Foreign car in Malta unregistered, with enforcements.

Hi,

Cool, thank you very much sounds straight forward. Something which has come to mind, not sure if it can be answered here or not.

My wife is a non-EU citizen. We both plan to work here for a year and we will then decided to go to the UK together. My wife will have an EEA permit to travel with me to the UK. By me doing what I was mentioning in my last message above, will this (or either of them) have an affect on each other or not? I guess not as she would already have her permit by then and we will then be travelling together to the UK.

Regards,

Just to add, the only other thing is that I would like to still be working when going back to the UK and then to Malta (week off work). If that is not possible then not an issue I can work something out.

Sorry cant help with regard to your non EU wife travel stuff but I,m sure Ricky will be along to advise you.

Good Luck,

Terry

hi guys,

slightly of-topic but wanted to get some advice before proceeding

I am a Romanian citizen relocated to Malta, holding a residency card here. Recently I had family members in the UK purchase me a car under their address but my name.
I am preparing to fly to the UK, get the car and drive it all the way through Europe to Malta.

I think at the moment the car has no insurance as I understand in UK insurance is on person.

Question:
What kind of insurance and length should I purchase in the UK considering the fact that I need to register the car upon arrival in Malta?

Many thanks,

Hi,

In relation to the insurance on the car registered in the UK. You can get a years insurance for the car and that way you don't have any worries on the length of time on the insurance. In other words, you won't be worrying about omg it expires in a month etc if you got temp insurance.

A years insurance you are asking in a confused way? my answer is yes. If you get it and pay the year upfront all in one go, then when it comes to cancelling it you get a percentage of your money back. I think within the first 14 days (depending on the insurance company) you can cancel with no fees etc or not costing you anything. You can however, take out insurance on a monthly basis but this is more expensive in the long run. Be careful in relation to cancellation fees also as after the first 7 or 14 days cooling off period there is sometimes a cancellation fee. This can be up to £100 so read the terms before signing. Try confused.com or another comparison site.

Advise, some people lie on their insurance to get the price down. This is something I used to do when I was younger and everything was fine with driving around etc. However, after working in motor insurance myself recently I advise that you do not do this as it will invalidate your insurance.

Also, look into breakdown cover for your vehicle just in case. Out of interest, what vehicle is it and roughly how much was the purchase price?

Hope the above helps.

Some of the information above has been provided by an ex Zurich Motor Insurance Adviser

Well if you are a resident of Malta you will have to lie to the insurance company as they will require a UK address.
Not a good idea, what if you have an accident en route  to Malta?

Terry

Hi,

Agreed.

The advise given in my reply is based on you having a UK registered address and a full UK driving licence. It is also based on the car being registered to you with a full MOT and tax.

I advise checking everything inside and out to ensure you will be covered. I also advise looking into the laws of the countries you will be travelling through as some require that you carry certain things in your vehicle.

I am also looking at driving across Europe but maybe in a year from now.

Regards,

@chrisc58
Thank you, good pieces of advice! I think the registration is done at the moment with the DVLA under my name (for MOT and tax).
No UK drivers license as I`m obviously a Romanian citizen.

your insight into the breakdown coverage is more than helpful!

Though a year insurance is too much money upfront. I wasn`t inquiring about lying to get the price down, just trying to get as much information before departure.
the car is a 2006 Renault Megane CC, at 3300 GBP

@tearnet I`m not sure I follow, I guess even if insured in the UK I can still get international coverage right?

You will be lucky to find a UK insurer that will insure a Maltese resident  driving a UK registered car.

To get insurance they usually require a UK driving licence and a UK address.

Terry

I`m finding exactly 0 insurance companies who are willing to insure me under this basis.

I find it totally stupid. So as I see it, against someone advice above against lying to your insurance company ...

Just remember that the police in the UK are very proactive regarding tax, insurance etc.
NPR cameras are everywhere, also lying to the insurance company will invalidate your insurance in the event of a claim. 

Terry

I feel very strongly about this topic as I have experienced too many families suffering because someone did not have insurance.
I am not talking about the often held belief that insurance is just to repair or replace vehicles involved in accidents.
I am talking about those unfortunate people who are killed or seriously injured in 'accidents'.
Families could lose their main income earner and end up in serious financial hardship, not to mention the pain and misery of losing a loved one.
Those injured will receive emergency treatment but for the rest of their lives they could suffer because there are no funds to pay for specialist treatment, occupational aids or adaptions to enable them to live their lives to their full, yet restricted abilities.
Those people could also spend many years in unnecessary pain, waiting for operations to alleviate their pain.
Yes, there are some schemes to compensate those injured by the non insured but those processes can be difficult to access and take a long time.
More years of pain and misery.
I despise those who are selfish and deliberately evade the law in this respect.

Hi,

Some people like to experience life, for some people it's cheaper and more fun and for some people they prefer it or have always wanted to. There are various reasons for someone wanting to do this.

