Insurance are only too happy to take your money - but will then try and get out if they can find any way of doing so. Being 'insured' often means nothing in reality. Porsche, if you check this one out, would love to hear how you get on.
Interesting and very useful. I kept a car in the UK as we have a flat there- but had great difficulty finding an insurance that would not ask questions about the fact I now have a Swiss licence and am officially resident in CH. I have recently given the car to a young friend who needed it and cancelled the Insurance. I asked them what would have happened if I had had a mishap (in the UK we never drove is abroad) - and she said that if they had discovered I am resident in Ch with a CH licence (we had to give in our UK licences in when we registered) they would not have paid up. Pheeeeew.
That is not the same thing...
If the person who owns and insures the car is UK resident with a UK licence, and they tell the insurance that a named driver has a Swiss licence and the insurance company accept them as a named driver then they are covered.
UK regulations,
Of course as long as it is declared and absolutely crystal clear. Finding an Insurance that will take you on on that basis is not easy though. So if the named Insurance above does, thanks- but would want their acceptance in writing. Certainly my UK Insurance (First Direct) refused, and Tesco never asked - but did say later they would have used it against me.
Article 5 of the legislation I linked to, only available in French or German, states:
"les moyens de transport à usage privé doivent être immatriculés dans un territoire autre que celui d’admission temporaire, au nom d’une personne établie ou résidant en dehors du territoire d’admission temporaire, et être importés et utilisés par des personnes résidant dans un tel territoire "
Thus, bold clarifies it is to be used by the person resident in the other country.
From my understanding, it is not the insurance issue at hand. According to the links from the Customs I noted above, driving a foreign registered car in CH, while a legal resident here, will likely cause problems unless you fall into one of the excepted categories during the accepted time frames and file the paperwork.
I love the way you guys are interpreting this, and translating a para' from a website. In the other threads on the same topic the 'you can/can't' personal opinion of the laws generated the same comments. I simply went into the Strassenvekehrsamt office and spoke to one of the very helpful staff, and the guy on the otherside of the counter, in person, face to face, mano a mano etc, and the answer was simply NO... I guess as he ACTUALLY worked for the STVA he would know, and it was only a couple of months ago.
Out of interest, PG, are you a named driver on e.g. a UK policy? I'm a named driver on a UK policy (also LV, who know that I'm Swiss resident and have a copy of my Swiss driving licence) on a UK-registered car owned by a UK resident and it sounds like it's worth my talking to the STVA too on this for when this person visits me. I can certainly see that the answer would be "no" on the assumption that the car would not be insured for me to drive - but it is.
I wasn't at the time eng_ch as we were researching the option. My friend had approached his UK insurer and was told to add me specifically was no problem, but as he had any driver cover it wasn't needed. Armed with this info' I toddled off to the STVA, initially I went to Zug office and asked there and they said no, but as I live in Kanton Zurich that I should there in case they something else, but the answer was the same , no. So 2 offices said that I would not be allowed to drive his car if he left it here for safe keeping.
My problem is really only with being a named driver on a policy. I think all my family is with admiral due to multi car discounts so there isn't a chance of changing to LV.
I look the same as my brother so will just blame him if I get in trouble
PG - I understand what you are saying BUT what I'd like to know is WHY?
I know they don't want people driving round in foreign registered cars when those people are registered in Switzerland - as I said the legality of insurance becomes rather interesting.
However what I'd like to get is an understanding of the why behind the NO? Is it because of what I have outlined? If that is the case then surely they are approaching the situation from the Swiss perspective - IE our system does X - therefore so do all systems. And therefore that person in that car is not insured - breaking a law - etc etc.
But if all systems are not the same how can that happen? If the driver is legally allowed to drive the car in the country it is being driven in, why the problem?
It's not just Switzerland, Italy and Norway are the same (and probably other countries).
Tom
My guess would be it's nothing to do with insurance, the guy in ZH mentioned the Zoll, so I reckon it's more about stopping folks 'borrowing' cars and driving them here and avoiding Swiss import taxes and trying to dodge MFK and registration.
Fair point.
It would be interesting to be stopped - and to see what happens
I'm guessing they believe the issue to be quite large due to the more open borders that have kicked in over the last few years.
And Canada as well as I recall.
Agree, it is a customs and residence issue, not an insurance issue. Perhaps also a tax evasion/fraud issue as well; thinking of Denmark and the like.
That link does not mention Switzerland
This one does
Legal or not
YOU WANT TO PUT ANOTHER WOMAN ON THE ROAD ?????
( I gained two red squares yesterday I might as well go for a record )?
Of course.
Everyone did notice that the "rule" is listed on the customs website, and NOT the DMV websites, did they not?
Tom
Yes - and also how they can quote the reference to the bit in LAW which states it.
I smiled... lots, balance to the sexist force restored
This is my opinion (but only an opinion):
Legally she can drive the car - IE as long as the car is correctly and legally registered, insured and is roadworthy.
HOWEVER
If ever stopped she would not need to demostate that the car is here legally and is not attempting to avoid paying duty. I suspect at this point you are guilty until proven innocent - rather than vice-versa.
And finally, to play the "race" card. I am wondering how flexible this is - are those driving round on Luxembourg plates treated any differently than those with Romania plates?