The Ultimate Guide to Driving your Lease Vehicle Abroad

Eager to pack up your lease vehicle and road trip abroad this summer?

Whether you want to spend your getaway road tripping Europe via the ferry or channel tunnel, you can do this all from the comfort of your lease car. Here’s your guide to driving your lease vehicle abroad!

You may be wondering “can I take my lease car to another country?”. The answer is YES, you can!

But there are a few things that you’ll have to do before you set off. You’ll need to prove to the authorities that you have the right to take your car out of the country. Without the correct documents, you could face delays or risk being sent back to the UK.

For worry-free travel, you might also want to think about the route you’re going to take, the countries you’ll pass through, and the laws of the country you’re visiting.

Nothing beats some good preparation. So to help make things a little easier, we’ve put together a simple checklist and some advice to give you peace of mind.

Checklist for taking your lease vehicle abroad:

1.     Full, Valid UK Driving Licence

You need to ensure that you have your full UK photocard driving licence with you when driving abroad. You need to be able to produce one for inspection if you’re stopped and challenged by the police.

2.     VE103 and VE103B Documents

If you were taking your own vehicle abroad, you would need to take your V5C document with you, also known as the vehicle logbook. The V5C contains important details about registration and provides details of the registered keeper.

When you lease a car, your finance provider keeps the V5C because they are the registered keeper of the vehicle. Therefore, you would need to contact your finance provider beforehand to get permission from them to take the lease vehicle abroad.

Additionally, if you need help or have any questions, you can ask your lease provider and they’ll guide you into the right direction.

You wouldn’t be given the original V5C document, instead, your finance provider will issue you with the VE103 and VE103B documents.

The VE103 document is a certificate that provides proof that you can take your lease vehicle out of the UK. The VE103B, also known as the Vehicle on Hire certificate, replaces the V5C and will confirm the name and address of the person leasing the vehicle, as well as the length of the lease contract. This verifies that the person driving the vehicle has been given permission from the asset owner to drive the vehicle, therefore it is a very important document.

You could also be given a letter of authorisation. While this isn’t a compulsory thing, it might be quite helpful as an extra document for peace of mind. You can request this along with the other documents from your finance provider.

Give yourself plenty of time to obtain these documents! Apply for them as soon as possible as you don’t want to wait until just a few days before you leave and realise you have to delay your trip.

3.     Appropriate Insurance and Breakdown Cover

Before you set off, you’ll want to check whether your insurance cover is extended to outside of the UK. Some insurance companies can lower your level of cover abroad to basic cover, so make sure you check with them.

Similarly, you’ll want to check that your breakdown cover extends to outside of the UK. Although not compulsory, it may save you a lot of money if you suddenly breakdown. Some leasing providers may include breakdown cover in your agreement, so it’s worth checking with your lease provider if you’re unsure.

Further advice for driving a lease vehicle abroad

It would be wise to plan the route you intend to follow before you travel so that you can check the laws of the country that you are visiting, as well as the countries that you’re passing through too.

For example, France requires you to display a UK sticker on your vehicle as a distinguishing mark. You may also be required to have certain items in your car such as a breathalyser or reflective vest.

You don’t want to be caught out, so it’s important to do your research and make sure you’ve got everything you’re supposed to carry before you arrive in the country.

Also, prepare your vehicle for the road trip and do the necessary checks to ensure your car is in good condition.

Can you take your business lease car abroad?

If travelling for work overseas, you may also be able to take your company lease vehicle with you. You would need to check your company policy. But you’d still need to get a hold of the same documents as you would for a personal lease car.