Temporary Import for Car

Can't answer your question.

I have to ask:

1) Are you planning to drive across North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt?
If you are, I would think twice about that, especially going through Libya and Egypt.

2) Are you planning on trying to drive across Asia? Clearly, you aren't going to try to go through the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc.? Even driving through Russia would be something of a challenge.

Can't help with your car question but want to be sure you're solid on the interpretation of the 90 days you're allowed in the Schengen zone. I don't know your nationality, but if your visa works in a way similar to the (no-visa) situation Americans have to deal with, you'll need to be out of the Schengen zone for 90 or 91 days before you re-enter it from North Africa. If you're not planning an extended stay in Morocco, etc., check very carefully on what your visa allows you to do. When we leave Schengen, our visa clock does not re-set to zero.

Hey Friend. Right now I'm just trying to focus on this one specific question. Does anyone have any good answers for it?

No one on this board will give you a solid answer since no one here comes close to doing what you want to do. I would google for an import/export agent. There have been a couple of people who have shipped RVs to Europe so you might search for their responses.

This posting is about seven years ago but it might help --

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/shipping-vehicle-to-europe

This similar question did not receive particularly on-target responses, other than the idea that it is legal to import your car for personal use in Europe for up to 6 months.

You could try forums for expats living in Europe or just try some more thorough Googling. These few links were among the first that I saw:

https://www.khz-movers.com/files/2015/12/import-vehicle-from-outside-eu-khz_uk.pdf

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/taxes/index_en.htm

https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/portugal/transport/vehicle-ownership/importing-a-car

Note that some North African borders cannot be crossed, including from Morocco to Algeria (thus Google Maps sends you on a couple of ferries via Spain) and Algeria to Libya (though a route via Tunisia seems possible). The US State Department Travel Warning for Libya is worded more strongly than many others in the same category.

I think the best way to find an answer would be to contact the Portuguese embassy or one of the consular offices here in the US. Here's a link with addresses and phone numbers.

I have friends who moved from the UK to Portugal and haven't reregistered their UK car in Portugal, as it costs too much. To register a car in Europe, you need a permanent address. Ditto for the insurance. Cars also need annual inspection certificates to ensure they are road worthy.

The Portuguese embassy and expat forums should offer better advice than any holiday travel forum.

I am sure that you have already worked out which nights in Europe count towards your 90 day limit and which don't eg UK and Croatia aren't in Schengen. You can't return for a further 90 nights once you have hit 90 days in the Zone cumulatively in any 180 day period.

you've got four seperate issues to start with:

temporary importation of foreign vehicle, this is actually coverd by a United Nations Convention. Basically it needs to be legally registered at home and have a nationally sticker on the rear. And it would need to meet local safety rules, an internationally sold production model should be OK.

Customs rule, ie tax liablity on importing. Probably zero on a car that old but there may be paperwork nevertheless. If there was an tax you'd get it back on re-export (and guess what that means....). The shipper ought to be able to sort this out.

your visa.

having finally got the vehicle and yourself permission to leave the dock you get to the insurance. Within the EU third party liabilty cover is mandatory and you'd need to be able to prove you had it. It will be difficult to get this from a standard domestic insurance provider, especially if they are set up for online business. But a specialist broker could do it in his sleep. And an IDP/ driving licence trasnlation would be useful.

now you are ready for the road. Certain minor non compliances with local regulations are usually ignored, the obvious one being US standard turn signals with do not comply with EU standards. Local rules on load weight (and how safely it was loaded) would be applied. Vehicles subject to lower speed restrictions than ordinary cars need stickers on the back in some countries. And so on.....

PS "haven't reregistered their UK car in Portugal, as it costs too much" translates to dodging local taxes and think they can get away with it, there are loads of them on the Algarve.

PS "haven't reregistered their UK car in Portugal, as it costs too much" translates to dodging local taxes and think they can get away with it, there are loads of them on the Algarve.

Were is that like button?

This is the UK government website. Other countries in the EU will be similar with different time limits etc.

Importing the car will not be the problem, driving it could be though. It is unlikely that a 30 year old non European car will meet the emissions and MOT required before you are allowed to drive it in most mainland European countries.

foreign registered temporary imports are not normally required to have local examination certificates. Hence the previous commenst about the british on the algarve who don't register permanent imports and hope no-one notices. There may be special requirments like the german low emission zones where all cars need an approval sticker to enter.