Car with a UK registration

If i am not mistaken you can drive it 6 months and then registration unless you are not going out before...

Hi,

once you are resident ( or maybe even applied by appointment? - not quite sure about that) you cannot drive a foreign plated car in Malta.

You can be a tourist in Malta for 3 months at the most and drive a foreign plated car.

After 3 months you are not a tourist anymore ( should have applied for residency).

Can someone tell me where these 6 months come from ?

Cheers
Ricky

Have just looked through a couple more threads and it appears that one can drive a foreign plates car for a total of six months in a year, but have to split it into two lots of 3 months by going out of the country. Our concern is not being given an appointment before the 3 months expiry date - we would probably have to go to the expense of taking our car out for 24 hours! Anyone know someone in 'high places' that can give us a solution?

Hi,

I have my foreign licensed car here in Malta since November and my lawyer confirmed me in November that "The car may be kept in Malta for a maximum of 7 months."

However in the mean time I got my tax residence here but still dont have the e-residence permit.

I think the worst case is that you have to pay 30EUR/day if you are over the limit and you have to be careful that the ADT will not tow your car away.

regards

Hi michael,

if you are a tax resident you are a resident ! Or what else ?

Once you are a resident you cannot drive a foreign plated car !

The car may be kept in Malta but you can't be in Malta that long without being a resident ! Or someone correct me .

Once again , can someone tell me where these 6 months legal driving period come from ?

Cheers
Ricky

Ricky - six months appears on the transportmalta website under registration and licensing of foreign cars - but the question is, is it six months consecutive?

Oh, it's a common problem here...
I was trying to investigate - during what period can I use my TCN driving licence (Russian). No answer. In the law it said "12 months if you are not a resident", but how it can be, when is start point for 12 months - nobody knows.

On my e-mail they just repeat the quote from the law

Our friend here bought 2nd or 3rd car using his TCN driving licence during last 4 year - nobody cares. Really. Just don't drive drunk and don't be involved in any accidents.

Spiridonov wrote:

Just don't drive drunk and don't be involved in any accidents.

No valid licence means no car insurance if you have an accident

These last comments are ALL OFF TOPIC this is a sticky for e-residency

That's correct toonarmy, the sticky is an eresidence one and my question is an eresidence one. What is the malta government doing about prospective residents who can't get an appointment swiftly for eresidence and therefore have to take their car out of the country after 3 (or six months) I'll repeat my question 'Anyone know someone in 'high places' that can give us a solution?

Hi,

I've moved all the off topic posts to a new thread

all the best,

Julien

ricky wrote:

Hi,

once you are resident ( or maybe even applied by appointment? - not quite sure about that) you cannot drive a foreign plated car in Malta.

You can be a tourist in Malta for 3 months at the most and drive a foreign plated car.

After 3 months you are not a tourist anymore ( should have applied for residency).

Can someone tell me where these 6 months come from ?

Cheers
Ricky

The 6 months refers to the car, not the owner

Once you apply for e residency (ie ask for an appointment via email) you are declaring that you are no longer a tourist, you can therefore start the car reregistering process. If there is a delay in the registering process transport Malta will issue a temp document to show that the process has started.

Terry

a bit like the old id cards - once you had signed for that you had declared yourself resident - and many didnt even know!!!!!

toonarmy9752 wrote:

a bit like the old id cards - once you had signed for that you had declared yourself resident - and many didnt even know!!!!!

With the old ID card application form though it clearly said that by applying for an id card you considered yourself resident. The fact that many didn't read the declaration was their fault.

EU citizens do not apply for residency,  they inform the authorities that they consider themselves resident, so by applying for an appointment your residence clock should start then.

georgeingozo wrote:

toonarmy9752 wrote:

a bit like the old id cards - once you had signed for that you had declared yourself resident - and many didnt even know!!!!!

With the old ID card application form though it clearly said that by applying for an id card you considered yourself resident. The fact that many didn't read the declaration was their fault.

