US resident buying/registering UK vehicle

Absolutely no harm in exploring.  But expect insurance to be well over £1,000 a year for a very tiny engine.   

You can get cars here VERY cheap.  Insurance... not so much.  At least not until you've been here awhile.   

I pay about £1000 annually here for comprehensive insurance but that’s for a full size crew cab pick up truck with a large V8 engine.


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I pay about £1000 annually here for comprehensive insurance but that’s for a full size crew cab pick up truck with a large V8 engine.


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Imagine that same insurance bill for a tiny little Fiat.  That's what you are looking at.   

Even though you’ve spent a lot on rentals, it’s what, a few hundred pounds per year for a 3-week rental?

If you buy a car and keep it in the UK, you’re looking at:
- maybe £200 per year for a service and MOT
- anywhere from about £100 and £550 per year for car tax (depending on tax band)
- maybe £1,000-2,000 per year for insurance
- plus the cost of any repairs needed

You could probably get a few years’ worth of rentals for the cost of keeping a car in the UK for just 1 year (and that’s after you’ve bought the car).

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Thanks for that and that answers the question I originally posted exactly how?


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Thanks for that and that answers the question I originally posted exactly how?


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Don't get snarky.     People are trying to give you an idea of the full picture.   

We are just making sure you understand the carrying costs of the vehicle ownership in the UK - which is substantial.  Cars do not hold value here - which is awesome as I've owned some super fun cars in the  UK!   

Your original question *implies* that you are trying to reduce costs by avoiding a rental.  Everyone is simply trying to say that it's not going to be cheaper.  If you can find an insurer, I would recommend using the "Top Gear" model of buying a car at the start of your holiday, driving it, and selling it at the end.  Though unfortunately this has been proven to be virtually impossible (in the USA) outside of a production company.

Imagine that same insurance bill for a tiny little Fiat.  That's what you are looking at.   

That certainly puts it in perspective!


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That certainly puts it in perspective!


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My mom calls those little cars roller skates...   

Don't get snarky.     People are trying to give you an idea of the full picture.   

We are just making sure you understand the carrying costs of the vehicle ownership in the UK - which is substantial.  Cars do not hold value here - which is awesome as I've owned some super fun cars in the  UK!   

Your original question *implies* that you are trying to reduce costs by avoiding a rental.  Everyone is simply trying to say that it's not going to be cheaper.  If you can find an insurer, I would recommend using the "Top Gear" model of buying a car at the start of your holiday, driving it, and selling it at the end.  Though unfortunately this has been proven to be virtually impossible (in the USA) outside of a production company.

I’m apologize, but I read that as judgemental of what I’m trying to do and I didn’t come here for that.

I want to buy a car for use when I visit the UK annually on holiday, my reasons are unimportant. Buying the car, owning the car, driving it with my US license are all possible. The question is simply this - can I get insurance on this vehicle in the UK as a resident of the USA?

So far KFdancer suggests it can be done and one person has suggested USAA. Any others?


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My mom calls those little cars roller skates...   

As a big man I can relate. Well done your Mom!


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You will find we are just about the least judgemental place on the web!

You will find we are just about the least judgemental place on the web!

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Hi,

You'll need to search out specialist insurance brokers and providers and have them look for specific policies and/or underwriters. It is possible to have insurance here in the UK if you are not a resident here. 'Generally' speaking, you'll find it's the very/super wealthy who'll do this kind of thing, I've met a few people who bring their cars in from the USA and Dubai/Bahrain for a few months of the year and then take them back. Substitute of course that you'd be wanting to register and keep a UK spec vehicle here.

A quick search shows;

https://www.keithmichaels.co.uk/specialist-car-insurance/expat-car-insurance/living-abroad-with-a-uk-car/

https://www.moneymaxim.co.uk/short-term-car-insurance-uk-overseas-residents

https://www.temporarycarinsurance.ws/driving-guide-for-foreign-visitors.html

When you aren't in the country, then as it's most likely you'll get a temporary insurance policy, I'm 'speculating' that you'd need to store the car off road, declare it SORN with the DVLA so that you won't have to keep paying the VED fee/get a refund for the months it's valid for but you don't use due to going back to the US and the car being SORN (statutory off road notice)

Depending on how deep your pockets are, what kind of car you want, then that'll affect how much you'll pay whilst you're not in the UK. If you do have deep pockets, then do what those guys I mention above do! if your pockets aren't so deep, then I'd also suggest renting each time you visit. The guys above would bring their Ferrari's Lamborghini's and other exotica over and the relative high cost of insurance would be like loose change in their pockets.

I'm within the Automotive sector now for manufacturing and electronics, so have a pretty extensive network amongst all sorts of sub sectors. There's one specific resource to get more information I know of, but by the very nature of your question..  the guys I want to talk to aren't in the UK right now!!!


Disclaimer - I'm also assuming that as a non resident, DVLA will allow you to register a car in your name even if you don't have a UK address. Speak to the DVLA and the insurance specialists above to find out more. I 'suspect' that it might be that these temporary policies will be for a car you bring in temporarily. It 'might' turn out to be it's insurance you can get where your friend is down as the 'Registered Keepr' but you are the 'owner'.

http://www.dvla-contact-number.co.uk/the-differences-between-the-registered-keeper-and-owner-of-a-vehicle/

Plenty of research for you to do! Please report back with how it pans out as it'll be useful to other's thinking of doing the same.

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

I don't know if you can have a UK car insurance policy as a full time US resident. The one way to find out would be to call a British car insurance agency and ask. If you use Skype you should be able to call one of their 1800 numbers for free. It will probably be very expensive (comparatively to a UK driver) if you are able to do this.

We did do this while being resident in the USA but did also maintain a rental home in the UK and had a UK driving licence registered at that address. We planned to snowbird and did so for one year before deciding to move back to England. For the months we were in the USA my sister and/or brother-in-law came round to the house every week to collect the mail and occasionally take the car on a short run.

In 2010 we visited my wife’s family for 10 weeks and I was put on my father-in-law’s insurance to drive his car as he was in hospital and not expected to come home. The insurance company accepted my Texas driving licence. We did not have a UK address at that time and my UK licence still had my old address from 1987 so was not an option.

Can I ask the insurance company involved? The more I research, the more that seems to suggest it CAN be done, but the name of an insurer who WILL do it remains elusive.


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Can I ask the insurance company involved? The more I research, the more that seems to suggest it CAN be done, but the name of an insurer who WILL do it remains elusive.


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I would give Aviva a call, they insured our son’s car in September when he moved back from the USA and moved in with us. They accepted his Texas drivers licence and didn’t ask for proof of address plus they gave him full no claims discount based on a letter (pdf) from his US insurance company and copy of his US policy. He still has not passed his UK driving test (can’t take it until he has been resident here for 6 months).

I would give Aviva a call, they insured our son’s car in September when he moved back from the USA and moved in with us. They accepted his Texas drivers licence and didn’t ask for proof of address plus they gave him full no claims discount based on a letter (pdf) from his US insurance company and copy of his US policy. He still has not passed his UK driving test (can’t take it until he has been resident here for 6 months).

Are you sure about the 6 month thing? I seem to remember that it doesn't affect those of us on this forum... I may be wrong, but that's what I remember from previous threads.

ETA: Right, after doing a quick google the 6 month thing is to exchange your current, valid, non-UK license for a UK license. Sadly, Americans can't do this as we don't have a treaty with the UK for it. It's the 50 different licensing authorities, don'tcha know.

So if he had a license that he could trade, he needs to wait 6 months and no tests needed, but if he's taking the tests, he can take them as soon as he's ready.