|Home| Info| Community| Business| Beaches| What to do?| Rentals| News| Forum| Blogs| Finance| History| FAQ| Contact|
Untaxed UK Cars in Portugal
-
shanagarry
- CVO Legend
- Posts: 2048
- Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:26 pm
- Location: Craigweil-on-Sea
Untaxed UK Cars in Portugal
Can somebody help me understand something I have noticed more and more in and around Cvo in recent months and last week when a friend came with us, he and I decided to see if the numbers of untaxed UK cars I had previously counted was a one-off. We counted 32 UK registered cars from Saturday to Monday (26-28 March) with either :
Out of date UK tax disks
No tax disks showing at all
Tax disks with a different number from that on the number plate
These cars were seen in Portimao, Lagoa, Lagos and Silves and were all 3years+ in age. We saw a great many such cars in Vilamoura all with current tax disks. Are they more law abiding than their counterparts further west?
We did see as many again in the Cvo - Lagos - Silves area with current disks so please do not take this as a suggestion that all 'Brits' are breaking the law.
This poses the first question - If these cars are unlicensed (UK) because they have not been UK (MOT) tested and therefore cannot get a current Tax Disk - are they insured?
If they are not insured - what person in their right mind would use an uninsured car on a Portuguese road and run the risk of having an accident and having a claim against them? With Portugal now confirmed as the country with the 10th highest (worst) accident rate in The World (UK is 25th) - what is it that makes it a risk worth taking?
If they have not been through an MOT test - what is that makes them roadworthy and probably quadruples their chances of being involved in an accident - blameworthy or otherwise?
I suspect the answer lies partly in the culture that prevails here in the UK - allbeit on a reducing scale - that the chances of being caught are 1 in 12. With the introduction of new legislation here in the UK that now automatically fines the owner of a UK registered car if they have:
Not relicensed the Car
or
Have made a statutory declaration stating that the car is off the road (SORN).
the incidents of evasion is reducing because big brother is watching
If the latter is the case - is that not blatant dishonesty and what does it say about those British people 'living' in Portugal who are knowlingly breaking the law? If it is the former - why are people taking such a risk.
Through this Forum I was directed to Saga for insurance cover to use my car for 4 months in Portugal at a very affordable price. Short of stating the obvious - if running a car is beyond somebody's means, can they not understand the potential for even greater misery if they have an accident and have to account for it.
I suspect that some who fall into the afore mentioned categories will justify their actions by citing the cost of importing their car and putting it through the matriculation process - as did one person I spoke to last weekend.
Maybe I am not seeing this in the right light or missing the point completely
Out of date UK tax disks
No tax disks showing at all
Tax disks with a different number from that on the number plate
These cars were seen in Portimao, Lagoa, Lagos and Silves and were all 3years+ in age. We saw a great many such cars in Vilamoura all with current tax disks. Are they more law abiding than their counterparts further west?
We did see as many again in the Cvo - Lagos - Silves area with current disks so please do not take this as a suggestion that all 'Brits' are breaking the law.
This poses the first question - If these cars are unlicensed (UK) because they have not been UK (MOT) tested and therefore cannot get a current Tax Disk - are they insured?
If they are not insured - what person in their right mind would use an uninsured car on a Portuguese road and run the risk of having an accident and having a claim against them? With Portugal now confirmed as the country with the 10th highest (worst) accident rate in The World (UK is 25th) - what is it that makes it a risk worth taking?
If they have not been through an MOT test - what is that makes them roadworthy and probably quadruples their chances of being involved in an accident - blameworthy or otherwise?
I suspect the answer lies partly in the culture that prevails here in the UK - allbeit on a reducing scale - that the chances of being caught are 1 in 12. With the introduction of new legislation here in the UK that now automatically fines the owner of a UK registered car if they have:
Not relicensed the Car
or
Have made a statutory declaration stating that the car is off the road (SORN).
the incidents of evasion is reducing because big brother is watching
If the latter is the case - is that not blatant dishonesty and what does it say about those British people 'living' in Portugal who are knowlingly breaking the law? If it is the former - why are people taking such a risk.
Through this Forum I was directed to Saga for insurance cover to use my car for 4 months in Portugal at a very affordable price. Short of stating the obvious - if running a car is beyond somebody's means, can they not understand the potential for even greater misery if they have an accident and have to account for it.
I suspect that some who fall into the afore mentioned categories will justify their actions by citing the cost of importing their car and putting it through the matriculation process - as did one person I spoke to last weekend.
Maybe I am not seeing this in the right light or missing the point completely
-
Jake
I don't know how many people there are here that are breaking the law/uninsured etc.
I am currently driving a UK registered car on a 12 month green card (although you are only supposed to have the car here for 6 months - I am not near that yet). The insurance cost no more than it would have in the UK (although it wasn't with Saga as I don't yet qualify!).
I do have a current UK MOT and insurance. I also have UK tax as I don't know how you can avoid it without being traced? It is not, however, displayed in my car window! Maybe I should put it in - my car could have been one of the ones you counted!
