Forum London

[megallyn]

I am an American moving to Aberdeen, Scotland in April. I will be there for six months. My boyfriend who lives there has bought a car for me to drive while I am there. However, getting me insured on that car has proven quite difficult! Does anybody know how I might get insured on a car owned by a UK resident? Any suggestions would be great!

[EasyExpat]

He should be able to add your name on his car insurance (must cost £30/month maybe) as a second driver. I have done that in the past and never had any difficulty.

[Marinegirl]

It's easy enough to add a named driver to your policy - and if it's a partner, usually cheap too. But most people's policy is for their car(s) only.

If I read it right - your boyfriend has bought a new car for you, different to his. My insurance company (Direct Line, one of the big ones) told me when I asked about a policy for a friend on my car, that it isn't possible to insure someone as the primary policy holder on a car that they do not own.

If he still legally owns the car, he should be able to put you on as a named driver, as the other response says - but note, if he has a protected no claims bonus, the protection will NOT apply to your car. I don't know how similar US insurance is - it that seems like gobblegook, sorry - but your boyfriend will know what I mean!

But if he'shad difficulty cos he's trying to put you on as your own policy, it could be cos the car is in his name. He needs to transfer ownership to you - easy form to the DVLA, then you can insurance.

Not sure if it is just the car ownership that's the problem - if it's your US citizenship, try calling Direct Line (they're on internet) and asking for advice - I've always found them really helpful, and I'm forever changing my policy and named drivers!

Good luck, and hope you enjoy Scotland!