Paperwork Required For Road Trip In Europe Vs Electronic Copies

[Grumpy Mike]

After help here. My printer dries up constantly now as I dont use it often and it takes ages to get the jets going again.

What do you think about carrying electronic versions of insurance instead of paper copies? After all we do that now with boarding cards. I used to print my ferry tickets, dont even print them now. The port have all of the detail.

But I suppose a little worried about French police and insurance certificate.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Pete Roberts]

I would have thought that the authorities would want hard copies of paperwork..Registration Documents...Insurance....proof of MOT and driving license..In the past 18 years I’ve never been asked for anything but Sod’s law says when you don’t take it they will ask for it..

 

[T6 CFO]

Hard copies for me with electronic versions on the phone.

Always have scans of everything including passports, health cards etc in Dropbox.


Mike

 

[kurienp]

Insurance, electronic copies is fine. V5C, license - physical.copies required.

 

[WelshGas]

If it comes as an electronic document, then it’s loaded onto an iPad. If it comes as a printed document then copies are made , but you should also take the originals.

 

[AndyWT]

Copy’s... in all countries I have been in over here, if stopped by Police, border control etc they will only accept original documents, you can have long discussions why you don’t have them. Original vehical registration and insurance cert must be carried in the car without exception, MOT or equivalent is recorded in the vehicle reg in most countries. We have to carry identity card, the only copy I have is my passport unless I’m going cross border, although in the Schengen area there’s normally nobody there checking.
The only time copies are acepted is if you loose or have the originals stolen which can result in a very long visit to prove who you are etc, if this happens call the police to attend where it happens as without a police incident report things can get difficult.
We have experience this 2 years ago where my wife’s handbag was stolen near Turin, we had copies and it took hours for police to attend, 3 visits to police, 2 to commune for ID cards, immigration, 1,600 km round trip to Rome to 2 separate embassy’s for my wife & daughters, I didn’t need to go to the Brit embassy as I had 2 passports.
Don’t want to do that again.

My advise, originals closely guarded, 2 separate hard copies, all copied on a USB stick, have traveled all my life and been detained several times coz of documents no fault of mine, last time Hanoi airport because the outbound immigration could not read the date on my arrival stamp it took them hours to check that days video, if my flight had not been delayed 4 hours I would have missed it, 6 hours in an interview room.

Expect Poo poo to happen and be happy that normally it doesn’t...

 

[Vagophile]

It has to be original documents every time. Keep in a safe place (preferably a safe) and as Andy WT says, have a couple of paper copies and electronic copies on a USB stick in case of emergencies. I have often been asked for registration documents, usually to determine vignette costs and a copy has never been accepted (so I've given up presenting them).
I also carry a reduced size laminated colour copy of my passport as an ID as, if paying by credit card in some countries, ID is often requested.