Riding through Spain and the law

[Redboots]

If a vehicle is not legal in its home country, its not legal anywhere else.
Simple really.
The number of French resident Brits in France winging it, is quite a few.

 

[Wapping]

If a vehicle is not legal in its home country, its not legal anywhere else.
Simple really.

Many will say that's not simple.

Many will say it's a rip-off to pay a UK tax as, when abroad, the vehicle is not wearing out Britain's roads.

Many more still will tell their UK insurer that the vehicle is kept in Britain, 'forgetting' that they have shipped it abroad.

Many more besides, will not bother to re-register their vehicle abroad, as it's too hard, it's a rip-off and they can't be arsed.

 

[Redboots]

Many more besides, will not bother to re-register their vehicle abroad, as it's too hard, it's a rip-off and they can't be arsed.

Many people are wankers.

 

[Guru Gora]

So in short……

It’ll be a total clusterfuck, you’ll be thrown in jail for any minor offence and your bike will be impounded within 30 metres of rolling off the ferry.

Fuck me.

Some people can suck the fun out of a circus.

It’ll be fine, enjoy the holiday

 

[Decompressing]

My bud had his UK reg car impounded by the Spanish Bill until he'd got it sorted. And he had to pay a Spanish fine...

I just don't see how another country (especially now that we're out of the EU) can issue a fine or impound a UK-registered vehicle because the driver hasn't paid something as trivial as his vehicle tax back home.

Look at the hypothetical scenario that you took a motorcycle on a trailer with you to Spain that you never rode in the UK and so you have it SORN'd. No VED. All quite legal to trailer it to the port and put it on the ferry to Spain to use it abroad.

The two press stories above put on by Wessie are about a completely different issue which the Spanish Police should, and clearly are addressing, and that is the one of Brits living in Spain and taking UK registered vehicles with them long-term and failing to comply with Spanish laws around re-registering the car with a Spanish plate and getting Spanish insurance etc. Undoubtably, they are using access to DVLA data to help establish if a vehicle is being operated in the UK or abroad.

I'm sorry, I just don't believe it. Maybe your "bud" forgot to tell you he was also speeding and had no insurance!

 

[wessie]

I just don't see how another country (especially now that we're out of the EU) can issue a fine or impound a UK-registered vehicle because the driver hasn't paid something as trivial as his vehicle tax back home.

read your insurance contract

the bit about needing to be legal in the UK to be valid in the territorial limits of the policy

the Spanish police could challenge you for riding an uninsured vehicle, especially as an additional factor if stopped for a moving traffic offence such as speeding

 

[Decompressing]

read your insurance contract

the bit about needing to be legal in the UK to be valid in the territorial limits of the policy

the Spanish police could challenge you for riding an uninsured vehicle, especially as an additional factor if stopped for a moving traffic offence such as speeding

only it won't because your UK insurer will cover you for the minimum third-party risk element whatever, they have to; they just won't pay out to you for any claim and they may come after you personally to reclaim any losses they've had to pay out to other parties.

Again, I refer you to my previous answer.

 

[Wapping]

I just don't see how another country (especially now that we're out of the EU) can issue a fine or impound a UK-registered vehicle because the driver hasn't paid something as trivial as his vehicle tax back home.

Leaving the EU did not (amongst the long list of the many benefits it bestowed upon UK plc) did not absolve us from our duty (however trivial) of taxing our vehicles for use on the road. It is law that a vehicle must by duly and correctly registered / taxed in its home country, before it is driven abroad.

Whether or not a foreign agency (or indeed a British agency, when looking at a foreign car, here on ‘our’ roads) will make an enquiry as to the vehicle’s tax and insured status, is another matter entirely. What they will then do, should they discover it is not taxed or insured, is similarly another matter, too.

We (UK plc) make it easy for anyone, anywhere around the world, to access the DVLA databases. The Spanish or French policeman could just say:

“Hello guvnor, you ain’t taxed your car and it ain’t insured. We’ll fine you…. Oh, and we’ll take the keys”. They do pretty much that if you can’t produce a trivial V5 on demand and / or can’t pay the on the spot fine. The appeal of “But we left the EU, mate” only wins you a well deserved clump from a police baton, for being an arse. Nor do they care two hoots that in the UK we are not obliged to drive around with our V5 stuffed into our handbags or indeed, without very much else in the paperwork department either.

Spain, like France, Italy and a host of other western countries is short of money. The more they can raise by hitting a foreigner’s wallet, the better. We, UK plc, should do the same. But, the enforced closing of lanes of the M20 to allow the DVLA / police to check foreign registered vehicles - and very probably a stout British copper’s inability to understand anything in ‘foreign’ - with the delays caused, would only result in howls of outrage, probably starting on these pages.

 

[Decompressing]

Leaving the EU did not (amongst the long list of the many benefits it bestowed upon UK plc) did not absolve us from our duty (however trivial) of taxing our vehicles for use on the road. It is law that a vehicle must by duly and correctly registered / taxed in its home country, before it is driven abroad.

Whether or not a foreign agency (or indeed a British agency, when looking at a foreign car, here on ‘our’ roads) will make an enquiry as to the vehicle’s tax and insured status, is another matter entirely. What they will then do, should they discover it is not taxed or insured, is similarly another matter, too.

We (UK plc) make it easy for anyone, anywhere around the world, to access the DVLA databases. The Spanish or French policeman could just say:

“Hello guvnor, you ain’t taxed your car and it ain’t insured. We’ll fine you…. Oh, and we’ll take the keys”. They do pretty much that if you can’t produce a trivial V5 on demand and / or can’t pay the on the spot fine. The appeal of “But we left the EU, mate” only wins you a well deserved clump from a police baton, for being an arse. Nor do they care two hoots that in the UK we are not obliged to drive around with our V5 stuffed into our handbags or indeed, without very much else in the paperwork department either.

