18 months outside UK

Posted on 22/05/2022 13:48 by Jez 1966

We're at the early stages of planning a Canada & USA tour with motorhome & car on trailer.

Visa's mean this could be outside UK for upto 18 months. (6 months Canada & 12 months USA)

Temporary import means we can take vehicles in ok.

My question is regarding MOT/TAX and insurance etc requirements for vehicles.

I've search extensively online but I can't find advise or was to ask DVLA.

Anyone with knowledge of what is required for a vehicle >3 years old outside UK of more than a year?

Tax/MOT-local equivalent/Insurance local-home country?

Posted on 23/05/2022 07:15 by Lutz

It's been a long time since I took my car over to the US, but I presume that basically things haven't changed that much since.

Once your vehicle is out of the UK, nobody is interested in its status there so long as you don't count as being permanently resident there during your absence, so there is no requirement to keep a valid MOT and no need to tax. I insured the car upon arrival in the US with an American insurance. It kept its UK number plates, though, throughout its stay there.

Posted on 23/05/2022 09:38 by Rocky 2 buckets

Lutz, what happens when a person returns with an out of date MOT?, is it taken to its UK destination on a transporter🤔

Posted on 23/05/2022 09:38 by Rocky 2 buckets

Lutz, what happens when a person returns with an out of date MOT?, is it taken to its UK destination on a transporter🤔

Posted on 05/06/2022 19:16 by wallacebob

You should contact your insurer, most allow a max of 3 months outside UK. Maintaining vehicle in roadworthy condition and having a current MOT is a condition of insurance. Whether the vehicle is in UK or not, it must be MOTed and road taxed, if it on the UK system. If you import the vehicle to USA it will have to be retested for compliance, and registered as a US vehicle. In mainland EU and UK you have 6 months before you must re-register a vehicle, I assume similar in US.

Posted on 22/05/2022 13:48 by Jez 1966

We're at the early stages of planning a Canada & USA tour with motorhome & car on trailer.

Visa's mean this could be outside UK for upto 18 months. (6 months Canada & 12 months USA)

Temporary import means we can take vehicles in ok.

My question is regarding MOT/TAX and insurance etc requirements for vehicles.

I've search extensively online but I can't find advise or was to ask DVLA.

Anyone with knowledge of what is required for a vehicle >3 years old outside UK of more than a year?

Tax/MOT-local equivalent/Insurance local-home country?