Insurance ? Live in Canada - Car is in the UK

[UKAuto]

I live in Canada, and have a Canadian driver's licence. I am pursuing the purchase of a car in England with the plan of importing it to Canada in a year. For the most par the car will be stored in a secure storage in the UK, but I would also like to vacation in the UK for a few days next summer and drive it (if practical).

Does anyone know of an insurance company that would insure me? If I can't get insurance to drive the vehicle, at very least I need to have it insured against loss or damage - it is too valuable to just take my chances.

Appreciate any factual information anyone can share.

[Densetsu]

UKAuto said:

I live in Canada, and have a Canadian driver's licence. I am pursuing the purchase of a car in England with the plan of importing it to Canada in a year. For the most par the car will be stored in a secure storage in the UK, but I would also like to vacation in the UK for a few days next summer and drive it (if practical).

Does anyone know of an insurance company that would insure me? If I can't get insurance to drive the vehicle, at very least I need to have it insured against loss or damage - it is too valuable to just take my chances.

Appreciate any factual information anyone can share.

Storage company should offer insurance based on the cars value etc (for storage).

Edited by Densetsu on Monday 9th December 18:22

[UKAuto]

Densetsu said:

Storage company should offer insurance based on the cars value etc.

That is the avenue I am exploring now - thanks. I need to find a suitable (reliable) storage facility. It does rule out the option of driving the car unfortunately.

[RDMcG]

I live in Toronto and recently shipped a Canadian-registered car to Germany to drive and track there for a few weeks... I insured it by calling my broker in Toronto and they organized the Euro insurance through Chubb. If you have a Canadian broker they may be helpful.

[Densetsu]

UKAuto said:

That is the avenue I am exploring now - thanks. I need to find a suitable (reliable) storage facility. It does rule out the option of driving the car unfortunately.

Expect something like £2 per year per £1000 of the value in secure car storage place.

Just a thought, how will you get the car MoT'd? (unless it's exempt)? Flatbed trailer to the MoT station? Again, insurance could be tricky...

[UKAuto]

RDMcG said:

I live in Toronto and recently shipped a Canadian-registered car to Germany to drive and track there for a few weeks... I insured it by calling my broker in Toronto and they organized the Euro insurance through Chubb. If you have a Canadian broker they may be helpful.

Thanks, good thought. I know the insurance companies I deal with won't insure it -(Allstate and Hagerty) but perhaps the broker can find something for me.

[The Moose]

When I go back to the UK, Chubb have no problem adding me to my families’ policies to drive pretty much anything.

I don’t know if you could get the same deal as the main insured??

[UKAuto]

Densetsu said:

Expect something like £2 per year per £1000 of the value in secure car storage place.

Just a thought, how will you get the car MoT'd? (unless it's exempt)? Flatbed trailer to the MoT station? Again, insurance could be tricky...

Vendor will MOT before I pick it up. Likely I will need to flat bed it to storage. Not sure if I can MOT it ‘now’, but insure it for road use a few months later - I guess I have some reading of the rules ahead.

[UKAuto]

The Moose said:

When I go back to the UK, Chubb have no problem adding me to my families’ policies to drive pretty much anything.

I don’t know if you could get the same deal as the main insured??

Waiting for a verdict on this from Chubb - appreciate the lead.

[Densetsu]

UKAuto said:

Vendor will MOT before I pick it up. Likely I will need to flat bed it to storage. Not sure if I can MOT it ‘now’, but insure it for road use a few months later - I guess I have some reading of the rules ahead.

You can MoT it any time with or without insurance (when flat beddin' it to the MoT station and back) , and in your case , yes you can insure it later after.

Don't forget to SORN it however! There's no point taxing the car when it's off-road/in storage for a while: -> https://www.gov.uk/make-a-sorn

Edited by Densetsu on Monday 9th December 18:24

[TheHoof]

Thread resurrection but adding in case it's of use to anyone in the future.

I needed insurance on a car registered in my name & stored in the UK but I had to surrender my UK license for a Canadian license when we relocated. Come renewal time my existing insurer couldn't cover me with a CAD license. I was able to coverage sorted via Keith Michaels (http://www.keithmichaels.co.uk) under their 'Expat coverage' - policy is underwritten by Aviva.

[fttm]

Never surrended ours , which province are you in ? Saying that, the legislation seems to change day by day .

[Rich_AR]

fttm said:

Never surrended ours , which province are you in ? Saying that, the legislation seems to change day by day .

You have to surrender it in BC.

[TheHoof]

fttm said:

Never surrended ours , which province are you in ? Saying that, the legislation seems to change day by day .

Ontario, and this was a couple of years ago.

Seems I might have been able to retain my UK license if I'd taken a driving test here but that wasn't an option offered to me by the relocation advisers my company engaged when we moved over.