Yes, you can take your lease car away with you. You will just need to get in touch with your finance company to get authorisation and the documentation you need.
When you take a car abroad you usually need to take the original registration documents, however with a lease these are kept by the funder. Instead you will need to get a VE103 certificate, which confirms you are authorised to have the vehicle.
We’ve spoken to each of our funders for you to get a little more information from them on the process you will need to follow in order to get the required documentation. Please note that if your lease is funded through manufacturer finance then you will need to contact them directly and their contact numbers are listed below.
Please be aware that if you are travelling to a city that requires an emission sticker you may need to put in the details of the VE103 in order to obtain this, so remember to allow time for this if necessary.
Take a look at your funder below to see their advice:
ALD advise that you will need to get in touch with them at least 28 days before your trip so that they can send the VE103 out to you before you travel. You will need to contact their Travel Team on 08000 323277 (option 7) to arrange this.
They also advise that it will be your responsibility to familiarise yourself with any driving laws and regulations in the country you are visiting.
You will need to make sure that your insurance covers you whilst travelling, and you should carry a copy of your vehicle insurance certificate with you.
You will need to contact Alphabet at least two weeks before you plan to travel with your vehicle in order to get the VE103B certificate in time for the trip.
You can call them on 03705050183 to request this certificate or visit this page to request the documentation online.
In order to get a VE103 you will need to call Arval on 03706004499 (option 5 then 1).
They advise that they can arrange for a VE103 to be issued up to three months before your trip, otherwise you will need to contact them about a month before you travel in order to get the document before your trip.
Please be aware there will be an admin fee charged for this process and Arval have advised this is £15 + VAT.
LeasePlan advise you to contact their travel team on 03444935811 (option 4 then option 1) who will be able to help you with the VE103 process.
It can take two to three working days for the documents to be posted out to you so LeasePlan advise you to contact them at least a week before you travel to ensure you get the certificate in time to travel. They may be able to send the documents on a next day service, however there would be a charge for this.
They will require some information from you in order to issue the VE103 which includes:
When you contact them to request the documentation LeasePlan will advise on any admin fee for the process.
To travel abroad you will need to contact Leasys to apply for a VE103B, you can call them on 03445614611 (option 1 then option 2).
They require the below information for this:
The VE103B will then be processed and posted out to you.
You will need to ensure a copy of this document remains in the car at all times whilst you are away.
Please note that Leasys charge an admin fee of £11 + VAT for this process.
If your lease is through Lex, then you will need to get in touch with them around two to three weeks before you travel. You can contact their travel team on 01564701118.
In order to issue the VE103 to you they advise that they will require:
You will need to check with Lex if there is an admin fee for the process.
Mobilize Financial Services have advised that drivers need to contact their admin house SAFO on 01753 260976 in order to request a VE103 and they will take the necessary information from you and arrange for the document to be sent out.
Please note that Mobilize only allow the car to leave the country for a maximum of 30 consecutive days and 60 days total within a 12 month period.
If you want to travel abroad with your Novuna lease car then you will need to contact them at least 10 working days before you plan to go.
You will need to contact their driver line 03444632900 (option 1, then 4 then 2) to request the VE103 certificate you need.
Please be aware that European travel is not included as part of any of Novuna's agreements so any maintenance or breakdown costs while abroad will be your responsibility.
Novuna asks you to check the laws of the country you are visiting on tyres and compulsory equipment.
Please note, Novuna advises that there is a fee of £12 for the VE103.
Santander has advised that you need to contact them prior to any travel to arrange the necessary paperwork. They will ask you to provide information on your travel plans and who will be driving while abroad.
Please note they have advised there is an administration fee which is currently £20.
You can call them on 03301348751.
If your lease is through Wessex Fleet, then you will need to get in touch with them and provide the below information:
Once they have this information, they will be able to issue the VE103 and get this posted to you.
Please note that you will need to get in touch at least a week before you go away to ensure you receive the paperwork in time for your travel.
There will be a charge of £10.95 +VAT for the process.
If you have any further questions about taking your lease car abroad then please feel free to contact our Support Team on 0330 221 000 (option 3). Alternatively, you can contact your funder on the number listed below to speak to them directly.
When you’re travelling abroad you may need to take additional items with you that you wouldn’t necessarily have when driving at home.
You should always have a GB sticker on your car if you are travelling abroad. Please note that for some countries if you have a GB number plate you may still need to get a GB sticker in addition to this.
The government has confirmed that post-Brexit you will need to have a GB sticker on your vehicle if you plan to take it to Europe if it does not have the GB identifier on the number plate. In Spain, Cyprus and Malta you will need to do this even if you have a GB identifier on your number plate.
The only exception to this is is you plan to travel to Ireland, where UK vehicles will not need to have a GB identifier.
Following the UK's departure from the EU in January 2021 you will be required to carry a physical copy of a green card insurance certificate for any vehicle or trailer you are planning to travel with. It will be your responsibility to contact your insurance provider to ensure you receive this documentation prior to travel.
Some countries also require you to have a clean air emission sticker on the vehicle showing the emission levels for the car. Please check if this is required before you travel.
It is not a legal requirement in the UK to keep a vehicle safety kit in your car when driving but in some other countries it is. Please check before travelling if you need a safety kit and purchase one if do not already have one in your car.
Just like in the UK other countries have regulations on children in vehicles, which include the use of booster seats, seat belts and even where in the car they can sit. You will need to check the rules before you travel.
If you are travelling in the winter, or to a particularly cold country, you will need to check their rules on winter appropriate tyres and snow chains.
Please remember to check the below before you go on any long journey, especially if you are travelling abroad:
It will be your responsibility to ensure the vehicle is insured for the duration of your trip. You might want to check with your insurance provider whether the country you are travelling to is covered already by your existing policy or if you need additional insurance. Please also check what will be covered by your provider as a lot downgrade the level of cover when driving abroad.
If you plan on travelling with a trailer or caravan then you might need to take out additional insurance for this as well.
If you are travelling with your lease vehicle it will be up to you to obtain any driving permits you require. Please check before you travel if you will need any.
Before travelling you should familiarise yourself with the driving laws and regulations of the country you are visiting.
Please note that there is often a time limit on the length of time you can have a lease vehicle out of the country for. You should check with your funder what their limit is to make sure your trip does not go over this.
Provided none of the details have changed most VE103 certificates last for 12 months. Please check with your funder if you have any concerns over the length of time your certificate will be valid for.
Do you have any more questions about travelling abroad, or just want to discuss what it is you need to do? If so just give us a call on 0330 221 000 (option 3) and speak to one of our friendly Customer Service Advisers.
Check out one of our helpful guides or our explaination of leasing to get all your questions answered.
You can unsubscribe at any time
