Insuring car in Ireland with UK company?

Peterbilt

Does anyone know if its legal or possible to insure an Irish reg car for sole use in Ireland with a UK insurance company??? Or UK broker???

Thanks.

Atlantic Dawn

Only temporarily. It might be worth checking the price for UK cover as in most cases it's more expensive than Irish companies, they have a huge culture of personal injury claims like we had about 10 years ago and this is pushing up premiums.

Peterbilt

Why only temporarily?

corktina

i would doubt it was possible at all. I agree UK premiums have shot up and seem to be at least equal to ours now.

Peterbilt

I vaguely remember reading somewhere about plans to allow EU motorists get insurance from any other EU country...Something about the borders coming down and all that.

Or am I mistaken?

Marcusm

Peterbilt wrote: »

Does anyone know if its legal or possible to insure an Irish reg car for sole use in Ireland with a UK insurance company??? Or UK broker???

Thanks.

Do you mean a UK company which does not offer business in Ireland? Many Uk insurers do offer Irish car insurance (for example Aviva's business will shortly transfer to a UK company).

Peterbilt

Basically what I'm wondering is can we insure our cars with ANY insurance company in the UK or Europe, or do we HAVE to insure our cars/vans/jeeps with Irish companies?

corktina

they wont offer you cover, or if they do it will be at a huge cost...

RATM

I had the exact same question a couple of years back. General consensus was that with open EU borders there was nothing to stop you getting insurance elsewhere. But the problem would be finding a company who would be willing to quote. Probably makes good business sense when they don't know the risk profile of Irish driving, amount of car thefts per 1000 cars etc to price the policy correctly.

I wish it were possible though, if the whole of the EU opened up to proper insurance competition then it would spark a real price war

ABajaninCork

Peterbilt wrote: »

Why only temporarily?

Because it is assumed that you will be exporting the car on a permanent basis. By law, Revenue have to be informed if you don't change the plates over to Irish ones, thereby paying the VRT.

Peterbilt

RATM wrote: »

I had the exact same question a couple of years back. General consensus was that with open EU borders there was nothing to stop you getting insurance elsewhere. But the problem would be finding a company who would be willing to quote. Probably makes good business sense when they don't know the risk profile of Irish driving, amount of car thefts per 1000 cars etc to price the policy correctly.

I wish it were possible though, if the whole of the EU opened up to proper insurance competition then it would spark a real price war

Exactly, a price war. Is there any table for cheapest and most expensive countries in EU for motor insurance I wonder? If, say, its cheaper and easier to obtain insurance in Belgium for Belgian drivers, would the cost advantage cross over to Irish drivers driving in Ireland ???

deadlast

I've a classic policy on a second car through a broker up the north, it's underwritten be Allianz. They were a lot cheaper too and fully comp, whereas the Irish companies only offered third party only.
Ring around and ask them it's the only way...

spazzzmic

Deadlast - I know it was years ago but what insurer did you get insured with in the North? I'm buying a vintage van for a mobile coffee business and finding it so difficult to get insurance! I've been told that it will cost €2,500- €5,000 which sounds nuts so I'd like to get UK quotes if possible!

bonky2018

Heard of resurrection of the dead but this thread revamp is something else  ha ha

