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Iinsurance advice


Murtox

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Hi

Can anyone help.

Im currently based in Cyprus and we have just bought a VW California and intend to drive back through europe to the UK when im posted back in 2009.

The problem we have is getting someone to insure the van fully comp for the drive through europe. There are a couple of Cyprus based insurance companies who will give us third party only, but the uk insurance companies dont want to know because we are living and starting our journey in a different country.

Are there any specialist insurance companies who will underwrite our trip?

 

Cheers

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Do you have a UK address? Are you UK nationals? If so you should be able to insure your vehicle in the UK and drive it back on the CY plates.

 

I suppose you realise that you will have to ship the vehicle out of Cyprus as you cannot permanently export a Cypriot reg vehicle through the TRNC.

 

Don.

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Murtox,

 

As far as I am aware, there continues to be a reluctance (for administrative reasons) among UK motor insurance providers to offer 'comprehensive' insurance cover on a vehicle that is not yet UK-registered while that vehicle is being driven outside the UK.

 

Suggest you contact MotorCaravanWise (www.caravanwise.co.uk), as this company has offered UK nationals the type of cover you appear to be looking for.

 

I also suggest - very strongly - that, when you speak to any UK insurance provider about your requirements, you give them full details of what you want and insist that they confirm in writing the scope of the policy they would be selling to you.

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Hi Derek,

 

I've slept on this one and I think Murtox is a service man or a UKBC in which case the vehicle will already be registered/insured in Cyprus.

 

I'm not sure whether a UK based insurer will cover a vehicle already insured/registered in another country. It will be interesting to see the out come.

 

Don

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Thanks for the advice so far.

 

Yes im in the British forces and the van will be insured by a cyprus company until we are posted back to the uk.

We are planning a 30 day trip through europe before we get back to Blighty,and the van will be on Cyprus plates.

We own a house in the uk but i dont think anyone will insure us from the uk end due to the Cyprus plates.

 

Cheers

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As Derek suggests, contact Motorcaravanwise (AKA Caravanwise) because up until now, they have been prepared to insure non UK registered vehicles for limited use outside the UK.

However, although there is still some doubt as to why other insurers won't offer this service, it is limited to 30 days maximum duration, within which period you have to get the van re-registered in UK.

Motorcaravanwise, however, have tended to shorten the statutory period for re-registration to 7 days, which is only sufficient time to complete the procedure if you are very lucky with your local DVLA office.

Presumably, other forces personnel will have made similar trips in the past, isn't there anyone on Cyprus who has sussed out the best way round?  Aren't there any forces insurance arrangements you can use?  People used to bring cars back to UK from Germany quite regularly, though the insurance rules have changed since.  However, have you, or any colleagues, contacts there who may know a way round?

If there's an empty tank transporter coming back to UK, couldn't you hitch a lift? :-)

However, I think your best bet may be to drive it straight back, get it registered, and then do the trip afterwards.

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Hi Brian,

 

I drove a duty free car home from Cyprus in 1969 but in those days there were car ferries between Cyprus and the Greek mainland but today there is only the RORO freight ferry.

 

I think the easiest way around it would be to ship the vehicle home in a container, it might have to be an oversize one and then as you suggest do your trip then.

 

It will be very interesting to see how it all turns out.

 

Don

 

 

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