10570 Why can you buy a house but not a car?

What makes you think a non-resident can’t buy a car in Italy?

Everyone I have spoken to says so, including my friend who lives in Italy, a number of people on the forum(of course I can find the relevant threads/posts) and this website [url=http://www.justlanded.com]Just Landed - All you need to live, work and study abroad: Country guides, Expatriate Jobs and International[/url]

"To buy a car in Italy with an Italian registration plate , you must be registered as a local resident and will require a document (e.g.ID card), permesso di sorgiorno, codice fiscale and certificate of residency (which you can self-certify)"

But if you know something different??????

There is much conflicting advice on this subject and I have bought a car here in Italy, but then I'm resident.

I also thought that the 'permesso di sogiorno' was no longer issued for EU citizens.

But I'm sure someone will know better.:smile:

I think the website is aimed mainly at non EU countries.

I accept that that's the "rule" but I just don't understand why you can buy a house but not a car without being a resident?

[quote=Jinty;98428]I think the website is aimed mainly at non EU countries.

I accept that that's the "rule" but I just don't understand why you can buy a house but not a car without being a resident?[/quote]
basically the reason has to do with driving licences etc,as an italian resident after a period of a few months you have to convert your foreign drivers licence into an italian one so that the police can take points off it/confiscate it etc etc.otherwise foreigners could continue to commit road crimes and be constantly immune to consequences.....which go beyond simple fines.

I now realise this in not just an "Italian" thing....

It seems you can buy a car in the UK without being a resident but you will find it difficult to get insurance (unless you use a UK residents address)

So until I'm a resident in Italy I'll stick with hire cars:smile:

"Most companies within the UK will not give a non UK resident the ability to get car insurance during their stay, whether it be for a few weeks, months, or even years. In order for a person to get car insurance, as UK non residents will either have to rent a car the whole time that they are in the country, or go without their own car"

Thank You for helping my clarify this!

I bought and insured a car in Italy before being officially resident. All I had to do was give the address I was living at.

[quote=Sebastiano;98432]basically the reason has to do with driving licences etc,as an italian resident after a period of a few months you have to convert your foreign drivers licence into an italian one so that the police can take points off it/confiscate it etc etc.otherwise foreigners could continue to commit road crimes and be constantly immune to consequences.....which go beyond simple fines.[/quote]

This is not the case. If you look at your driving license you will see the EU symbol on it, and it is valid as a driving licence in the EU.

The Italian authorities will send details of your registration to the DVLC and you can be penalised by the UK authorities for traffic crimes committed in Italy. In other cases you can be fined by the Italian police, quite effectively, without having an Italian driving licence.

The official view is at
[url=http://www.trasporti.gov.it/page/NuovoSito/site.php?p=cm&o=vd&id=2718]Ministero dei Trasporti[/url]

"Per i titolari di una patente di guida rilasciata da uno Stato dell'Unione Europea è possibile guidare sul territorio italiano veicoli per i quali è valida la loro patente, senza obbligo di conversione dopo un anno dall'acquisizione della residenza in Italia"

Now I AM confused!

Margaret, can I ask how you got insurance?

Thanks

There are so many threads on this subject including recent ones about using an English driving licence to drive your very own Italian car and being caught for speeding...and what happens re putting points on an English licence..or not! (MY OH waits to find out).

I keep mumbling on this Forum ...ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers.... I know several people in Umbria who own holiday houses, are not resident and have bought a car in Umbria. It seems you MUST own a property so that should there be traffic fines etc there is an address where they can be sent to. I have sent several Forum readers the details of what took place here in Umbria in order to purchase a car but although I believe that the EU Parliment have passed a law to say that EU citizens can buy a car in Italy ....that doesn't mean every region in Italy adhere's to this ruling!!!

To answer the original question "Why can you buy a house but not a car?", perhaps it's because you can not crash into someone and kill them while driving a house?

If it helps it is the same situation here in Greece !

I did not OWN a house when I bought my car. Originally I got insurance through a local insurance broker, but the next year I went to Italsure and it was only a third of the price, and for fully comprehensive too. The Italian insurance company was only third party.

[quote=Steve Graham;98446]To answer the original question "Why can you buy a house but not a car?", perhaps it's because you can not crash into someone and kill them while driving a house?[/quote]

In my defence I DID say I was being thick!