We are French resident, and while our car here is French registered/insured etc. we also keep a car in the UK.
We are in the process of buying a new UK-based car but have hit problems in getting insurance.
Mainstream car insurers don’t want to know once they know you are not UK resident (even although we still have a UK house) - and the current insurer now says no because one of us now has an EU (French) licence.
I’m sure there must be others with a car kept in the UK - any suggestions for companies or brokers gratefully received!
TY - I know my wife (it’s her car) found a couple of brokers on google and tried them without success (or they quoted French style premiums. Last year she paid around £300 and the new quotes were around £1000. I don’t know if this was one but I’ll pass it on.
Unfortunately they don’t offer cover for UK cars kept in the UK. Their market is UK registered cars kept in France etc.
I’m not sure how that works since I thought you’d to import/re-register you car for that length of time
They were last year’s insurer but now keep asking for the date we returned to the uk. We’ve been struggling to get their staff to understand our position- even though they must have our details on file
I know from friends in motorsport insurance that there are often issues with staff misunderstanding clients needs re specialised policies
Yet NFU won’t insure our house in the uk because we are French resident
I suspect it might depend on your agent
As soon as our “local” one discovered it was a second home there was an emphatic “non”
Don’t tell them you are non resident, it’s irrelevant. What is relevant is how long the property is left empty at a stretch and how often in the year. Where you, the owners, live doesn’t matter…
That’s strange.
I had great difficulty finding landlord insurance this year for 2 rental houses in N. Ireland. My brother suggested NFU because he’s used them for commercial properties and found them very good when he had to make a couple of claims.
NFU had no problem giving me landlord insurance, even though they know I’m French resident.
Pretty dangerous advice when it comes to car insurance as the car owner wouldn’t be declaring all relevant facts, especially if there’s a specific question on residency. I’m sure, generally it would be fine, right up until it isn’t and that would usually be in the event of a claim when they start to get interested in the detail.
The benefit is knowing I am fully insured.
In my experience of looking for UK car insurance, one of the questions asked is “Are you a UK resident?”
I’m not.
My concern exactly
The questions asked for insurance in the uk include confirming how long you’ve been a uk resident and similar for a dvla licence.
Fudging that and later having to claim and find it rejected, or met at a lower level isn’t something I want
And since in my wife’s profession (legal) that would be considered dishonesty and she would loose her livelihood
Fact, not scaremongering