BREXIT: what it means for classics
The long-term future is swathed in uncertainty, but here is the immediate impact for cross-border sales, transport and events
BREXIT BRINKSMANSHIP (blame the EU or blame the UK Government, depending on your views) resulted in an incredibly lastminute agreement at the most difficult time of year, compounded by a new Covid crisis. Brexit’s full implementation will inevitably take time, but what are the immediate effects?
The simple answer is that very little has changed – but there are small changes that could have a big effect for some, and the lastminute deal has caused temporary panic among suppliers on both sides of the Channel, causing them to refuse to supply or ship parts until they are sure of the requirements and liabilities.
For classic car owners planning a trip to Europe, advice on driving in the EU is at gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu. As before, you must carry your UK driving licence with you. You don’t need to buy an International Driving Permit (£5.50 from the Post Office) unless you only have a paper driving licence, or your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. If you do need an IDP, note that there are different types for some countries. If you live and drive in an EU country (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland), you must exchange your UK driving licence for a local one.
It is now a requirement to carry an insurance Green Card for any EU country – and if you are towing a trailer or caravan, you also need specific insurance and Green Card for either of those. The ‘card’ can be printed from the internet – no need for green paper – but give an insurer six weeks’ notice for a physical one.
Emma Airey from RH Insurance says: ‘If you’re going overseas you need to plan ahead – RH can email you a green card with just 48 hours’ notice that you must print out, but if you want a hard copy please give us two weeks. RH won’t charge clients for green cards. Longer term, if Brexit increases costs for underwriters, classic car insurance rates might go up, but RH has no immediate plans to increase rates.’
Commercial trailers over 750kg gross and non-commercial over 3500kg must be registered (for £26) before driving them in most European countries (Ireland and Spain are the only nearby exceptions).
As before, you must carry your car’s V5C
registration document with you; if it’s a lease car you need a VE103 from your lease company or the RAC: see rac.co.uk/drive/travel/ driving-abroad/vehicle-on-hire. The RAC’s Simon Williams confirms that its European Breakdown Cover will continue unchanged, using the same links with local organisations.
Government advice states: ‘If you take it abroad for less than 12 months… you need to make sure your vehicle is taxed while it’s abroad, you have a current MoT and you have insurance.’ For classic cars where UK law does not require a current MoT, the understanding is that it is not essential to have an MoT. The legal requirement is that your car should be in fully roadworthy condition and, if it is found not to be, you can be fined and/or required to fix it before continuing, just as you can in the UK whether you have an MoT or not.
In all EU countries except Ireland you must display a GB sticker. ‘GB’ can only be on the numberplate if it is on its own or with the Union flag – if the plate has an EU symbol, you need a separate GB sticker. Existing EHIC cards for emergency state-provided healthcare in the EU remain valid until their expiry date – after that, the UK will issue a new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which will be free. Travel insurance is strongly recommended as neither card covers private healthcare, repatriation or mountain rescue.
If taking a pet with you, you need an AHC (Animal Health Certificate) – existing Pet Passports are no longer acceptable and your pet must be microchipped and vaccinated.
For business, crucial elements of the Brexit agreement with the EU are zero tariffs and zero quotas, so export/import quantities will not be restricted – this is claimed to be the first ever EU trade agreement with zero tariffs. That means there should be no significant increase in prices of classic parts imported from the EU.
Brexit meant a busy Christmas for dealers, as Classicmobilia’s Keith Riddington explains: ‘November and December were mad – sales both ways but a lot more going out [of the UK] than coming in. The first two days of this year were manic, too. I’ve phoned the VAT and tax helplines and the message so far is, continue to operate as before, but keep records in case we need to implement backdated changes later.
‘I’m sending out loads of parts – but many suppliers are scared to send overseas in case of later charges. I’m only dealing with people I trust to pay the charges if there are any. For buying cars from Europe, I’m treating them the same as if importing from Switzerland or USA.’
The Brexit agreement allows UK hauliers to operate unrestricted through Europe, and Peter Bonham Christie from Straight Eight says it’s business as usual, except that ‘there’s a lot more paperwork, a lot to fathom out. If we take cars to Europe for a rally, they now need customs paperwork, even though we’re bringing them back afterwards. An ATA Carnet looks the best route – we use them for cars going in and out of Switzerland, and it will be very similar.’
While participants on tours and rallies in EU countries look unlikely to face restrictions, the same may not apply to those running the events, who could end up needing separate work visas for every country they cross.
‘NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER WERE MAD – SALES BOTH WAYS BUT A LOT MORE LEAVING THE UK’