Anyone have experience of this - I have a UK reg'd car here and need to get it UK taxed and so UK MOT'd. I dont want to get it matriculated here, as I'll be going back to the UK within the next 5 months, but I just dont want to have to take it immediately.
Seems a bit daft to have to drive all those miles back, just for an MOT test!
In Portugal the police seem quite happy provided your car has valid insurance and is mechanically safe.
Probably your best bet is to go to an IPO test station and ask for a european standard test certificate. I have done this and it seems to keep both the police and my insurers happy.
I would agree. Get the 'mot' done here at the IPO place and I think you can also tax a UK vehicle here, although haven't done that myself. If you write to the DVLA and explain your car is out of the country for an extended period they should make you exempt for tax. They did it for me
In the end though I bought a Portuguese reg. car.
Thanks all of you, and I'm especially interested to hear John1's experience. The DVLA website says that foreign MOT's aren't acceptable for renewing a UK tax licence so I'm intrigued about how you managed that John1. Maybe I can avoid a pointless drive up to the UK....
Yes thats right. You cannot tax your car in britain with a Portuguese MOT ( so much for being part of the european union!) But while I had my uk car here its uk mot expired so I just declared it with the dvla as tax exempt and just got the car mot here in Portugal - it doesnt really serve any purpose - it was just for peace of mind - in case I got stopped by the GNR and they could recognise that my uk mot had expired but saying that it wouldnt have a current tax disc either!
if your mot has run out first and you need the car taxed for when you return then there is really no alternative except to drive back to the uk and get it mot'd then taxed otherwise getting it mot'd here will mean your car will be illegaly on the road as soon as you get back in the uk.
If you book the MOT for as soon as you return and get that in writing from the garage, you should be ok on that one. I think the law does allow for you to drive to the MOT station proving the car is apparently roadworthy.
Yes, thanks again as this has all been helpful.
I'm going to contact the DVLA and should be able to declare it tax exempt until I get back and drive pretty much straight from the ferry to an MOT test!
These forums can be so helpful!
Don't forget that if you are outside the UK for more than 12 months you must de-register your car with DVLA and matriculate it here so if you are driving around in a car with Uk plates and have done so for more than 12 months, even if you have a local MOT and UK insurance........you are not legal.
- I have a UK reg'd car here and need to get it UK taxed and so UK MOT'd. I dont want to get it matriculated here, as I'll be going back to the UK within the next 5 months, but I just dont want to have to take it immediately. 
