I'm slightly puzzled by the EU Vehicle time allowance

[jim and pat dalton]

Hi sorry to bother you but as the EU tighten up the monitoring of its border crossings in the near future, I have a question. First, I'm ok with the 90/180 personal stuff (luckily I'm Irish PP ) I have the relevant EU "family member documentation stuff" should I need to quote them as Pat is English.

However the Vehicle admission time limits on our UK reg van is what I'm failing on.

My understanding is that the vehicle is granted a 6 month temporary import on crossing into the EU. All I can see that it says in a year but no actual definition of how they view that period; if its calendar or rolling.

However, I saw a youtube blogger quoting a specialist EU lawyer he received letter from which I'm led to believe that once I leave at an EU border (obviously within the 6 month allowance) I have then discharged that temporary import permission and then when I re-import the vehicle I am granted another 6 months automatically (which kinda contradicts it)

Is this true? does anyone experience or web reference to this at all

I tried reading articles 136, 139 and 217 of 2446/2015 of the EU commission but it kept tripping the 15amp fuse in my brain!

I did try searching here but didn't come up with anything

We are currently in Alicante at Campello returning 25th April which will give us 119 days>

But are returning for 35 days in Sept (still in limit) The back again in December hopefully for a further 118 days (pushing us out of limit on a rolling year I believe), which is why I'm also concerned about how they define a year

Any one who can shine a light on this with helpful advice would be appreciated


Jim

 

[nabsim]

I thought the time limits were for residents not tourists?

 

[marchie]

Hi sorry to bother you but as the EU tighten up the monitoring of its border crossings in the near future, I have a question. First, I'm ok with the 90/180 personal stuff (luckily I'm Irish PP ) I have the relevant EU "family member documentation stuff" should I need to quote them as Pat is English.

However the Vehicle admission time limits on our UK reg van is what I'm failing on.

My understanding is that the vehicle is granted a 6 month temporary import on crossing into the EU. All I can see that it says in a year but no actual definition of how they view that period; if its calendar or rolling.

However, I saw a youtube blogger quoting a specialist EU lawyer he received letter from which I'm led to believe that once I leave at an EU border (obviously within the 6 month allowance) I have then discharged that temporary import permission and then when I re-import the vehicle I am granted another 6 months automatically (which kinda contradicts it)

Is this true? does anyone experience or web reference to this at all

I tried reading articles 136, 139 and 217 of 2446/2015 of the EU commission but it kept tripping the 15amp fuse in my brain!

I did try searching here but didn't come up with anything

We are currently in Alicante at Campello returning 25th April which will give us 119 days>

But are returning for 35 days in Sept (still in limit) The back again in December hopefully for a further 118 days (pushing us out of limit on a rolling year I believe), which is why I'm also concerned about how they define a year

Any one who can shine a light on this with helpful advice would be appreciated


Jim

Each Member State sets its own time limit [Rumania is 30 days at a time, IIRC from a Post by a Rumanian on another Forum where they aim to have fun]. Most Member States specify 6 months in any 12 months period, and logic suggests that the Year starts on the first day in EU. You should cross a Schengen Border after 90 days unless you want to run the risk of being deemed an EU resident for tax purposes, but your vehicle seems to be ok or 6 months ...

The EES is due for implementation around October 2025, so we can but hope that definitive guidance will be issued before launch date

Steve

 

[jim and pat dalton]

interesting, Nabsim but I've a feeling that refers to vehicles from another EU country and not to vehicles from outside the EU.

resident or tourist from outside EU have 6 months from what I can see

 

[jim and pat dalton]

Thanks Steve. I appreciate the assumption but i wish I could find a definitive reference that states its 6 months "in any 12 months period" I assume that's a rolling year then. Everything I find states a year, just want to make sure I get it right.

Weird how its stated for the 90/180 but not for the 180/365 and weird how the vehicle gets a better deal

 

[Clunegapyears]

There's the urban myth that since Brexit how long you could keep your uk vehicle in the eu changed to 6 months max, across all EU countries.
I contacted My Europa.eu twice, to verify. There is no such EU legislation. It was the same as before. Each EU member state sets their own rule on how long you can keep a vehicle in that country. For instance, Greece is 6 months.
I had been trying to find the legislation, but of course, none exists!
We are also on Irish passports and have Greek residency.

 

[Clunegapyears]

I no longer have the link, but I was sent it for Greece and it did state 6 in 12 months.

 

[marchie]

There's the urban myth that since Brexit how long you could keep your uk vehicle in the eu changed to 6 months max, across all EU countries.
I contacted My Europa.eu twice, to verify. There is no such EU legislation. It was the same as before. Each EU member state sets their own rule on how long you can keep a vehicle in that country. For instance, Greece is 6 months.
I had been trying to find the legislation, but of course, none exists!
We are also on Irish passports and have Greek residency.

This ties in with my earlier Post #3 mentioning Rumania and the 30 days max stay. So, EU has no locus, because it is a matter for Member State National Government Competence, and any legislation will be recorded in the individual Member State domestic legislation. For Italy, Greece and similar States, there might be a note on the back of a fag packet, for France, the Freight Container of paperwork will arrive after you have prepaid the Shipping Invoice for Spain and Portugal, slightly less paperwork, but 'This is Spain [or Portugal], nobody bothers ...' .

But it's all the fault of the EU, you know ...

Steve

 

[jim and pat dalton]

Weirdly I asked co pilot the other day the question (detailing our plans) and it stated 6 in 12 months for EU with this:-
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Under EU customs rules, a non-EU registered vehicle is typically allowed to stay in the EU temporarily for up to six months within a 12-month period. Based on the travel schedule you've outlined:

Together, the vehicle has been in the EU for around 4.5 months so far in 2025. Since the rule is six months in total per 12-month period, your vehicle can remain in the EU for an additional 1.5 months within this calendar year. This means the next available return date would depend on how long you wish to stay.
If the vehicle leaves the EU for Morocco after 1st October, and you plan to return again later, you'll need to ensure that the total stays between January 6th and December 31st do not exceed six months. For example, if you return in late November, you would have roughly 1.5 months to use until the end of the year.
It's always good to confirm with the customs authorities of the specific EU country you're traveling to, as they may have additional requirements. Let me know if you'd like further clarity!
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So reading Kathy's answer Today:- I decided to ask Co-pilot to point me to the actual legislation And it came back with:-
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It seems that the rule about keeping a UK-registered vehicle in the EU for up to 6 months within a 12-month period is not governed by EU-wide legislation but rather by individual country regulations. For example, Spain and Portugal have similar rules allowing non-residents to use foreign vehicles for up to 6 months. You might need to check the specific laws of the country where you're staying.
If you'd like, I can help you find more detailed information for a particular country!
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Thanks Kathy

PS: I did actually as the EU for an answer well over a week ago, I got a case number in a reply but nothing since