Not considered GnG

Quote from original application form

"SIGNED DECLARATION BY APPLICANT
I, the undersigned, do hereby declare that to the best of my knowledge all of the above information is true and correct. I do further declare that:
(a) I am resident in Malta and have been residing in Malta  since etc etc etc "

I do agree its down to the individual to read it but i do think as a safeguard that the officer should say by doing so you are declaring yourself resident. it takes seconds to do this.

Thanks for all the input - lets hope that the email request for a residency appointment will satisfy malta transport

rooikat wrote:

Thanks for all the input - lets hope that the email request for a residency appointment will satisfy malta transport

The only thing that will satisfy Transport Malta is the MONEY!
Your address and passport will suffice for the paperwork.

Terry

What exactly happens when you dirve a foreign licensed car in Malta when you are a resident, fines?

- If they would stop me, I can show them my Passport with another address in there, so they treat me as a tourist?

Fines and possible confiscation of the vehicle. Ive heard of people having their vehicle confiscated on the spot and told to make their own way home. Getting stopped if driving a foreign plated car is quite frequent. If you claim to be a tourist when you are actually resident, that would be another offence

Hi George,

did you ever hear that TM officials tap into the ID card database ( like they do at the DCEA when you apply for the new e-residence card?

Or do they just believe what you tell them ?-))) Probably not?

Cheers
Ricky

It is not even my car, so they could not justify to confiscate it.

Well I would always say that I am a tourist anyways as long as they do not give my my resident card.

Other than that I could always say my GF who is here a tourist is not feeling well and I have to drive her (works with rental cars also).

I always have the ferry ticket of arrival with me in the car and insurance so there is no doubt about that.

Anyone actually experienced a stop of their car?

michael78 wrote:

It is not even my car, so they could not justify to confiscate it.

Well I would always say that I am a tourist anyways as long as they do not give my my resident card.

Other than that I could always say my GF who is here a tourist is not feeling well and I have to drive her (works with rental cars also).

I always have the ferry ticket of arrival with me in the car and insurance so there is no doubt about that.

Anyone actually experienced a stop of their car?

We were stopped just after we arrived when driving our French registered car. I explained that I had started the process of registering the car in Malta and the guy phoned and checked. I did have a letter from TM confirming that the process had started but he did check before letting us go.

Not sure why you think its OK to break the law in the country you have chosen to live in?


Terry

Break the law sounds a little harsh for my taste.

According to EU law:

Self-employed cross-border workers

If you are self-employed, living in country A and working in country B, you may use your company car in country A without having to register it there only if:

    the car was bought in your company's name;
    you use it in country A mainly for your work and only occasionally for private purposes;
    your company is legally based in another country.

Please note that a company car must be bought in your company's name. If you drive a car bought in your own name, you must register it in the country where you live.

All of that above seems to be applying.

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/ve … dex_en.htm

So the point of your original posting asking about how long you can keep a foreign registered car in Malta was what?

Terry

Further question: Using a Malta insurer for a UK registered car?

Is one allowed to use a Malta insurer for a UK registered car?

Our car will be covered by our UK insurers for 90 days in Malta (or any EU)when we arrive. Our UK insurance(coincidentally) expires at the same time as our 90 day cover so would be up for renewal.

Are we allowed to use Malta Insurers for cover if there is a delay in residence documents/registering car our etc etc.

rooikat wrote:

Further question: Using a Malta insurer for a UK registered car?

Is one allowed to use a Malta insurer for a UK registered car?

Our car will be covered by our UK insurers for 90 days in Malta (or any EU)when we arrive. Our UK insurance(coincidentally) expires at the same time as our 90 day cover so would be up for renewal.

Are we allowed to use Malta Insurers for cover if there is a delay in residence documents/registering car our etc etc.

Yes any Maltese insurer will give you cover for your car, they will need to be satisfied that you intend to register the car ( or have started the process) in Malta. What form the proof they require / will take, I'M not sure. An ID card or maybe a rental contract for more than 12 months but ask in any insurance office and they will tell you.
Don't forget to notify the DVLA that the vehicle has been permanently exported.

Terry