Life is for living, and when someone has limited time on this Earth they want to do things differently no matter how much it costs.

Never assume.

04.07.14
A man from the UK, was fined 3,000 and had his driving license suspended for 12 months by Magistrate Josette Demicoli.
On June 18 while patrolling the Malta International Airport Parking Area, police noticed a car which looked suspicious.
Investigations revealed that the Maltese number plates belonged to a different make of vehicle. Police arrested Street when he was identified as the owner of the  vehicle, a Peugeot 406.
It was later discovered that Street did not have the legal documents to import the car to Malta and that the car was not insured.
Assisted by his attorney Stefano Filletti, the Briton pleaded guilty and this morning he was fined the 3,000 and had his driving license suspended. The court also issued an order to confiscate the car.

Very interesting story.

Hi guys,

Here's my situation. I own a Spanish car that a friend drove into Malta for me last September, that is, 3 months ago. I've been a Maltese resident for 1 year now.
I would like to register the car in Malta but I'm afraid they will make me pay a €30 fine per day after the 20-day period you're given for registration upon arrival of the car.
Could I try getting a ferry out of the country and come back in (using my passport not my Maltese ID) to be able to show the new ferry ticket and get the car registered within 20 days?
Thanks in advance!

Its a good plan and I would certainly try it !

If you get stopped by  a warden on the way to the docks just say you are a tourist and show your passport and your ferry ticket.


Terry

Hello everybody,

I have a problem a bit similar but this is with a Maltese car. I bought it here in Malta, but to be honest I wasn't really serious with it... The fact is now I have many fines that I haven't paid and a road licence late...
I'm not using this car anymore and intend to leave Malta in a couple of month, so the best thing will be to sell it, but with the fines and without the road licence nobody will want it !

My questions are :

- Does the fine belong to the country where is the car, or everywhere in Europe ? (I'm thinking about selling it in Sicily, and I would like to know if all the fines will be cancel by changing the country)

- Is it possible to take the ferry without road licence ? Does they check it ?

- If a road licence is over from July 2014, and I want to regularize the situation, in July 2015 will I have to pay for the new year or for 2 years (the past year and the one starting) 

Many thanks for you help even if I'm a bad girl who wasn't serious at all ! :-D

"Is it possible to take the ferry without road licence ? "
Its not legal to even drive to the ferry without road licence, plus your insurance will probably be invalid

Not sure what type of car you are talking about but the best option is to "sell" it to someone who is willing to pay the fines for you.
They get the car and you keep your record clean.

If the car is not worth much then the other option is to dump it just before you leave the island and hoe you don't get traced!

Terry

Hello, I read your post, about your car, how much fines is it on the car, I am looking yo guy a cheap car as I am staying here in Malta, just arrived, thank you, merci

there is a new rule in Malta (few weeks ago) - you cannot buy a car unless you have a local ID number, or have  eResidence application receipt

Yes I do

Regarding Residency and applying for Exemption of a Imported U.K. Vehicle.
I have not yet received my eResidency I.D. Card has yet. Does this mean I am not a Resident until I receive this Card.
And am I ok to apply for Exemption has soon as I received my Card even though my vehicle as been in Malta for 6 months without being driven on Maltese or Gozo Roads or should it legally have been Registered before I receive my Card. or does anyone know if I could have problems and what are they?

Terry4646 wrote:

Does this mean I am not a Resident until I receive this Card.

never seen a proper answer to that, but as an EU citizen you are not applying for residency, you are informing the authorities that you consider yourself resident, so I'd say by applying for the card you are resident at that point

Terry4646 wrote:

Regarding Residency and applying for Exemption of a Imported U.K. Vehicle.
I have not yet received my eResidency I.D. Card has yet. Does this mean I am not a Resident until I receive this Card.
And am I ok to apply for Exemption has soon as I received my Card even though my vehicle as been in Malta for 6 months without being driven on Maltese or Gozo Roads or should it legally have been Registered before I receive my Card. or does anyone know if I could have problems and what are they?

They could fine you for not registering you car sooner as its been on the island for 6 months, as a tourist you get an exemption but if your intending to take up residence here you supposed to have registered the car within 20 days
http://www.transport.gov.mt/admin/uploa … 2002.1.pdf

i would recommend registering it as soon as possible or removing it from the island

Terry4646 wrote:

Regarding Residency and applying for Exemption of a Imported U.K. Vehicle.
I have not yet received my eResidency I.D. Card has yet. Does this mean I am not a Resident until I receive this Card.
And am I ok to apply for Exemption has soon as I received my Card even though my vehicle as been in Malta for 6 months without being driven on Maltese or Gozo Roads or should it legally have been Registered before I receive my Card. or does anyone know if I could have problems and what are they?

I don't know how long you've got to register your car, but you're too late to apply for exemption from the tax now.  You're supposed to do it within 30 days of the car arriving in Malta.

