Search Q&A
Buying a car
Hi all
I'm buying my first car in Belgium soon, just wondering if there is any procedure I need to know about?
I will be buying second hand, but hope to get one with a valid CT as I don't want to have to do this.
I obviously will have to organise insurance before getting anything. Is there any company that is best for young drivers? I am 25, and have 7 years UK no claims bonus (some of it as a named driver though), can I transfer this or will i be seen as a driver with no experience?
Also for my licence, do I need to go to the Commune to change this or can I keep using my existing one?
Finally, is there road tax in Belgium?
Any other tips greatly appreciated
CT in Belgium does not work like MOT in UK.
To sell a car of ANY age the car must have a special CT specifically carried out to protect the buyer.
Otherwise a CT is due when the car is 4 years old and then annually except that, if the car has been driven less than 100K kms at the 4 year stage, that CT is valid for 2 years.
License - changing it is no hassle though it is not essential. However a UK licence should have a current address which cannot be outside the UK!
Insurance - all you can do is ask though transfer of NCB is normally accepted. I guess you need to get the UK insurers to state that you have been driving even though you were not the policyholder.
Road tax - again not quite the same as UK in that it comes in the post as a bill with, commonly, 6 weeks to pay. There is no disc to display in the car. The tax is generally cheaper than the UK equivalent. You also will have to pay to have the car registered in your name; this is a one-off until you change you car when you pay again for the next car.
