"Clampdown on unregistered foreing cars" + info on registering cars

You dont apply for residency, you inform the authorities you consider yourself resident

Jevic is the only company you can use to validate the mileage but its all done via post they do not need to see the vehicle.
Email them for more information.
[email protected]

Terry

I thought you only needed to do the check if the car is UK registered, but maybe changed

at what point does the penalty for non registration of a vehicle kick in ?

can you bring in a vehicle and run it for 6 months on UK plates?

there are three issues - the car, the owner and the driver

a tourist can have a car in Malta for 6 months in 12, but no resident of Malta can drive it
a tourist can only be in Malta for 3 mnoths at a time, but the car could remain

georgeingozo wrote:

I thought you only needed to do the check if the car is UK registered, but maybe changed

The TM website does not state a country but merely refers to vehicles imported to Malta.

In fact originally it only applied to vehicles imported from Japan.

Terry

a resident can drive their own foreign plated car for 20 days

and is it after those twenty days that penalties per day accrue.?

so are we saying as long as you stay here for under 6 months do not register as a resident dont take work etc and take a holiday let then no need to worry.

if you are here for more than 3 months in a stretch you are resident, so you would need to leave and come back. Your car could remain

you dont need to apply for a residency card to be resident, you become resident by staying for 3 months, or sooner if you you consider yourself resident - in theory you can be legally resident on day 1 if you so wish.

toonarmy9752 wrote:

and is it after those twenty days that penalties per day accrue.?

in general terms yes

you have 20 days to start the process, not complete it, and it depends on whether car and owner arrive same day

georgeingozo wrote:

you dont need to apply for a residency card to be resident, you become resident by staying for 3 months, or sooner if you you consider yourself resident - in theory you can be legally resident on day 1 if you so wish.

According to the Maltese government you do, otherwise why are they bothering with the EID?

apply for the card is mandatory, but not necessary to be a resident - by applying for the card you are declaring that you consider yourself resident - its then up to Malta to disprove it

in a similar way, you dont need a passport to be a citizen - its not the application for the document that proves your status

so if a person has been running there uk registered car on uk plates here and hasnt started the reg process what will happen when they do? -

also what about a person who has taken their car off the road and hidden it in a garage unregistered unused and not taxed VRTd nor inrured.

They will have to pay a fine of 30 Euros a day

Off the road is still in Malta, so AFAIK makes no difference

thats exactly what i thought and told the parties involved - it wasnt well received  - and fact they walked away not believing me

is it true that as long as the vehicle is registered and taxed legally in the uk but insured and used here that you have 6months to decide what to do  = or is this a grey area where people use the "not sure if am staying" card..... what if that person in the meantime takes an e -residency permit in the interim????? does the 6months period disappear and the penalties become effective?

toonarmy9752 wrote:

is it true that as long as the vehicle is registered and taxed legally in the uk but insured and used here that you have 6months to decide what to do  = or is this a grey area where people use the "not sure if am staying" card..... what if that person in the meantime takes an e -residency permit in the interim????? does the 6months period disappear and the penalties become effective?

For a vehicle to be legal in any other EU country it must be legal in its country of registration. Maltese insurance is not recognised in the UK on a UK registered car because the insurance company's in Malta are not registered with the MIB.

Terry

but the insurance against accidents  etc is still valid here is it not

s in this scenario when are the penalties effective or is this still unclear

toonarmy9752 wrote:

is it true that as long as the vehicle is registered and taxed legally in the uk but insured and used here that you have 6months to decide what to do  = or is this a grey area where people use the "not sure if am staying" card..... what if that person in the meantime takes an e -residency permit in the interim????? does the 6months period disappear and the penalties become effective?

