Super Car Insurance for Foreign License but Irish Citizen [Difficult Situation]

MarcusDxb

Hello!

I've recently become an Irish Citizen and I will be moving from Dubai to Ireland. I currently have a left-hand drive 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder that I want to import when I move.

I'm finding it very difficult to find an insurance who will cover the R8 with my foreign license (Dual American / Dubai) especially since I have Irish Citizenship.

Does anybody know of any insurance brokers who are more easy-going in terms of a LHD imported 'supercar' with a foreign license? I don't plan on keeping it as a daily driver but would have occasional use throughout the year.

Any help or recommendations on an insurance broker who may insure such a car/situation, please let me know because it would be greatly appreciated and I don't want to have to sell the car and move without it

Atlantic Dawn

Does your licence qualify to swap for an Irish one? If it does you should swap it, this will make it easier to obtain insurance. If you have proof of a long no claims history of 5 years plus this will also help.

Tzardine

I think you would have difficulty insuring the car even with an Irish license to be honest as you would have zero no claims bonus I assume. The fact that it is a LHD will do you no favours either.

This might be worth having a read

http://blog.firstireland.ie/cant-get-a-motor-insurance-quote-what-can-i-do/

MarcusDxb

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Does your licence qualify to swap for an Irish one? If it does you should swap it, this will make it easier to obtain insurance. If you have proof of a long no claims history of 5 years plus this will also help.

I do not, there is no reciprocal license conversion with the USA or Dubai unfortunately...

Proof of no-claims is possible from my insurer in Dubai

Peregrinus

You can only drive on your US/UAE licence in Ireland if you are making a "temporary visit" (of up to 12 months).

You say in the OP that you are "moving from Dubai to Ireland", and you will be importing your car. If you are becoming an Irish resident then you need to obtain an Irish licence, which you will have to do the old-fashioned way.

That's a pain, but once you have your Irish licence obviously one of the barriers to insuring the car is eliminated.

Tzardine

MarcusDxb wrote: »

Proof of no-claims is possible from my insurer in Dubai

You might have trouble with an insurer accepting it.

Liberty for example only accept NCD earned within Ireland, UK, all EU countries, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

MarcusDxb

Peregrinus wrote: »

You can only drive on your US/UAE licence in Ireland if you are making a "temporary visit" (of up to 12 months).

You say in the OP that you are "moving from Dubai to Ireland", and you will be importing your car. If you are becoming an Irish resident then you need to obtain an Irish licence, which you will have to do the old-fashioned way.

That's a pain, but once you have your Irish licence obviously one of the barriers to insuring the car is eliminated.

Right but I should still be able to drive on my USA license for a year right? I plan on immediately getting my license started when I move in November but I also need to get insurance for my car/usa license for the first year I am here so I can continue to drive on my foreign license.

Car99

Ask these guys to see if they can get you cover . They have an office in Dubai too. I use their uk office.
https://www.clements.com/intl-car

Peregrinus

MarcusDxb wrote: »

Right but I should still be able to drive on my USA license for a year right? I plan on immediately getting my license started when I move in November but I also need to get insurance for my car/usa license for the first year I am here so I can continue to drive on my foreign license.

in theory, you can only use your US licence if you're making a temporary visit, and if you arrive with the intention of settling you're not making a temporary visit at any point; you're a resident from day 1, and not entitled to drive on a US or UAE licence.

In practice this puts you in an impossible situation and I suspect - but I don't know - that a certain pragmatic leeway must be allowed. Perhaps some of the other regulars on the board will know how this plays out in practice.

If I were you I'd move as fast as I can to acquire an Irish licence. Since you only plan to use the imported fancy car occasionally the simplest thing may be to take it off the road until you get your Irish licence; that way you don't have to worry about insurance.

Liam McPoyle

MarcusDxb wrote: »

Hello!

I've recently become an Irish Citizen and I will be moving from Dubai to Ireland. I currently have a left-hand drive 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder that I want to import when I move.

I'm finding it very difficult to find an insurance who will cover the R8 with my foreign license (Dual American / Dubai) especially since I have Irish Citizenship.

Does anybody know of any insurance brokers who are more easy-going in terms of a LHD imported 'supercar' with a foreign license? I don't plan on keeping it as a daily driver but would have occasional use throughout the year.

Any help or recommendations on an insurance broker who may insure such a car/situation, please let me know because it would be greatly appreciated and I don't want to have to sell the car and move without it

You are going to have extreme difficulty getting insurance Im afraid.

Most insurers in Ireland will not cover left hand drive vehicles.

Most will not recognise a bonus from an Arab state.

Most would rate an international licence as a provisional one over here.

The type of car will be hugely problematic.

You also do not have any driving experience in Ireland or the UK.

Unfortunately for you, you are ticking every single box that insurance companies do not want ticked when it comes to taking someone on.

Provisional licence, no bonus, LHD vehicle, beyond a high powered car, no driving experience in Ireland.

Outside of Clements perhaps try XS Direct though I dont know if they are open for business yet.

MarcusDxb

Saul T Nutzz wrote: »

MarcusDxb wrote: »

Hello!

I've recently become an Irish Citizen and I will be moving from Dubai to Ireland. I currently have a left-hand drive 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder that I want to import when I move.

I'm finding it very difficult to find an insurance who will cover the R8 with my foreign license (Dual American / Dubai) especially since I have Irish Citizenship.

