Hi everyoneOK, I have two questions.

03/09/2016 - 07:54

Hi everyoneOK, I have two questions. One regarding a car on UK plates and another regarding residency ( or lack of it). I have a Fiat with UK plates, it needs its first MOT in April and I'm wondering if I can avoid taking it back to the UK from Sardinia. After reading posts on here it seems that I'll have to take it back, sell it and buy an italian car. I know that in order to purchase an Italian car I need to be a resident, which takes me onto my second question:I have been here for over a year and my temporary residency has expired. Initially I asked an italian speaking friend to assist me at the Comune in order to get residency. We filled out the forms, provided bank statements etc but then the woman at the comune changed the process and issued me with a years temporary residency which has now run out. Said friend asked if I could extend it and the Comune wasn't having any of it. We are all British by the way. Partner's father was Italian and always held an italian passport. The Comune said my partner and children would have to obtain Italian citizenship?! I am certain this isn't correct but I'm of the opinion I'll just have to go with the flow. I am in a semi rural area and have had problems getting the italian health card for my children too. It's all weighing on my mind as I'm finding it difficult to get these issues resolved. It's like these people don't understand the ( current) concept of the EU. I thought I could stay here for 5 years?! We have initiated the process with the Italian consulate in London as my partner now works in London. Does anyone know how long it takes with the consulate in London for citizenship to be approved, it's a simple case, just one generation. the comune said that when my children have italian citizenship, they will help me with a residency certificate and until I get this I can't buy a darned car!I know that some of you are amazingly knowledgable and would appreciate your input. My Brit Landlady has been a gem of information regarding residency but I don't want to rock the boat with the Comune, just yet. I of course have too much of a language barrier to go in there and argue it out with them.

Topic

Legal

Location

Sardinia

Comment

Hi LizAlthough I cannot answer all your questions I'm sure you can keep using your car past April.As for residency & citizenship I can put you touch with an English speaking Sardinian lawyer in Cagliari who is attached to the British Consulate if that helpsRegards Paul

Hi Paul, sounds great.Are you able to send me the details of the lawyer? Many thanks

Here are his contact details he is situated near the port in CagliariLet me know how you get on.Where in Sardinia are you we are in VillasimiusLoche International Law FirmViale La Plaia, 709123 Cagliari - ItalyTel: +39.070.663222Fax: +39.070.6406641Email: loche@lochelawfirm.comWeb: www.lochelawfirm.com

Amazing! Thank you so much. I'll call them. I've been feeling quite overwhelmed and it's great to have the support of good old Italy Magazine community members. Truly thankful to all of you who've replied. Now feeling a bit better :) I am near Oristano but moving to Cagliari province for sept 2016. I don't really want Cagliari itself as I have young boys. I am enjoying village life after London and I rent from a really lovely couple but we're moving for schools. If you have any recommendations for any little villages your side of Cagliari, let me know. I need to get to Poetto every day but don't mind a short commute. Similarly if you know anyone who wants to rent their place let me know! Feel free to PM. Thanks for being such a help, very grateful!

Liz, I think there's been a lot of questions over the years on this forum regarding the permanent use of a UK registered car in Italy. There is no requirement to take the car back to the UK for its MOT unless you decide to take it back to use it in the UK, at which point it would be subject to the normal UK MOT rules like any other vehicle. As far as I am aware there is no requirement for an MOT in Italy.There is no road tax in Italy so that only leaves insurance considerations. You would need to notify your UK insurer that you intend to leave your UK registered vehicle permanently in Italy. There may be some implications re the premium. If the premiums rose significantly you could approach an Italian insurer, but I am not sure whether you would get insurance cover if you are not resident?. There may be others on this forum who have dealt with this before. As to the citizenship/residency rules it might be wise to take professional advice fom and English speaking lawyer based in Sardinia.

I brought my car out from UK 4 years ago, used it for a year before registering on Italian plates - (though you are supposed to change to Italian registration after 6 months).Yes, Italy has both MOT (Revisione) which is every two years, and Road Tax (Bollo), to be paid in January each year. Driving indefinitly on an untaxed and unMOT'd UK registered car COULD land you in trouble at one of the regular Caribinieri roadside checks. I know some people risk it, but...

I totally agree it's not worth it, I have already had one of those road side checks and my car has now exceeded 6 months in Sardinia. Was the process to change the plates expensive / complicated and ... Did you have to show proof of residency? re the Health card: Theres a guy at the ASL in my local big town who is renowned for being difficult in general and won't agree to give me/ the boys a Tessera Sanitaria. What did you have to provide in order to get yours? I've provided a (now expired) residency proof, codice fiscale, passports, etc etc Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and sorry for asking more questions! I know the car issue has been discussed on this forum before but it'd be great to hear direct from someone who has changed to Italian plates. Is it done by form which is sent off or visiting an office?