J
I am currently driving a UK registered car on a 12 month green card (although you are only supposed to have the car here for 6 months - I am not near that yet). The insurance cost no more than it would have in the UK (although it wasn't with Saga as I don't yet qualify!).
I do have a current UK MOT and insurance. I also have UK tax as I don't know how you can avoid it without being traced? It is not, however, displayed in my car window! Maybe I should put it in - my car could have been one of the ones you counted!
J
-
shanagarry
- CVO Legend
- Posts: 2048
- Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:26 pm
- Location: Craigweil-on-Sea
Uninsured, Untaxed & Illegal
Hi Jake
When I first came across this practice I thought that there must be some form of dispensation for ex-pats, given the numbers I have seen.
Naivety is not my strong suit!
When I first came across this practice I thought that there must be some form of dispensation for ex-pats, given the numbers I have seen.
Naivety is not my strong suit!
Hmmmmm
I am one of the people who you are writing about, but you are not too well informed.
Firstly in the UK at least not having an MOT doers not invalidate your insurance. An MOT only means that the car met the regulations at the time it was tested. It does not mean that it is roadworthy the next day,week, month etc.
I have had my Jeep here for just over a year. I started the matriculation process in June last year, and it is still not completed, and the UK MOT ran out last month.
It has a temporary Portuguese MOT (one month for minor failure). The LHD headlamps that I bought for the car do not have an EEC stamp on the glass as they were sourced in the USA, hence minor failure. Completely idiotic money wasting nonsense.
As for insurance you do not have to have a green card, although it probably makes things a little easier if you do. If your car is insured in the UK, then by EEC law it is insured in all EEC coutnries, although only 3rd party cover, by default.
Oh and one other point. Our other car (recently matriculated) has no Portuguese road fund licence at present, because the Camara won't sell me one yet. Maybe next month they tell me.
Anyway new lights are on their way from Germany so some nice shiny Portuguese plates will be on the Jeep shortly.
I am one of the people who you are writing about, but you are not too well informed.
Firstly in the UK at least not having an MOT doers not invalidate your insurance. An MOT only means that the car met the regulations at the time it was tested. It does not mean that it is roadworthy the next day,week, month etc.
I have had my Jeep here for just over a year. I started the matriculation process in June last year, and it is still not completed, and the UK MOT ran out last month.
It has a temporary Portuguese MOT (one month for minor failure). The LHD headlamps that I bought for the car do not have an EEC stamp on the glass as they were sourced in the USA, hence minor failure. Completely idiotic money wasting nonsense.
As for insurance you do not have to have a green card, although it probably makes things a little easier if you do. If your car is insured in the UK, then by EEC law it is insured in all EEC coutnries, although only 3rd party cover, by default.
Oh and one other point. Our other car (recently matriculated) has no Portuguese road fund licence at present, because the Camara won't sell me one yet. Maybe next month they tell me.
Anyway new lights are on their way from Germany so some nice shiny Portuguese plates will be on the Jeep shortly.
-
Guest
Please clarify........I just Matriculated my car and got nice new number plates.....took 5 Months and cost a fortune........but I have Insurance sticker on the windscreen ,,.but I didnt know I have to buy road TAX...pls advise Do I ? and how to buy ?? and where ??
Where can I buy legal LHD headlights ?? with EU thingy ??...
ANYTHING ELSE HAS TO BE DONE TO A RIGHT HAND CAR ....other than change the lights ??
Where can I buy legal LHD headlights ?? with EU thingy ??...
ANYTHING ELSE HAS TO BE DONE TO A RIGHT HAND CAR ....other than change the lights ??
-
Aardvark
If only the UK had this system. Buy your car in June and drive tax free for 11 months until the tax discs are issued once a year in April/May. The exact dates are published in newspapers. Road tax is available from Financias and some papelaria. You need a form from them to fill in first. Take this with car docs and your fiscal number to either place- but only to the Financia if you are a late payer. Remember to put the age of your car rather than the Portuguese matriculation date if it is an import because tax reduces with age. Engine size is the other factor. I pay about €120. I know someone who has a Fiat Panda that is getting on in years. He pays €8. Almost as good a bargain as a TV licence here.
-
md 600 driver
- CVO Senior
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:32 pm
- Location: york uk and senhora da rocha
-
Aardvark
-
md 600 driver
- CVO Senior
- Posts: 147
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:32 pm
- Location: york uk and senhora da rocha
-
Guest
I am not aware of any papelarias in the Algarve where you can get your road tax stamp (I think that sort of service only exists in Lisbon/Porto etc) - I guess it will mean a trip to the financas in Lagoa (although any of them will do - it doesnt have to be your "local" one - I do mine in Albufeira rather than Silves coz its closer and we go there for shopping etc much more than Silves).
When the stamp is available (due) the Portugal News will generally have a piece detailing dates and charging bands/rates (sometime in May I think) - then you just have to go and queue up with the rest Im afraid.
When the stamp is available (due) the Portugal News will generally have a piece detailing dates and charging bands/rates (sometime in May I think) - then you just have to go and queue up with the rest Im afraid.