Car Insurance

[Mr Beaumont]

Hello, sorry I'm sure this has been covered in the past.
I'm going to live in Montpellier at the end of August, and the plan is to stay in France for around a year. I want to take my car with me, and am wondering if people could recommend a car insurer, as admiral have a limit of 90 days.
Or is it cheaper to get the car insured with a French insurer?

Thanks in advance,

James

[Expatloon]

It's not quite as simple as you might think.

If you stay in France for 12 months then you will almost certainly be regarded as French resident from the day you arrive and in that case your current UK insurance will become invalid as it will be conditional on you being a UK resident, you of course have an absolute duty to inform your current insurer of the change of circumstances.

You can insure your car in France but very few French insurers today will cover you beyond two months which is the time they allow for you to French register the car, if you fail to then they will cancel your cover.

Furthermore, and regardless of residential status, EU rules only permit you to keep your UK registered car in France for 6 months in any 12 after which it must be registered or removed from the country.

[Russwhitehouse]

French insurance is also scandalously expensive, two or three times what you would pay in the UK.

[trunnie]

It depends if you shop around. Admiral appear to be behind the pretty competitive new L'Olivier website. The no claims thing is pretty bizarre by UK standards as is the habit of cancelling your insurance if you get more than 3 claims in a set period.

[Nobbles]

Marks and Spencer insurance used to give me unlimited trips to europe although stipulated for a maximum of 90 days each. It's a few years back. Had to claim once as the window was smashed, no issues. A group of toerags targeted a tourist car park so nothing to do with a English car.

[Mr Beaumont]

Thanks for the replies so far, was hoping it would be a little simpler!

[sunbeam alpine]

Given all the potential hassles, and unless it's something pretty special, you may well be better selling your car and buying something in France.

When I first moved to Belgium (almost 20 years ago now), I insured my Sunbeam Alpine (on UK plates) via a speialist insurer in Belgium. No standard insurer could do it and it cost quite a lot of money, don't know whether it's still possible, but it's not worth it for an "ordinary" car.

[Mr Beaumont]

That's what I've been thinking. It's a Renault Twingo, so nothing particularly special, and I suppose it would be easier to have something LHD in the long term.

[thefrog]

MAIF have been good with me, not cheap but good with my currently UK registered cars.

So, if you bring a car over, keep it 5 months, return to the UK for a week end, then come back to france for 5 months, are you technically not exporting the car ? No stay longer than 6 months ? Just curious.

[Geekman]

Most people I know in the same situation (staying for 1 year or less) simply insure in Britain and don't bother telling their insurance. A couple of them have had claims processed with no issues - they simply tell the insurers they're on holiday.

Of course, I'm not advocating doing that, but the situation is so complex that it's what the majority of people do if they're not planning on staying in France indefinitely. Unless your French is fluent, buying and insuring a French car isn't very easy either.

[Expatloon]

thefrog said:

So, if you bring a car over, keep it 5 months, return to the UK for a week end, then come back to france for 5 months, are you technically not exporting the car ?

No because it's 6 months in any 12 so nipping back for the weekend resets nothing.

Exceptionally BAD advice from Geekkman which you should ignore completely.

You might get away with a minor claim for say a car park fender bender but in case of a serious accident where thousands might be at stake, not to mention possible injuries or god forbid a fatality, your insurer will dig much much deeper and the truth will out.

Remember the onus is ALWAYS on you to prove what you claim not the insurers to disprove it.

[Geekman]

Expatloon said:

o because it's 6 months in any 12 so nipping back for the weekend resets nothing.

Exceptionally BAD advice from Geekkman which you should ignore completely.

You might get away with a minor claim for say a car park fender bender but in case of a serious accident where thousands might be at stake, not to mention possible injuries or god forbid a fatality, your insurer will dig much much deeper and the truth will out.

Remember the onus is ALWAYS on you to prove what you claim not the insurers to disprove it.

It's not advice. Nowhere in my post have I told him he should do that. I'm simply telling him what all my acquaintances in the same situation (i.e. not staying in France for longer than one year) have done. I suspect that most people in this situation do that, or maybe I happen to have particularly dishonest friends, who knows?

One of my friends who made a claim did make a fairly "serious" one, i.e. there were minor injuries, significant damage, and it was his fault. All processed by the insurance company with no problem.

The fact is, there's no simple solution to the OP's problem. He can either do it by the book, and go through a huge amount of hassle and paperwork, or take the easy, and illegal option, as I imagine most people do. It's totally up to him - I'm not encouraging anyone to break the law.

[rdjohn]

Geekman said:

Unless your French is fluent, buying and insuring a French car isn't very easy either.

My French is anything but fluent, but I would say that buying, selling and insuring a French car is not complicated. It is nothing like as hard as getting a CoC and registering an import. Having the steering wheel in the correct position also makes overtaking safer.

Perhaps as important, it shows your neighbours that you intend to integrate and be part of their community. Keeping an English car must look like you are always prepared for a fast exit.

[Russwhitehouse]

Funny you should mention fast exits John. Nail, head, bang!

[paulwirral]

Expatloon said:

o because it's 6 months in any 12 so nipping back for the weekend resets nothing.

Exceptionally BAD advice from Geekkman which you should ignore completely.

You might get away with a minor claim for say a car park fender bender but in case of a serious accident where thousands might be at stake, not to mention possible injuries or god forbid a fatality, your insurer will dig much much deeper and the truth will out.

Remember the onus is ALWAYS on you to prove what you claim not the insurers to disprove it.

I left a tipper truck there for a year , 2 years running , only brought it back to test it , when building my house , i even sorned it . I never had any problems . I also sometimes drive at 71mph on the motorway in England , but that's just the way I am !

[trunnie]

Let's rewind a little. So you have an accident whilst being a little economical with your UK insurance whilst living in France.

Do you make a fraudulent declaration on your insurance policy which means that, given the new enthusiasm of UK insurance companies for detecting dodgy claims you risk being charged with fraud, or at best a voiding of your policy so you pick up the damage to your car, the other persons car and their passengers injuries. What sort of chance of being detected would you think is worthwhile before you took that risk which could be well into 5 figures or even 6???

Not exactly the 3 points that 71mph on the motorway in one of the more overenthusiastic police force areas in the UK will get you is it?

Not sure that ignoring the moral perspective it stacks up from an economic risk perspective.

[paulwirral]

trunnie said:

Let's rewind a little. So you have an accident whilst being a little economical with your UK insurance whilst living in France.

Do you make a fraudulent declaration on your insurance policy which means that, given the new enthusiasm of UK insurance companies for detecting dodgy claims you risk being charged with fraud, or at best a voiding of your policy so you pick up the damage to your car, the other persons car and their passengers injuries. What sort of chance of being detected would you think is worthwhile before you took that risk which could be well into 5 figures or even 6???

Not exactly the 3 points that 71mph on the motorway in one of the more overenthusiastic police force areas in the UK will get you is it?

Not sure that ignoring the moral perspective it stacks up from an economic risk perspective.

It worked for me !
Seriously though , and correct me if I'm wrong because I'm only going off what I've read regarding nurburgring insurance questions , I would guess by taking your money any insurance company has to legally cover you in Europe third party for the duration of your policy .
Drive a shed and take it on the chin if anything happens , insurance by nature is just a gamble , it's up to the op how he chooses to take the gamble .
Or he could pick up a telephone and speak to a specialist insurer about his needs , someone would no doubt cover him at a premium . Or like has already been said , buy a car out there and insure it there , I did when I lived there and just sorted insurance through the bank , probably wasn't the best deal but it was easy , and I would imagine if he's living there he will need a euro bank account .