Car registration HOWTO in GB for people who brought their left handed car from abroad.

What?£
MOT10-40/a
Insurance444.00/a (TESCO, home/domestic)
Registration25.00
Tax100.00-160.00/a
Number Platesapprox. 15
  1. MOT: A part of the beam of the headlights is in the wrong direction. This part should be blocked off by insulating tape or by special tapes from your home country. Change it on your own or have it done at the garage where the MOT is carried out. 10-40 quid plus work to be done on the car.
  2. Call the insurance company. I recommend TESCO (or if you want: an insurance broker). With TESCO I had absolutely no hassle. I called approx ten different insurers and all rejected me. But if you are bored you can have a chat with stressed call-center agents who panic when they realise that you are not a standard case. 444.00 quid for one year at TESCO or 100 more with an insurance broker.
  3. DVLA: With all original papers of the car, the insurance policy and the MOT go to the DVLA and apply for the registration number. Fee: 25 quid. Tax: 100-160 quid, depending on the CO2 emission and the age of the car. The DVLA in Scotland is in Glasgow and in Edinburgh. The people there are very helpful.
  4. Number plates: go to Halfords. They cost around 15 quid. There's a problem with the european number plates: they can be too wide and won't fit into the frame. Especially this is the case with number plates without a 1. Of course this was the case with mine. :-(
  5. And finally: call your former insurance-company and order an international proof of your "No Claim Discount". They are usually in english, french and in the language of your home-country. TESCO accepted this proof without any problems.
    DON'T request it earlier. I did it and the HUK-Coburg in Germany cancelled my insurance instantly without any warning.

The prices are the actual prices I found in Stirling (Aug 2001). Especially the premium can vary - depending on the car's purpose and the mileage.
Bernd & Annette
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