I want to import a vehicle but I’m having difficulty getting insurance to allow me to drive back to the UK

Insurance for a vehicle registered in another Member State can only be provided by an insurer authorized to transact business in that Member State. So unless the UK insurer has an operation there, or is authorized to sell insurance direct in the Member State, the insurance must be taken out with a local insurer.

For new vehicles, temporary insurance is often provided through the dealer – but this may only cover your liability to third parties, and may not protect you if the vehicle is damaged or stolen.

If you are unable to arrange the insurance you require locally, it may be necessary to have the vehicle delivered to the UK by other means (for example, on a trailer).

For information about what you need to do to register an imported vehicle visit the DVLA web site

An EU Directive aimed at allowing UK insurers to provide insurance for the whole journey is currently being prepared. However, this is unlikely to be implemented before 2005.