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Q: Car insurance coverage for U.S. car in Europe ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Car insurance coverage for U.S. car in Europe
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: sunny2005-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 30 Oct 2005 22:10 PST
Expires: 29 Nov 2005 22:10 PST
Question ID: 586919
I intend to travel from December to February through Europe with my
car. Currently living in Florida, I am therefore looking for an
insurance company, which would provide coverage not only in the U.S.,
but also in Western Europe so that I could drive my car with the U.S.
registration/insurance.
The reason why I want to use the U.S. registration/insurance is that I
have no intention to pay custom and excise taxes on the car when I
offload it from the ship. As a tourist with U.S licence plates/U.S.
insurance this should be no problem.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Car insurance coverage for U.S. car in Europe
Answered By: hummer-ga on 31 Oct 2005 06:08 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi sunny2005,

I think I have good news for you. The insurance company really won't
be an issue when you return to the U.S. with your car. The car may
return duty free as long as you have proof of origin, such as your
State vehicle registration card. For added insurance, you can have the
car verified and registered on Form CBP 4455 by a U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) officer.  That is all you will need to bring
your car back to the States duty free.

U.S. Residents Importing and Exporting Vehicles
"A vehicle transported/driven from the United States for
non-commercial or private use outside the country may return duty free
to the United States, if U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is
provided specific proof of U.S. origination. This proof may be a State
issued vehicle registration card or a CBP certificate of registration
(CBP 4455) completed and verified by a CBP officer before departure
from the United States.
Know that any repairs or accessories acquired abroad for your vehicle
must be declared on your return and may be subject to duty."
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing_goods/automobiles.xml

CBP 4457
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Complete the Original only.
2. Prior to Departure, present the described articles and the
completed form to a CBP Officer for comparison and signing of the
form.
3. The signed form is to be returned to the applicant and must be
shown to CBP each time the registered article(s) are returned.
4. This certificate is not transferable.
5. Note: Foreign repairs or alterations to articles (whether or not
the articles are registered with CBP) are dutiable. Such repairs or
alterations must be declared to Customs when the articles reenter the
United States, whether or not they were done free of charge.
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/forms/4457.ctt/cbp_4457.pdf

CBP Form 4455 - Certificate of Registration
(online)(print only)(wizard)
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/forms/

That said, GEICO insurance seems to be what you are looking for:

GEICO
"Whether you're moving abroad or just going on vacation, GEICO will
take the hassle out of getting your car insured. We'll issue your auto
policy and make sure that you have all the documents you need to ship,
register your car, and cross international borders."
Sales & Service
1-800-248-4998 overseas@geico.com
http://www.geico.com/auto/overseas/About.htm

Other possibilities:

The Embassy Plan
Provides a Broad Coverage for Your Automobiles
http://www.jannetteintl.com/overseas_auto.html

Professionals Abroad
Anyone planning to operate an automobile internationally will need to
purchase Comprehensive, Collision and Liability coverage. As
requirements vary from country to country, it is important to
determine the exact requirements of your destination.
The AutoElite® Program
Our AutoElite® program can provide coverage for Comprehensive,
Collision and Theft, Primary Auto Liability (Third Party) and Excess
Liability coverage conveniently packaged in one program.
Comprehensive & Collision Coverage
Worldwide comprehensive, theft and collision coverage for your
automobile while it is being operated or parked abroad. AutoElite®
also provides Automobile Rental Reimbursement, Disablement Towing
Coverage and optional coverage for duty expenses.
http://www.clements.com/professionalsabroad/autoelite.htm


Additional Links of Interest:

"Know Before You Go" brochure
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

Driver's License/Auto Insurance
"If you intend to drive overseas, check with the embassy or consulate
of the countries where you will visit to learn about requirements for
driver's license, road permits, and auto insurance. If possible,
obtain road maps of the countries that you plan to visit before you
go.
Many countries do not recognize a U.S. driver's license. However, most
countries accept an international driver's permit. Before departure,
you can obtain one at a local office of an automobile association. The
U.S. Department of State has authorized two organizations to issue
international driving permits to those who hold valid U.S. driver's
licenses: AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance. To apply
for an international driving permit, you must be at least age 18, and
you will need to present two passport-size photographs and your valid
U.S. license. Certain countries require road permits, instead of
tolls, to use on their divided highways, and they will fine those
found driving without a permit."
http://immigration.about.com/library/bltravelabroad.htm 

I hope this is good news for you. If you have any questions or if I've
misunderstood your question, please post a clarification request and
wait for me to respond before closing/rating my answer.

Thank you,
hummer

Google Search Terms Used in various combinations: travel overseas
global insurance auto car automobile u.s. europe international abroad
customs CBP 4455

I also search the CBP website.

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 31 Oct 2005 07:38 PST
Hi sunny2005,

It has occurred to me that I may have misunderstood your question.
Perhaps you are concerned with duties when you arrive in Europe?  If
so, much will depend on the port of entry. For example, here are the
regulations for bringing a car into the UK:

4.3 Private motor vehicles
"You can claim TI relief on a vehicle temporarily imported for private
use (including any accompanying spare parts, accessories and
equipment) if:
    * It is registered outside the EC or, if not registered, belongs
to you or someone else who has their normal home outside the EC
    * You do not sell, lend or hire it out or otherwise dispose of it in the EC and
    * You re-export the vehicle from the EC within 6 months, however
if you are a student or someone fulfilling an assignment of a specific
duration (for example a work contract) the vehicle can remain in the
EC for the period of your studies or until the end of your assignment.
Note: you must also be aware of the UK's licensing, registration and
vehicle excise duty (VED) requirements as explained in Section 10. If
your vehicle is not registered, see paragraph 10.3.
top ^
4.4 How do I declare my vehicle?
You can go through the Green "nothing to declare" Channel as explained
in paragraph 3.1. Although no formal customs declaration to claim TI
relief is required, you should complete a simple notification form
C110, see Section 12. You should complete this form in duplicate, but
you do not need to present it to us at the port of entry. Instead,
send one copy to our National Import Reliefs Unit (NIRU) at the
address shown in paragraph 4.6, and keep the remaining copy with the
vehicle whilst it is used within the UK. You can also complete the
form and send it to NIRU before you arrive in the UK.
No formal customs declaration is required when the vehicle leaves the
UK, however you should return your remaining copy of the notification
form to NIRU.
Where unaccompanied vehicles need to be cleared for inventory
purposes, the agent/forwarder/ferry operator may need to use Form C21.
If this is necessary, Form C21 should quote customs procedure code
(CPC) 00 00 20. This identifies that goods are eligible for TI relief
and can be released without any further customs declaration. When you
collect the released vehicle, complete the notification form C110 as
above.
No TI declaration is required for normal spare parts, accessories and
equipment that accompany a vehicle. However, where such items arrive
separately, you will need to submit a declaration on Form C88 (SAD)
quoting customs procedure code (CPC) 53 00 31 (or where VAT only is
due CPC 53 00 41), and provide security. Security will be refunded
when the items leave the EC and you make a re-export declaration on
Form C88 (SAD) quoting CPC 31 53 00. For further information about
completing the declaration, see Volume 3, Part 3 of the Tariff."
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_PublicNoticesAndInfoSheets&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_CL_000282

Regards,
hummer
sunny2005-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
Quick and competent reply. Although the researcher's answer was
initially not to the point, he corrected his or her answer on his own
and provided all the information I needed.

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