Vauxhall Astra - Non UK resident car insurance

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Wed 23 Feb 2022 14:25
Vauxhall Astra - Non UK resident car insurance - Craig Balmain

My sister and I are British but reside in Canada and Spain respectively. Recently we bought a car in the UK which is garaged at our elderly father's house. We made him the registed owner even though he has no valid licence and can no longer drive.

Between our two families we make several visits totalling more than 90 days per year but, having now bought the car it seems our non-resident status makes it SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO INSURE any of us to drive it. We've looked into insuring it in someone else's name (a UK resident) and adding our names as additional drivers but even this proves impossible. I myself even have a valid UK licence registered at my father's address (my sister's is Canadian) but despite this, insurers require me to declare residency in the UK.

Is there a solution to this problem, and why do insurers treat us an uninsurable risk?TREAT US

Any suggestions would be welcome. In the meantime the car sits untaxed and uninsured in dad's garage...

Edited by _ORB_ on 23/02/2022 at 14:38

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Wed 23 Feb 2022 14:40
Vauxhall Astra - Non UK resident car insurance - _

Go through an insurance broker,

Your premiums will probably be very high, as how can the insurance company pursue you in cse of an incident?

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Wed 23 Feb 2022 18:37
Vauxhall Astra - Non UK resident car insurance - Grenache

I've had experince of this, trying to add my non-resident daughter as a named driver on my car all year round - they won't do it. I have to add her on for 2 weeks each time she visits.

Even if you get someone in the UK to buy insurance in their own name, you would still have to add on the visitors each visit.

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Thu 24 Feb 2022 17:40
Vauxhall Astra - Non UK resident car insurance - MGspannerman

I had success adding my English brother in law, resident in Aus for 40+ years, to my policy. This was via LV, however I am resident in the UK with an established NCB history. He borrows the car for a tour round the UK on the occasions they visit. I have also added a Canadian friend as an additional driver for several European road trips we have done together. It has got more difficult in recent years though and I have swapped insurers having checked around.

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Thu 24 Feb 2022 23:30
Vauxhall Astra - Non UK resident car insurance - Grenache

I had success adding my English brother in law, resident in Aus for 40+ years

I'm assuming you add him as and when he visits, rather than as a permanent named driver? In my case it's the permanent named non-resident driver that's the problem.

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