Does anybody know of any insurance brokers who are more easy-going in terms of a LHD imported 'supercar' with a foreign license? I don't plan on keeping it as a daily driver but would have occasional use throughout the year.

Any help or recommendations on an insurance broker who may insure such a car/situation, please let me know because it would be greatly appreciated and I don't want to have to sell the car and move without it

You are going to have extreme difficulty getting insurance Im afraid.

Most insurers in Ireland will not cover left hand drive vehicles.

Most will not recognise a bonus from an Arab state.

Most would rate an international licence as a provisional one over here.

The type of car will be hugely problematic.

You also do not have any driving experience in Ireland or the UK.

Unfortunately for you, you are ticking every single box that insurance companies do not want ticked when it comes to taking someone on.

Provisional licence, no bonus, LHD vehicle, beyond a high powered car, no driving experience in Ireland.

Outside of Clements perhaps try XS Direct though I dont know if they are open for business yet.

Exactly, this is where my problem lies.

I do have extensive UK driving experience, I'm a UK citizen as well (to further complicate things) and I frequently travel back to see family etc..

If it helps, I have an international license as well. It was issued in Dubai.

Liam McPoyle

MarcusDxb wrote: »

Exactly, this is where my problem lies.

I do have extensive UK driving experience, I'm a UK citizen as well (to further complicate things) and I frequently travel back to see family etc..

If it helps, I have an international license as well. It was issued in Dubai.

Tbh, the licence is probably going to be the least of your worries Im afraid.

Can you prove the UK driving ie get a letter of no claims bonus or named driving experience from an insurer there?

Thats one of the first things you will be asked.

My suggestion would be to hold fire on trying to get the Audi covered initially.

Move over, get something smaller, get a years bonus in Ireland under your belt, get a full Irish licence and try to get it covered next year.

Henry Ford III

I think you need to adjust to your new surroundings OP. A lhd R8 V10 Spyder is a supercar in the USA or Dubai, but it's the equivalent of a space shuttle here.

A rhd Skoda VRS or perhaps a BMW 520d MSport would be truly aspirational cars here, and have cheap tax too.

Tzardine

Have you had a VRT calculation yet ? :eek:

jimgoose

Saul T Nutzz wrote: »

...The type of car will be hugely problematic...

Fella around the block and up the road from me has a 2008 R8. He seems to have no problem with insurance. Mind you he's ould enough and not short of shillings - he chopped in a 911 Carrera for it. :pac:

Liam McPoyle

jimgoose wrote: »

Fella around the block and up the road from me has a 2008 R8. He seems to have no problem with insurance. Mind you he's ould enough and not short of shillings - he chopped in a 911 Carrera for it. :pac:

Oh there are supercars insured in Ireland alright, there is usually a good reason for an insurer to do it though.

Most common reason that I've seen is that the person would have a large commercial business policy with the company already.

The ops profile though will not be favourable I fear.

Charles Babbage

Tzardine wrote: »

Have you had a VRT calculation yet ? :eek:

No VRT on change of residence, I expect.

Special Circumstances

A nice yaris to start with and you'll have insurers here convinced you can handle a 520d in no time. 3 years maybe.

Irish car insurers do not want to insure cars, they'd much rather be insuring kitchen appliances.

Something a soccer mom would drive in another country is instant "no quote" here in many cases.


Clements expat insurance any good in this scenario, or has that disappeared? Gone, like insurers not penalising people for windscreen claims?

galwaytt

Saul T Nutzz wrote: »

You are going to have extreme difficulty getting insurance Im afraid.

Most insurers in Ireland will not cover left hand drive vehicles.

Most will not recognise a bonus from an Arab state.

Most would rate an international licence as a provisional one over here.

The type of car will be hugely problematic.

You also do not have any driving experience in Ireland or the UK.

Unfortunately for you, you are ticking every single box that insurance companies do not want ticked when it comes to taking someone on.

Provisional licence, no bonus, LHD vehicle, beyond a high powered car, no driving experience in Ireland.

Outside of Clements perhaps try XS Direct though I dont know if they are open for business yet.

Never mind that: has OP looked at how much it's going to tax that car p.a. ?

Looked at one lately, abroad, myself. It would be cheaper to buy the R8 AND and an apartment in mainland EU to reg it at, than buying/reg'ing/taxing it here....

Car99

galwaytt wrote: »

Never mind that: has OP looked at how much it's going to tax that car p.a. ?

Looked at one lately, abroad, myself. It would be cheaper to buy the R8 AND and an apartment in mainland EU to reg it at, than buying/reg'ing/taxing it here....

True, unless you are hideously wealthy in this country it's unjustifiable buying a top end performance road car. Although people that wealthy problem buy abroad and keep it for a year while ensuring they meet the criteria for importing ir vrt and possibly vat free if outside the EU. Saving a packet.

Something like this has vrt £100k.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ferrari/550/ferrari-550-maranello-1-owner-4-000-miles/5964430

Buffman

MarcusDxb wrote: »

Any help or recommendations on an insurance broker who may insure such a car/situation, please let me know because it would be greatly appreciated and I don't want to have to sell the car and move without it

Maybe try MCE, they cover motorbikes in Ireland but also do specialist stuff as far as I know, but it maybe UK only. I've never used them so I can't vouch for them.

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