The 6 months only applies to vehicles owned by tourists. By applying for an eResidence card you are declaring that you consider yourself resident so the 6 month no longer applies

toonarmy9752 wrote:

thats exactly what i thought and told the parties involved - it wasnt well received  - and fact they walked away not believing me

What is their proof you and I are wrong?

thats my thinking too - and am concerned that they have been misinformed / misled or they have misunderstood.....either that or they are trying to get round it all..... which is not unheard of here -  well they said that they had checked and double checked with the dept and had it from the horses mouth so to speak....... but i still think that as you have said that once you got your id card the registration process should be started within 20 days of that - is that correct

i suspect ignorance is not an excuse for the foreigner but it seems to work for the authorities....

toonarmy9752 wrote:

but the insurance against accidents  etc is still valid here is it not

That would depend on the insurance company. When  a claim is made on a UK registered car in Malta the first question they would ask is "have you started the registration process".
However this is Malta and our insurance company in Malta still insist that a green card is required in Europe!

Do you know of any UK registered car in Malta owned by  a resident that has had a claim met?

Terry

toonarmy9752 wrote:

. but i still think that as you have said that once you got your id card the registration process should be started within 20 days of that - is that correct

i suspect ignorance is not an excuse for the foreigner but it seems to work for the authorities....

Your residence starts when you apply for the card, not when it is issued, as you are not applying for residency but informing them you consider yourself resident

EU rules from the website........


taxes


Formalities and documents







Registration

Updated : 12/2012

Car registration and taxes

EU rightsEU




EU



EU




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Denmark


Estonia


France


Germany


Ireland


Italy


Latvia


Lithuania


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Malta


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United Kingdom

   
Temporary stays

If you keep your normal residence from your Member State but you stay in another EU country for less than 6 months, you do not have to register your car or pay any taxes there - it will remain registered in your country of residence.

If you are staying in another EU country for less than 6 months and have not registered your car there, you may not legally lend or rent your car to a resident of that country, who may only drive your car if you are in the car with him/her.

You may, however, lend your car to visiting friends or family - provided they are not resident in your new country.

If you are staying in another country for more than 6 months, you should normally change your residence to this country and you must register your car  there

minefield then - i guess having APPLIED for the card - obliges that person to register the vehicle within 20 days of the application - period. thus the penalties for failing to do so may be applied  - oh dear some people are in for a shock then

If so that will be especially those who are here for more than 90 days and bring their car in.
They may say they are not importing a car but technically, they are.

but then they are l not likely to have taken  or applied for the e-residency card. its a technicality but those who have done so to get the lower utility tariffs etc may have forgotten the other side of it in terms of bringing their car in.

for information purposes

the following is an extract from emails from UKs DVLA and then the one from Maltas TM dept re the registration process

DVLA email
Dear Sir
Thank you for your email received on xxxxxxxxx. Your email reference number is xxxxxxxxx

I should begin by explaining, since the 1st January 2004, the Continuous Registration legislation became effective. Under this legislation, the registered keeper of a vehicle is legally responsible for ensuring his/her vehicle is currently taxed or a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) has been made at all times.

Registered keepers will continue to be responsible for their vehicle until DVLA is notified that the vehicle has been scrapped, sold, exported, or unless a SORN has been made. Please note that as quoted in the Vehicles Registration and Licensing Regulations 2002, SORN declarations are only valid if the vehicle is kept off road in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.

If a vehicle is temporarily taken out of the country (for less than twelve months) but remains registered in the UK, the vehicle must be taxed.

European Union (EU) vehicles which are circulating temporarily within or between community Member States are allowed under EC Directive 83/182, to be used on public roads without the need to register or pay duties in the host country. These provisions limit visits to six months in a twelve-month period and the vehicle must comply with the registration and licensing requirements of its home country.

As you state your vehicle has only been our of the UK for x months (under 6months) and is currently taxed there is nothing you need to do as far as DVLA is concerned.

Do not reply to this email. If you wish to contact us again about this response then please use our Reply Form or copy and paste the following URL in to your browser:

https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildv … icles.html



TM email
Dear Sir

Tourists can use their foreign registered vehicles for up to 7 months in every calendar year; when this period expires the vehicle must be either registered locally or exported from the country.

