German inwards

[defitzi]

any info out there on bringing home a German campervan ( if I find one i want). I know Dealers have to keep the plates but what's of temporary? WHATS THE SCORE TO BRING IT HOME TO REGISTER ( MUST ONE COME BACK WITH PAPERS AND GO BACK OR CAN ONE BRING THE VEHILE IN ON WHATEVER PLATES ONE HAS? SORRY NOT SHOUTING ALWAYS HITTING CAPS IN ERROR

 

[Deleted member 967]

any info out there on bringing home a German campervan ( if I find one i want). I know Dealers have to keep the plates but what's of temporary? WHATS THE SCORE TO BRING IT HOME TO REGISTER ( MUST ONE COME BACK WITH PAPERS AND GO BACK OR CAN ONE BRING THE VEHILE IN ON WHATEVER PLATES ONE HAS? SORRY NOT SHOUTING ALWAYS HITTING CAPS IN ERROR

Hi defitzi

We bought our Hymer S700 from a gentleman in Dortmund.

We had to go to the local office with the vans papers to get the export plates. We applied and they took payment for a temporary registration (available for 15 or 30 days use) and then we had to go with the papers to the Local Authority Office with the slip for the plates and the papers for the van.

When these were processed we had to go to a TUV station with the papers and the vehicle, where the chassis and body plates were verified that they matched the papers. The document signed by the TUV examiner is then taken back to the Local Authority. The paperwork is gone through again and a slip is issued to take to the first office for the export plates, authorising them to be made up.

I understand that you must now insure the vehicle in the in the country of destination and UK insurers insist that the vehicle must be in the UK to insure them. The export plate comes with basic insurance for third party cover but not for anything else. Your vehicle can only be used to the date on the export plate, before it must be registered in the country of destination.

We had the assistance of the gentleman selling the vehicle and it took us less than half a day to get everything legal for us to use it.

When the vehicle is to be registered in the UK it must first go for a UK MOT even though it has just been examined by the TUV in Germany. If you look on the DVLA website it has available a pack for importing a vehicle into the UK with advice and all the forms necessary.

 

[Kontiki]

If the vehicle is under 3 years old a MOT is not required, there is also the VAT to consider if the vehicle is new or (I'm not sure of the exact details but) if the vehicle has done less than 3000 kms or it was not registered before a certain date. If it's older van then there is no problem, some German dealers insist you pay the German VAT of 19% then refund it after you provide proof that you have paid the VAT in your country of origin. When back in the UK we had to fill in the VAT form, you have the option of paying the VAT at the rate you paid or you can take a chance & get the exchange rate at the time they do the paperwork. (If you can get the dealer to take some money 'cash in hand' & get a receipt for less than the value you can save a few quid on the VAT not that I would do such a thing )
Getting the plates for export, whether you are buying privately or from a dealer try to get them to go with you to sort out the paperwork, dealer we used was excellent & did everything all I had to do was sign the forms when he got them. Bringing it back to the UK you will be covered by the German export plates for minimum third party only, although there is a European directive (7 I think) is supposed to allow you to insure a vehicle on the VIN from your own country I don't know any who do. Some insurance companies will tell you that you are insured from when you collect the van but if you dig into it the cover only starts when you reach UK soil (if they insist they are covering you make sure that you have it in writing that you are fully covered from the moment you collect the vehicle) We had to take our vehicle to the DVLA to register it & for them to check the VIN was correct for the vehicle.

 

[Nolly]

Same for us in France. Really straight forward. Bought temp plates with insurance which lasts for 15 days.
As far as the m.o.t is concerned I believe that Germany has 1 of the strictest tests in Europe. So you should'nt have any problems with that.
But a word of caution even after the long trip to view, be prepared to walk away if your not happy.