Insuring a UK car in Germany for six months

Im currently working in Germany until July. I want to bring my car from the UK to use for work and traveling around. How do I go about insuring it here for that length of time? I asked some UK insurers but I got mixed information, they asked about my residency, consecutive stay in the UK, maximum length of 90 days and so on.

Is it really this complicated? Would it be easier to insure with a German Insurance firm? If so, how do I do this?

I think the car probably needs to be registered here to be insured by a German insurer

I know that the AA does international insurance where you can get cover for a full year of having your car outside of the UK. Try them

ADAC will do it for you - it's quite expensive though, and for a maximum of a year. Your standard UK insurance will cover you for 3rd party-only coverage if it is a visit, but I think the rules change if you're here for longer. There is also a firm in Swansea who specialise in this, http://www.stuartcollins.com/index.shtml

If you are only working here temporarily you aren't really resident here, so your domestic insurance will cover you, at least 3rd party. The insurers don't like people knowing this but it's been a fact for a long time. All that stuff about only valid for three months is a load of rubbish.

Get a Green Card from your insurer so you have something to show if you need to. You have a legal right to this doc, but getting one from a British insurer is a pain.

Of course if you actually take up residence here you have to register the car and get insured here and so on.

I asked my insurers at home, TESCO. They asked if im living in Germany, I told them yes I am and they said they cant insure me because of that. They mentioned if I am there for more than 90 days then its no. I said Im traveling back and forth every month but they still refused. The Norwich Union said for me to be a UK resident I have to be in UK for 180 consecutive days, I didnt even realise I ever stop being a UK resident unless I move permanantly.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to be a resident of the UK you need to spend over 187 days in a year there - not necessarily over 180 consecutive days. Also even if you move to Germany and stay there, it takes at least 1 year for your residency to switch to Germany since the previous year is what counts ...

They are covering their arses. What they mean when they ask where you live is where are you resident. From what you've said here you are still resident in the UK.

My advice would be simply not to mention it to the insurers. The people you are speaking to simply do not understand the situation. Your British insurance covers you within the EU and a few other countries as long as you are resident in the UK. Simply living in another country for a short period does not mean you are resident there and no longer resident in the UK.

The 180 days thing is strictly for tax purposes.

If you can't get a British insurer to play ball, go to an ADAC office in Germany and they'll give you Green Card insurance at a fixed price of so much per month.

Wheel,

I have registerd with some foriegn office here in Germany, I needed to get a tax card and was advised to register with the office because they would register me with the police too? Does that make me german resident?

In practice I think the answer is yes. No problem, you can go to an ADAC office and get Green Card insurance for up to 6 months at a time.

Which Insurance firm would be best/cheapest here in Germany? Do I need a green card?

I use VHV but I'm not sure if they are cheapest or best. A Green Card is document which you use to show authorities in other European countries that you are insured. Either your insurance company will give you one (perhaps charging a fee) or you can buy Green Card only ins. from ADAC.

Edit: you only need a Green Card if you drive in countries other than the one you're insured in. So if you're insured in the UK it's a good idea to get a Green Card if you drive the Germany, and vice versa. If you are insured in Germany and only drive there you won't need one.

Wheel, if I go to an ADAC office will they be able to arrange the insurance for me? What do I need to take with me if this is the case?

Passport, money, driving licence and they can usually do it on the spot.

cool. do you know how much it costs? is it fully comp?

No idea how much it costs now,I did it ages ago. It's minimum insurance, so not fully comp.

I would need fully comp if possible, my car is new. The problem Im facing is that all the isurance web sites are in German, my German is nicht so gut