I suspect it is the same cross border issue whereby UK financial advisors, banks etc need to be licensed to service EU residents. In which case you would need to find a UK insurer licensed to operate in the EU. Maybe an international firm like Axa, they have a UK presence don’t they?
As a french resident I insure my UK properties with Direct Line. I see the company also do car insurance, would they be able to provide the car insurance you require?
I know it’s not what your asking, but is it worth the hassle and cost to keep a car in the UK? Why not hire one when you are over and need to get around? Just a thought.
main stream insurers won’t indeed. We have specific exemptions to insure British registered vehicles but only if they are waiting to be imported in France (within the first year). Whatever this is a collection vehicle or a “regular” one. You can get in touch with us online if you’d like => www.fabfrenchinsurance.com
They are my French insurer but refuse to provide UK cover. Equally their uk company won’t provide cover because I’m a French resident!
Allianz says the same
We are back in the uk so frequently- my wife for work, I for motorsport - that a car is essential for last minute meetings, etc
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Could you be a named driver on a car that’s homed and insured by someone who lives in the UK?
I agree, I just don’t think it’s relevant. I had a car here before I moved permanently, I didn’t say I was non resident, nobody asked, it didn’t matter. In fact, the insurance was cheaper because of the low milage we did.
But the bit you quote refers to the house. Where one is resident is irrelevant IMO, what is relevant is how often and for how long the property is empty. Just like any holiday home.
The last thing I’d do is pay a premium and not actually be covered, that’s just plain stupid. I just think on occasion people over complicate things.
BTW, I was never asked about my residency when insuring cars in the UK, but’s nearly fifteen years since I last did, so perhaps things have changed.
You are signing a contract, so under contract law the place where each party resides is relevant.
As with banking. You might think that the only thing that matters is how you manage your accounts, but in fact what matters is whether that particular institution has the right to provide that particular service to a resident of that particular country. If not, the institution cannot legally enter into that contract. Hence certain bank and credit card accoints being closed. Pre Brexit, UK institutions had the freedom to provide their services throughout the EU but now they are subject to the trade and cooperation agreement. I do not know how this applies to insurance companies but I beleve they are regulated by the FSA in the UK so I suspect they might be subject to the same rules as other financial services, ie they need to apply for a licence to transact within the EU / with EU residents.
Unfortunately not - any family who drive are a couple of hundred miles away.
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I understand passporting Sandcastle, indeed my choice of pension fund manager was restricted recently because of it.
But I don’t think it applies in this case, though, honestly, I’m not going to research it. I think the insurance company would be providing Highlander with a UK product, in the UK for a UK property (or car) and for me that would be the end of it. Where he is physically or fiscally resident doesn’t seem in the least relevant to me. What difference does it make?
Now, obviously, a UK insurance company offering an insurance product to a French resident for a property in France would need passporting rights, because, in effect, they are delivering the service in France.
Anyway, I’ve thought enough about this 
Horses for courses.
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I think perhaps, given the low usage you make of the car, it could be better for the health and general maintenance of the car to consider whether there is a family member (ideally) or close friend in the UK who could look after the car for you, perhaps even technically being the keeper (as distinct from owner) of the car if this is necessary technically.
It would be good for the car to get more frequent runs by the sound of things. And it does not sound as if the car would lose value if a greater number of miles’ use of the car would be made by the keeper than by you? so them holding insurance as keeper with additional drivers added as required would seem to reflect a true position that could be arranged? in that way they would be the correct person to hold the insurance policy on the car.
Isn’t it the case that an insurer can only to operate in a specific country? In other words, a UK insurer can only offer insurance to UK residents and French to French etc etc? Large groups have separate companies in various countries to provide cover to those resident there.
LV recently refused to add my daughter, a French resident, to my cover as a named driver. Firstly, because she has a foreign licence but when told she has UK licence they then said they only insure UK residents. At that point I gave up as he accused me of being argumentative.
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At the moment the car is, on average, used daily 10-14 days p month, sometimes for a full month.
Our uk house isn’t in a town so the car is fairly essential for many reasons. There’s no family member within 100 mls and really the same goes for close friends
If you spend so much time in the uk can you not legitimately claim to be dual resident? Does hmrc in fact accept that you are non resident?
There are reasons why leaving a car with someone else/hiring one doesn’t work
My wife’s office is over 100 mls from our house. Frequently she’s en route to the station and learnt her train us cancelled so has to drive
Our daughter is 100 miles east and the nearest other family member is 100 mls west
She can be in her office and discover she’s an urgent meeting 50-80 mls away; or at home in the uk and discover the same. And when we’re both in the uk at the same time I need a car so use hers
We are officially French resident and so comply with the requirements to spend at least 6.5 months in France
UK insurers won’t settle for that - they want it the other way round
It probably depends on which insurance company you are dealing with, but IIRC when I renewed my UK car insurance in May they wanted to know how long I had been resident in the UK.
There is also this warning if you go on “Compare the Market” to get quotes:
Take care that the information you disclose throughout the quote is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge. If you don’t do this, your insurance provider could increase your premium, cancel your policy, treat it as if it never existed, refuse a claim or not pay the claim in full.
Insurance companies love to use anything they consider as an omission or false disclosure to avoid paying out on a claim. I think mis-stating your principal place of residence would definitely come under that heading. 
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And having your policy cancelled by the insurance company is a very bad thing when you’re next looking for insurance.
Where did I advocate giving false or misleading information Chris? I am scroupouloud in my disclosures because, as I wrote above, only a fool would pay a premium and not have cover.
Maybe this residency thing is new, post Brexit perhaps. Was that the first time you had been asked how long you had lived in the UK? Was it a renewal or a move to a new insurer. I can’t see how the length of time one had lived in the UK affects the risk?