Ok that's really interesting re MOT. I'll check with my expat insurers that I'm still insured without an MOT. Thank you! I would therefore need to change to Italian plates after 6 months? Re residency, I know what it's supposed to be and my British landlady has sent me some really useful information. She's been great but it's difficult telling the Comune what should be. I think you're right and if pushed I will instruct a lawyer.

Hi LizBeing an EU citizen does not let you stay in Italy for 5 years, unfortunately it's only 3 months. On the bright side, if you satisfy the requirements, then there is no reason at all why you can't get residency. I can't see why the comune would say you have to get Italian citizenship. Then again at times some of these people are a law unto themselves... Regards the car, yes there are many posts on it, but it's hard to know just how right some of the information is officially. As someone once said, I can't imagine any Italian driving to the UK and being allowed to travel around without paying road tax, getting an MOT and/or getting insurance. I'd be surprised if any country is a lot different.

Hello,there is a lot of info on here which I've read through and this is an extremely useful forum. But I agree, I cant imagine just by having a British car it will exempt me from the same rules that Italians are subject to. I thought Italian cars had to have a revisione?I think I'm going to sell the car and try and purchase an Italian car when my residency issues are sorted out. I have seen that after 6 months I would need to register my British car here? Again needs residency?I'm going to call the lawyer tomorrow to ask the best approach. Ahhhh yes, I agree, the Comune.... Anyway ...In some ways I think dual citizenship for the boys will cut a lot of this silly bureaucracy but apparentlymiy can take a while. I am going to the Comune next week with a fluent Italian speaker to try and get some answers :) apparently we are a "special case". I think having seen (deceased) grandads documents they consider my partner and our children to be Italian by blood. What a faff. I just want to buy a darned car and be here legitimately.

It does seem that Comunes like to make ther own interpretations of rules, and as with many things in Italy, it all depends on who you know.Both for me and my wife, getting residency was no trouble at all. We filled in the forms with the friendly Anagraf at the Comune, had a visit from the Vigili to make sure we did live at our house, and a week or so later picked up our certificates. We also got our Tessera Sanitaria to give us Italian health care!But we do live in a very small rural Southern village, where we are the only foreigners, and so do get treated as something of an oddity to be looked after!

LizYou may also find Sardinia does things slightly differently from the mainland too

OK - your partner can get citizenship, it takes 2 years- as can hs children. You cant unless you grt married or are resident for 4 years. The comune is wrong - there is no temporary residence for EU citizens. You are resident or you arent. you need to sort this out, andif it means throwing a screaming fit in the comune, then so be it. Car - you will have to take it to the UK to get its MOT - then bring it back or sell it and buy a car here, for which you will need to be resident. (there are ways around it, but its a pandoras box). So the moral of the story, is go to the comune, ask for your residency to be renewed, and your partner can start his citizienship online - online aplications only.

hello and thank you for your reply, I've decided to take the car back to the Uk and then hire one in the meantime.My partner lives in London for work reasons and he's already started an application with the Italian consulate there. I've had some really useful info from my landlady. it seems that the Comune are making it up as they go along. I need to get someone who is fluent in Italian to articulate the questions I want to put to the woman in the anagraffe office. I am beyond frustrated by this. For some reason the woman in the anagraffe office said the last time i visited that I have a "special case" and she wants to speak to the Comune where (my partners) Italian dad was born . He's been dead 30 years and left Italy in 1955! I have presented this woman with a copy of every document (apostilled and translated) that the Italian consulate in London has, just to humour her. I am going to see her next week as I would like answers. I think I fell at the first hurdle when I presented a healthy bank balance, a completed form which she ended up not using and I gave her our EHIC cards. At no point did she say "no, you need to buy health insurance" she just begrudgingly said she would give us a residenza temporanea.When I got a friend to call the office to ask if she'd extend it she said no, only if they boys became Italian citizens. My children start elementary school in September and we will be moving to a different province. Is it worth me just applying for residency again at a different Comune and putting my foot down if they try to bamboozle me with a load of made up nonsense again? I was a little bit overwhelmed when we first applied but now I'm realising how important the residency piece of paper is, especially as I want to buy and insure a car. Regarding the health insurance, which one would be acceptable to the Comune. Has anyone got any suggestions? I remember getting a quote from Bupa worldwide for €700 a month! But now realise that there's a policy for a few hundred euro a year one can buy at the post office. Can anyone point me in the right direction?