http://www.oakleaf.net
If you are looking to purchase a new or used lhd car for use in Europe, one of Oakleaf's initiatives is to include UK registration across their full Select Range. http://www.oakleaf.net/
Buying from an established UK left hand drive specialist dealer will give you confidence in your purchase but also the UK registration can have positive financial advantages.
http://www.oakleaf.net/
Take Spain as an example:
If you where to buy a lhd car from Oakleaf for use in Spain the car would come with the following included in the price:
1. UK registration, V5 registration document, road tax and 12 months mot (where applicable).
2. European Certificate of Conformity.
With the correct documents in place you can insure and drive the car in the UK, then to Spain, legally without any worries. Once you are there and settled you then have time to consider re-registering the car to Spanish plates (up to 6 months).
Hopefully you will have picked up the language a little which will make the process of re-registering easier or maybe a local registration service may have been recommended to you by other ex-pats in the area.
Re-registration of a vehicle in Spain can be a costly exercise due to the various fiscal charges. If you register a vehicle in Spain without owning it for 6 months, i.e. your name has not been on the registration document for at least 6 months, you will have to pay the following duty:
Up to 2000cc - 7% Over 2000cc - 12%
Also something to consider if you purchase a Spanish registered car from a private individual you also pay a 4% transfer fee.
To keep everything legal in accordance with Spanish law the car must be registered within 6 months of permanent residency. So on the 7th month of your ownership you can arrange for re-registration over to Spanish plates. On this basis the car becomes classed as a personal import and the total registration charges and taxes (if using a local registration agent) become quite reasonable from around 600 to 900 Euros.
You may be tempted to leave the car on UK plates but a word of warning!
The Spanish police are quite aware of the increasing numbers of ex-pats using their cars in Spain on UK plates on a permanent basis. In the past they may have concentrated their attention mainly on Spanish cars but now it seems the opposite is in fact the norm.
So what might seem like a ‘good idea at the time' could spoil your day especially if your car is towed by the ‘grua' for a parking violation (easily done) or if you caught by a speed trap (on the increase and again easily done). In these circumstances you will have to prove the legality of the car, with the correct, up to date documentation. If the car has been towed, you will need everything correct to get it released from the pound!
So to recap, if you buy a left hand drive car from Oakleaf Automotive you will have UK registration in your name you can then use the car in legally in Spain for 6 months.
Then in the 7th month of ownership if you contact a local registration agent and provided them with your document they can make a transfer over to Spanish plates for you and you will have made a saving of around 20%.
Another reason why Oakleaf Automotive are leading the way in Left Hand Drive Cars in the UK.