Terry4646 wrote:

Regarding Residency and applying for Exemption of a Imported U.K. Vehicle.
I have not yet received my eResidency I.D. Card has yet. Does this mean I am not a Resident until I receive this Card.
And am I ok to apply for Exemption has soon as I received my Card even though my vehicle as been in Malta for 6 months without being driven on Maltese or Gozo Roads or should it legally have been Registered before I receive my Card. or does anyone know if I could have problems and what are they?

If you mean the exemption from registration tax then you will already be to late.
If you mean just to register your car onto Maltese plates then you need to do it ASAP  and not wait for your card to come through.
You may escape the fine for not registering it when you arrived in Malta IF you are lucky. 

See this link for more information,
http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transp … individual
at the bottom of the page you will see a "click here for more information"
this opens a pdf file outlining the procedure, timescale and penalties.

Terry

tearnet wrote:

Terry4646 wrote:

Regarding Residency and applying for Exemption of a Imported U.K. Vehicle.
I have not yet received my eResidency I.D. Card has yet. Does this mean I am not a Resident until I receive this Card.
And am I ok to apply for Exemption has soon as I received my Card even though my vehicle as been in Malta for 6 months without being driven on Maltese or Gozo Roads or should it legally have been Registered before I receive my Card. or does anyone know if I could have problems and what are they?

If you mean the exemption from registration tax then you will already be to late.
If you mean just to register your car onto Maltese plates then you need to do it ASAP  and not wait for your card to come through.
You may escape the fine for not registering it when you arrived in Malta IF you are lucky. 

See this link for more information,
http://www.transport.gov.mt/land-transp … individual
at the bottom of the page you will see a "click here for more information"
this opens a pdf file outlining the procedure, timescale and penalties.

Terry

the pdf is in my post above if that makes it easier for you to find.

Hi there,

I went through the whole topic but didn't find an answer. Here is my situation:

I drove to Malta with a car which is registered in UK. It is not registered in my name but I have the purchase agreement to my name.

Before departure from my country I bought 30-day travel insurance which ran out just today.

I wanted to insure my car in local Maltese companies but they all told me it is not possible if I don't hold the Malta ID Card or if the car is not registered in my name.

What can I do in this situation? I heard that it takes a long time to get the ID card. Can I even apply for it without being employed? I presume I can't register the car or even sell it without that card? What are my options here?

Thank you in advance for answers.

Martin

Hi Martin,

you have several issues with your car and certainly should not drive it any more in Malta as it is without insurance and registration.

Your best bet is to contact Transport Malta immediatly about the requirements to register the car in Malta. It will be subject to registration tax and possibly a late fee as the 30 day period has just expired.

It is also not an i-card but the e-residence card that you need if you consider yourself resident in Malta.

Cheers
Ricky

Thank you for the reply.

I arrived at Malta on 24 September so I have some time until 30 days pass. I will certainly call MT tomorrow. I just checked their website for estimation of registration tax and it came out something near to 1800 euro, is that correct? So much? This is 2003 Volvo V70 which I bought for around 2500 and I have to pay nearly as much for registration?

Is there any chance I can sell the car in this situation without registering it?

Register the car in your name in the UK by post, then send in the permanent export section of the v5 back to DVLA.

You should then be able to register it in Malta but may have to pay the late registration fine.

From DVLA website...

Used vehicles

The way a used vehicle is registered to you depends on whether it has a V5C registration certificate (log book).

Vehicle has a registration certificate (V5C)

The seller must:
##complete section 6 of the V5C (‘new keeper or new name/new address details’)
##sign the declaration in section 8 (you must do this too)
##fill in section 10 (‘new keeper supplement’) and give it to you - this section is also known as the V5C/2
##send the V5C to DVLA

DVLA aims to send out a new V5C to you within 2 to 4 weeks of getting the old V5C from the seller.

If you don’t get it within 4 weeks:


Terry

Not really doable as I'm not British I just bought a UK car in my country (which is not UK ).

If the registration document is not in your name and you are not UK resident then how do you intend to sell it?

Would you buy a car from someone who didn't have the tittle to it?

Its currently not legal in any EU country.

Terry

Because I have purchase agreement from the previous owner for it so why wouldn't it be legal?

A UK registered car is only legally on the road when the road tax has been paid. Do you know that for sure? The previous owner probably de-registered the car and asked for a tax refund !

It belongs to you and you have the car but you can't drive it in Malta.

Ricky

TigerInABugatti wrote:

Because I have purchase agreement from the previous owner for it so why wouldn't it be legal?

Because to be legal within the EU it has to be legal in its country of registration.

So I assume it has current MOT (if required) is taxed in the UK and has UK insurance, if not its illegal in any EU country.

Terry

Sounds like a stolen car so be carefull as soon as you check number plate it will tell you.

The sales document you have was probably signed by Mr M. MOUSE.

tearnet wrote:

[/b]
So I assume it has current MOT (if required)

2003 so yes MOT required

As road tax now ends upon selling the car - it doesn't have road tax unless the op has bought it themselves