Buying a car: catch-22 on insurance?

I'm a little confused based on reading other threads just what my path to driving insured in the UK looks like. My wife (UKC) and I (USC) are moving to the UK after 25 years of marriage in the US. My wife never got a UK driver's licence but we both have current US licenses. Am I going to be able to buy a car and insure it? We can pay for the car outright (though we'd like to buy on credit to start establishing it), but I'm reading here that getting insurance requires UK driving experience... how do we get that experience without going through the entire driving lessons & licensing process?

You should be able to insure a car but you may have trouble finding someone who will insure you on US licenses for a decent price, as you will have no UK driving history.

You would be able to buy a car outright in cash (used cars are pretty cheap here), but I doubt you’d be able to build enough credit to buy one for a year or two.

You will only have 12 months from arriving in the UK in which to drive legally on your US licences so you will need to take lessons and pass the UK tests before you reach 12 months in the UK (it can take a few months to pass).

If you have not received UK licences by the end of the 12 months, you will no longer be allowed to drive in the UK (and your insurance will become invalid), and you will be treated as a learner driver, which means:
- you must display Learner plates on the car
- you must always be accompanied by someone over 21 who has held a Full UK licence for at least 3 years
- you will not be allowed to drive on motorways


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

how do we get that experience without going through the entire driving lessons & licensing process?

So taking all of ksand24's good info into account, the process would look like this:

1) Get UK insurance using your US licenses. You'll probably pay more, but nothing you can do about that.
2) Buy a car. If a UK bank will give you a loan for a car, great. If not, pay cash.
3) Take driving lessons/get a UK license. If you do this within 12 months of your arrival in the UK, no need for L plates, extra drivers, or the motorway restriction.

Conceivably, you could drive your own car to the driving test, fail the test and then drive away if you did it all within the first year. 

I wouldn't try it though.

Conceivably, you could drive your own car to the driving test, fail the test and then drive away if you did it all within the first year. 

I wouldn't try it though.

I wonder... when I went for my practical in March, my driving instructor told me on the way there that afterward, whatever my result, I would not be allowed to drive away from the test.  I wasn't clear if this was her policy, or the actual law.  She said the rationale behind it was if I'd failed, I'd be bummed and possibly nervous.  And in the event of a pass, I'd be over-excited and could be reckless (this policy makes some sense for young, truly new, drivers, but not for people of my age who have 20+ years of driving experience).

I'd been past the 12 months for driving on my US license for a number of years, so I wouldn't have got to test that.

I wonder... when I went for my practical in March, my driving instructor told me on the way there that afterward, whatever my result, I would not be allowed to drive away from the test.  I wasn't clear if this was her policy, or the actual law.  She said the rationale behind it was if I'd failed, I'd be bummed and possibly nervous.  And in the event of a pass, I'd be over-excited and could be reckless (this policy makes some sense for young, truly new, drivers, but not for people of my age who have 20+ years of driving experience).

I'd been past the 12 months for driving on my US license for a number of years, so I wouldn't have got to test that.

I wonder what her response would be if she knew I drove myself to and from the hospital for baby #2.   

I wonder what her response would be if she knew I drove myself to and from the hospital for baby #2.   

Oooh, now I'm curious!  How long do you stay in hospital for a normal, uncomplicated delivery here?  I mean, you didn't just pop in, pop out an animated sack of potatoes, and then pop out again, did you? 

It's funny to think of you driving yourself home after that... in the US, it's most hopistals' policy that you have to be taken to the exit in a wheelchair when you're discharged.  I can just see you, being pushed  along by an orderly, and when you get to the door you jump up and say "Thanks for the ride!" and walk off to get in your car and drive away!

Oooh, now I'm curious!  How long do you stay in hospital for a normal, uncomplicated delivery here?  I mean, you didn't just pop in, pop out an animated sack of potatoes, and then pop out again, did you? 

It's funny to think of you driving yourself home after that... in the US, it's most hopistals' policy that you have to be taken to the exit in a wheelchair when you're discharged.  I can just see you, being pushed  along by an orderly, and when you get to the door you jump up and say "Thanks for the ride!" and walk off to get in your car and drive away!

While I've had normal deliveries with no complications, I have tiny babies (4 pounders) and high blood pressure in pregnancy.  We only had to stay 2 nights after #2.  They knew I wanted out.  I had been in about a week and was climbing the walls
But yeah, my blood pressure became uncontrollable.  So I called my consultant, he told me to come in to be evaluated and to plan to be in until I delivered.  I called my husband (who was at work).  He told me to "keep him posted".     So off to the hospital I went.  Then we had a complicated week of childcare and kid #1 was ill and off nursery with a high fever.  So he never took a taxi/bus/ride in to drive my car home (understandable, there was a lot going on).  When I was discharged, I drove home.  Took a selfie and everything of "for people who think living in another country is glamorous - this is me driving myself home from the hospital..."

Don't get me started on his special surgery the other week and him adhering to not being allowed to drive for 3 days.  I appeased him but BOY did I roll my eyes!!!

I wonder what her response would be if she knew I drove myself to and from the hospital for baby #2.   

  Did you get up and keep putting money in the hospital parking meters?

Don't get me started on his special surgery the other week and him adhering to not being allowed to drive for 3 days.  I appeased him but BOY did I roll my eyes!!!

I feel you you've got some major credit there.  Does he know he's indebted to you?  I mean... childbirth!

So taking all of ksand24's good info into account, the process would look like this:

1) Get UK insurance using your US licenses. You'll probably pay more, but nothing you can do about that.
2) Buy a car. If a UK bank will give you a loan for a car, great. If not, pay cash.
3) Take driving lessons/get a UK license. If you do this within 12 months of your arrival in the UK, no need for L plates, extra drivers, or the motorway restriction.

My son has just been through steps 1) and 2).


Aviva accept a letter from a US insurance company as proof of no claims bonus plus a copy of your most recent US insurance card. This saved our son hundreds of £s per year. The Aviva website details what is required in the letter and his insurance comapany, Geico, were very obliging when he called them. Aviva also accept a US driving licence, while he trains and then passes a UK driving test as he has never held a UK licence.

So, once you pass both tests, the "L" plate (etc) are history and you are able to drive "normally" then, correct? 

So, once you pass both tests, the "L" plate (etc) are history and you are able to drive "normally" then, correct?

Yes, once you've passed you can drive with no restrictions like everyone else.

Did you get up and keep putting money in the hospital parking meters?

We pay upon exit at my local hospital.

We pay upon exit at my local hospital.

Earlier this year a 95 year old Battle of Britain veteran launched a media campaign after he had to pay a parking fine at Carlisle hospital for no fault of his own. He had lost his appeal and paid the fine but finally the hospital switched to pay as you leave. Our hospital is pay as you leave thank goodness.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/War-veterans-parking-fine-for-over-running-Carlisle-hospital-appointment-60650a4d-4ccc-480b-97d4-8ef07c129c37-ds