I could almost feel you puffing yourself out with self-righteousness as you typed that.

You know best.

 

[RedRick Esq.]

Leaving the EU did not (amongst the long list of the many benefits it bestowed upon UK plc) did not absolve us from our duty (however trivial) of taxing our vehicles for use on the road. It is law that a vehicle must by duly and correctly registered / taxed in its home country, before it is driven abroad.

Whether or not a foreign agency (or indeed a British agency, when looking at a foreign car, here on ‘our’ roads) will make an enquiry as to the vehicle’s tax and insured status, is another matter entirely. What they will then do, should they discover it is not taxed or insured, is similarly another matter, too.

We (UK plc) make it easy for anyone, anywhere around the world, to access the DVLA databases. The Spanish or French policeman could just say:

“Hello guvnor, you ain’t taxed your car and it ain’t insured. We’ll fine you…. Oh, and we’ll take the keys”. They do pretty much that if you can’t produce a trivial V5 on demand and / or can’t pay the on the spot fine. The appeal of “But we left the EU, mate” only wins you a well deserved clump from a police baton, for being an arse. Nor do they care two hoots that in the UK we are not obliged to drive around with our V5 stuffed into our handbags or indeed, without very much else in the paperwork department either.

I was told that infringing any rules in rural Spain had you immediately taken to a shepherds hut in the hills and bummed half to death

A chap I know in his newly leased Range Rover went to Spain happily having just transferred his private plate across to the RR

Spanish coppers wanted to see his V5 which he didnt have as the lease company retains it

He rang the lease company to ask them to e mail him a copy of the V5 but as the reg number Transfer had only just been done the new V5 had not yet got back to them so they couldn't

End of story is that Spanish coppers impounded Range Rover until the V5 could be produced which was a fair few days and it cost him quite a lot of money and a ruined driving holiday

 

[Decompressing]

I was told that infringing any rules in rural Spain had you immediately taken to a shepherds hut in the hills and bummed half to death

A chap I know in his newly leased Range Rover went to Spain happily having just transferred his private plate across to the RR

Spanish coppers wanted to see his V5 which he didnt have as the lease company retains it

He rang the lease company to ask them to e mail him a copy of the V5 but as the reg number Transfer had only just been done the new V5 had not yet got back to them so they couldn't

End of story is that Spanish coppers impounded Range Rover until the V5 could be produced which was a fair few days and it cost him quite a lot of money and a ruined driving holiday

well, the guy was leaving himself open to a problem by not taking the V5 with him. The fact that it's a leased vehicle shouldn't automatically preclude you having the V5, even though a lot of lease companies do retain the V5. It is after all merely a document that states who the keeper is, NOT who the owner is.

If the lease company won't give you the V5, then that's a problem you have with them and you will have to be prepared for difficulties if you travel abroad. If the lease company are that funny about giving you the V5, you probably want to check if they're going to allow you to take the vehicle out the UK.

 

[Wapping]

I could almost feel you puffing yourself out with self-righteousness as you typed that.

You know best.

You (presumably) tax and insure your vehicles. What are you getting your knickers in a twist over? Let the scrotes get done, here or abroad. The more the merrier, I say.

 

[Wapping]

I was told that infringing any rules in rural Spain had you immediately taken to a shepherds hut in the hills and bummed half to death

Some here will claim to have a mate whose day ended that way, I’m sure. Some others would go out of their way, just for the experience.

 

[MickDB1]

Just to add a bit. This is true. I got detained in local cop shop, car in copshop car pound and theatened with court hearing next day.

Fat carol had entered a wrong digit on my plate number to MID. Only after a long descussion with desk sargent and me showin him my other bikes regs on same policy ( all showing insured)
did we get car back.
Check yer insured with AskMid database before yer travel,or after insuring yer bike/ car.

Also this year there is a proposal for not only a 1.2m distance between you and a cyclist.... now also yer have to slowdown 20kmph below posted speed limit as yer pass cyclist... How the fook yer gonna pass a cyclist in a town street????

Have agreat time just gu steady where yer have to..

 

[wilbjr21]

well, the guy was leaving himself open to a problem by not taking the V5 with him. The fact that it's a leased vehicle shouldn't automatically preclude you having the V5, even though a lot of lease companies do retain the V5. It is after all merely a document that states who the keeper is, NOT who the owner is.

If the lease company won't give you the V5, then that's a problem you have with them and you will have to be prepared for difficulties if you travel abroad. If the lease company are that funny about giving you the V5, you probably want to check if they're going to allow you to take the vehicle out the UK.

You need to travel more.

Are you from the Macam side of Durham ?

Sorry couldn't resist - I am a Geordie

 

[Greg Masters]

If the lease company won't give you the V5, then that's a problem you have with them and you will have to be prepared for difficulties if you travel abroad. If the lease company are that funny about giving you the V5, you probably want to check if they're going to allow you to take the vehicle out the UK.

You ask the leasing company to issue a VE103

 

[ATT]

I use my UK registered Buell, with no documentation whatsoever, no insurance, no nothing...I have now taken the plate off it.
I use it whenever I like in the mountains here....There are no Police, it is truly wonderful, liberdade.

I am not sure what anyone could do to stop me.

 

[Wapping]

I use my UK registered Buell, with no documentation whatsoever, no insurance, no nothing...I have now taken the plate off it.
I use it whenever I like in the mountains here....There are no Police, it is truly wonderful, liberdade.

I am not sure what anyone could do to stop me.

But you is a webel.

PS If you bin like a scrote (or a crim / illegal / darkie) ‘n like dun it ear, yud bee hung by the caught of uKgser