Residents cannot use a vehicle that is not registered and licensed in Malta and must start the registration procedure within 20 days from date of import.                                                                                                                                                 

A resident is any person who either owns or hires property on the island or is a holder of a Maltese document.

Individuals who will transfer their residence to Malta, the vehicle that will be registered is more than 24 months registered on their name and are in conformity with LN 440 of 2013, can apply for an exemption from the registration tax. The VEH07 form is to be submitted prior the registration procedure; if approval is issued a fee of 100euros will be due instead of the registration tax.

Registration of used foreign vehicles is processed upon an inspection done by the Land Transport Technical Unit which must be applied for at the Land Transport Directorate or by calling on 21233029.

Kindly note that registration tax can be calculated on our website: www.valuation.vehicleregistration.gov.mt, if tax is not provided online the VEH014 form (attached) may be submitted for an estimate.


The registration procedure is explained in details in POL02

The annual circulation tax will be charged according to vehicle's emissions and year of manufacture (table POL33), other fees applicable are €50 for inspection, €15 registration fee, €70 / €200 for number plates and an administration fee of €30 per day will be charged if vehicle is not registered within 20 days from date of arrival. (this was defined as the established date of arrival by proof)

Vehicles which are less than 6 months old or less than 6000km must pay 18% vat on invoice value.

Documents required for registration are:

ٱ      Logbook (with transfer),
ٱ      Notice of arrival (ferry ticket / freight note)
ٱ      Invoice
ٱ      Valuation (printed from web-site if available)
ٱ      VEH01 form (attached)
ٱ      VEH02 form (attached)
ٱ      Insurance (local)
ٱ      VRT
ٱ      Foreign number plates
ٱ      Photocopy of ID card or Passport

Kindly note that M1 vehicles brought into Malta from UK, Wales, Scotland and Ireland are required to submit an Odometer Certificate of Authenticity issued by JEVIC UK LTD. To apply you are required to contact JEVIC by email – [email protected] or call on tel: (UK + 44)-01483-276900.

Payments due must be affected on date of registration by cash, bank draft or card, personal cheques exceeding €750 are not accepted.

Should you need further assistance, do not hesitate to write back or contact us on our FreePhone 80072309.


SO THERE YOU GO

toonarmy9752 wrote:

Kindly note that M1 vehicles brought into Malta from UK, Wales, Scotland and Ireland are required to submit an Odometer Certificate of Authenticity issued by JEVIC UK LTD. To apply you are required to contact JEVIC by email – [email protected] or call on tel: (UK + 44)-01483-276900.

!!! Does that mean that cars from other countries don't need this Jevic certificate? On the TM no mention is made of that.

"A resident is any person who either owns or hires property on the island or is a holder of a Maltese document."

This is not correct as tourists can rent/ hire  property without being a resident!


Terry

The DVLA quotes 6 months  but Malta quotes 7 months in an 12 as the EU rule !

yes Tearnet - i also pointed these anomalies out too

but if you can prove you were still fully resident in your home country "until you decided to stay" then thats acceptable.

the 20 days starts the minute you GET your id card... this has already happened and is 100% acceptable

as for the JEVIC cert - i cant answer that one

so i guess the trick is to keep your vehicle registered and taxed in your home country  and also maintain your residency in your home country too until you are ready to move. and thus start the reg process. - in this insatnce it worked and was backed and approved by the TM

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem.  I was told that you need to apply for residency then you can import your car tax free....logical right?

It turns out that you need to import your car within 30 days of arrival and then do the residency thing.  I missed the date, and am now faced with a 60% import duty.

I told the authorities that I am still a tourist and I have yet to decide that I want to stay here.

I think that taking the car to Sicily and re-import it  is the answer, although the authorities will not discuss this openly.

Looks like the ferry ticket marks the date of entry.