Best i can tell the problem is the  way the insurance system for car is underwritten to some extent by the government that issues the number plates .So for example if a Irish reg car goes abroad  and the insurance company that the car is with has a expensive claim and that insurance company went belly up the claim goes to the unisured drivers pot .If the claim was for example more than the 65000 limit  that the uninsured pot pays out the irish government as the ultimate underwriter for Irish reg car  becomes liable for the remaining outstanding claim.I assume the Irish government has thought that risk out and probably has laid off that risk with something like LLOYDS of London or similar .As the risk for these events are unlikely to be more than one claim in twenty years the premiums would be small enough  and the tax payer will pay it anyway .Governments themselfs do  not have money so have to organize solutions .The only way I can see that it will be possible for non Irish insurance to  work in Ireland  would require the Irish government to agree to that .As the Irish government has nice earner with the Irish insurance mafia operations I cant see that happening .  In Ireland all Insurance is registered with the Irish  central bank who charge hefty fees kick backs all sorts  and chumps the motorists pay the ultimate price high premiums .For example the Garda cars in ireland are not insured .The government is the insurer .The Garda have umpteen lawers who will make it impossible to claim against Garda cars that rear end you .If the irish government paid the premuims to insure the garda cars it would be more expensive than the cost to pay out claims  so they dont bother to insure the Garda cars .Ultimately the chump  tax payers will pay anyway . A foreign insurance operator who insures irish reg car risks to be not in the system of recognized insurance operators  so their insurance certificate would not cut any ice at Garda check point. The insurance might pay out in claim  but there exists a risk they might not pay out as there is no way to force to them to pay up . Hell will freeze over before all the European countries will have a universal insurance  as it would require a a EU number plate neutral to any country  and  the Irish government would have to accept a much reduced  wad of cash than they get now which would not suit them .Technically it might be possible for  non irish insurance to sell thier products in Ireland but I cant see how they can do it without to trigger a costly legal war which would dent the profits they could make

Insurance third party is easy enough Ireland has the same accident rate as the rest of the western world .Claims are not that high as most accidents some 90% plus  are simple rear end shunts  with a few fragile necks looking for few bob .Yes the neck claims in Ireland are tad high  but the rest of human accidents claims  are actually lower due to less accident of higher speeds due to better main roads safer cars and on average lower speeds on Irish roads compared to many countries in Europe. The best in Ireland is suck it up  or do what many do like the courir drivers do  tell porkies do as they choose to  do other type of activity as courier drivers can never get insurance in Ireland at normal prices so most all of them tell porkies . I was looking to buy a  van and do courir work so found that was only way to get insurance  so I didnt bother but was told thats the only way. The big operates don't do Insurance they do insurance certificate exemption .They give the irish government a big lump of money estimated to be more than 50,000 euros. then if there is claim the government has the cash to take and use  to pay off the claim if the big operator goes belly up or wont pay .many years ago the fee was £15,000 irish punts but time has moved on and now the amount isn't public or known it the discretion of the minister for transport .Bung that guy and who knows maybe it can reduce the amount demanded seems to me to me the logic of that .Alternatively form your own insurance company call up some foreign operator and then register your Irish branch  and write your own policy . Setanta seems to me did that Some Irish got some MALTESE  lot to do the insurance back up even though they were some sort of  shell outfit in Malta and   collected the Insurance premiums for seven years .When the real big claims arrived after 7 years they all high tailed it out of town before the posse could find them and had the loot well hidden  so chump tax payers and other motorists  had to pay the claims . Crime pays handsomely in Ireland

spazzzmic

Thanks Bonky 2018! Yep this was a long shot alright, resurrecting a 10 year old post!!

grogi

Peterbilt wrote: »

Does anyone know if its legal or possible to insure an Irish reg car for sole use in Ireland with a UK insurance company??? Or UK broker???.

It is legal, but Gardai will give you hard time.

grogi

corktina wrote: »

they wont offer you cover, or if they do it will be at a huge cost...

That is irrelevant to the OP's question.

prostokyiv

grogi wrote: »

It is legal, but Gardai will give you hard time.

Hi grogi
Could you like to give more information
probably you know broker or company
Thanks a ton

4Winds

@prostokyiv - Strictly speaking, it is legal, even without the need for a local representative - I cannot post links but you should visit europa eu youreurope citizens consumers financial-products-and-services insurance-products index_en.htm (replace white spaces by dots and forward slashes as applicable)

That said, I never came across car insurance products that you can buy directly across EU borders and this is not only the case with Ireland. So in practice, I suspect that there are obstacles for foreign competition in this particular sector, which is why things have spiralled out of control in this country and will continue to do so unabated. Thus, yes it is perfectly legal but you won't find it as nobody's selling it.

biko

Thread started in 2012, laid to rest in 2018