Import Car with steer on the left (example Poland, Holland)

Hi,
I'm getting ready to move to Malta and I'm wondering if it's allowed to import a car with the steer on the left into Malta? I've owned the car for over 2 years and I see you don't have to pay import tax then so it should be the cheapest option (since I already own the car). I've searched the forum but I only could find info on right steer-cars (UK). Furthermore I hope drinving a left steer car in Malta will not be to difficult, except for the ticketmachines :)

As far as I know it does not matter where the car comes from or whether it is left or right hand drive. Might be slightly more difficult to get a true value for the car.

As for driving here, there are not many situations where you are likely to be overtaking at speed and with a little patience you should be OK with left hand drive.  Most locals drive in the middle of the road anyway!

Ray

Friends of ours imported their car from Germany (with the steering wheel on the 'correct' side ;-) ) and it wasn't a problem.

Thanks for your very helpfull awnser. They don't have any trouble driving it?

No, never mentioned anything. We drove our car down from Austria and used it in Malta for three months in 2016, and it never was a problem, either.

Not a problem for the registration, but some insurance companies might charge slightly higher rates (but that's the same vice versa).

Driving a LHD car in Malta can be annoying when you enter parking lots, since the ticket booth is on the other side of the car. Overtaking is not easy because you do not see the oncoming traffic - but that's not an issue on Maltese roads  :lol:

Selling it on can also be a problem.

Better export it again as I see it if I ever want to sell the car  :)

you are not allowed to sell it for the next 3 years, otherwise, you have to pay the registration tax.
and 3 years in Malta can be quite tough for a car ...

I have a chevrolet orlando wich is 3 years old. So another 3 years will not be a problem I think (hope even more maybe). But if I understand correctly in your opinion after 3 years you can sell it without import-tax? Because in other responses I understand you have this tax to pay whenever you sell this car in Malta, without a time-limit.

the conditions are: you have to be the owner and need to present a valid insurance coverage on your name for the last 2 years. And you are not allowed to register it on another name or sell it within 3 years after registration in Malta.

Only the procedure seems to be different: usually, you have to pay the registration tax and can apply for a refund after 3 years presenting the valid logbook. Sometimes you register the car and you do not need to pay the registration tax, only in case you want to sell it - then the new owner has to pay the tax, otherwise, TM will not proceed with the name transfer.

I do not know which is the correct procedure, but this is another subject that seems to depend on the knowledge level of the respective clerk. I'd say, if they ask you for a pre-payment, tell them about the other procedure and if they do not accept - come again a few days later and apply with another clerk.

MarcelMarcelMarcel wrote:

I have a chevrolet orlando wich is 3 years old. So another 3 years will not be a problem I think (hope even more maybe). .


It's not only the road condition, that stresses the car here in Malta  :lol: