete blank, but at least you’ve tried.

One tip: The questions asked of you will be repetitive. Have all the responses written down. It’ll save you a lot of time.

Tip two: Most price offers are not open ended. If you want a quote today for something that might only come to life in two, three, six or whatever months and expect it to be honoured or matched sometime hence, you might be very disappointed.

 

[wessie]

Thanks for all the replies and information. That was exactly my thought Wessie - even though I’m ticking all the right boxes I’m still being declined. I am not on the electoral roll but there will be a paper trail of sorts linking me to the address.

if you are a UK citizen and have a UK address, is there any reason you cannot register on the electoral roll? The likes of Experian have specific things they use to link a person to an address. Electoral roll is the main one but a utility bill, mobile phone, broadband and of course financial stuff are also used.
Do you have a UK National Insurance number? If so, is your UK address current on your gov.uk account?

I moved house in 2023 and it can take 3 months before you appear on the new electoral roll. My car insurance renewed in that period and I paid a lot more in that year than I do now, just because they thought I was a higher risk for not being on the electoral roll. My financial stuff had switched over to the new address on Experian so they could link me to the address, but I did not tick every box to get the best rate.

 

[Snaf]

Here's the latest dual residency rules.
Guv.uk dual residency

 

[Snaf]

Can you get a quote if you tick the residency box as yes.

 

[Olorin5]

Can you get a quote if you tick the residency box as yes.

I have been doing that with every attempt.

 

[Olorin5]

Here's the latest dual residency rules.
Guv.uk dual residency

I am not a dual resident.