Driving To Spain From France? The Temporary Number Plate That’s Getting Motorists Pulled Over

If you’re readying a summertime road trip from France into Spain, here’s thing you mightiness not person heard astatine nan petrol position aliases complete coffee: if your car has a impermanent French number sheet starting pinch “WW”, you could beryllium successful for a roadside chat pinch nan Catalan police. And no, it’s not because of your driving!

What’s nan communicative down those French ‘WW’ Plates?

Let’s group nan scene: you’re cruising down nan motorway successful a precocious bought French car, and alternatively of nan classical black-on-white number plate, yours kicks disconnected pinch 2 large ‘W’s. That, correct there, is simply a reddish emblem for nan separator police. These “WW” plates are perfectly ineligible successful France – they’re a benignant of ‘placeholder’ issued by nan French authorities while you hold for your imperishable registration. Think of it arsenic nan car balanced of wearing impermanent shoes until your existent ones get successful nan post. You get them for a humble €11 done nan ANTS website, and they past for 2 months (with a imaginable two-month hold if you’re unlucky pinch paperwork).

Here’s nan twist: while these plates make life easier for genuine car owners and importers, they’ve besides go a basking summons for group up to nary good. We’re talking astir stolen vehicles, cars utilized to settee dodgy debts, and each mode of criminal escapades. That’s why Spanish police, particularly astir La Jonquera – nan main gateway betwixt France and Spain – are giving “WW” plates a 2nd look this summer.

Why Police are abruptly truthful interested

Locals opportunity it’s go a regular routine: spot a ‘WW’, propulsion it over, and cheque everything twice. According to David Garcia, main of constabulary successful La Jonquera, these impermanent plates person go a spot of a magnet for mischief. In immoderate cases, criminal groups person been utilizing them to move stolen cars, aliases simply to make a dodgy conveyance look supra committee for conscionable agelong capable to gaffe crossed nan border.

It doesn’t thief that getting your hands connected these plates is truthful easy. For little than nan value of a vessel of fuel, anyone tin registry online, instrumentality nan plates connected a car, and – astatine slightest successful mentation – caput retired for a European roadworthy trip. Unfortunately, nan bad apples person ruined things for everyone else, and moreover well-meaning drivers tin find themselves explaining their car’s full life communicative astatine a Spanish roadside checkpoint.

Crossing nan border? Here’s really to debar trouble

So, if you’re 1 of nan galore drivers heading southbound this summertime successful a car pinch “WW” plates, what should you do? The aureate norm is simple: paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Make judge you transportation each spot of charismatic archiving you person – from nan original acquisition receipt and security papers to nan impermanent registration itself. Anything that proves you’re nan rightful proprietor and not conscionable borrowing nan car from a friend-of-a-friend.

And don’t effort to bluff your measurement through. Police successful Catalonia are well-versed successful nan tricks and tales drivers usage to explicate distant missing documents aliases suspicious-looking cars. If you’re stopped, being polite, prepared and honorable is your champion stake for getting backmost connected nan roadworthy quickly.

A summertime roadworthy travel betwixt France and Spain should beryllium each astir sunshine, sangria and escapade – not headaches astatine nan border. If your car’s wearing a “WW” plate, beryllium fresh for a spot much scrutiny this year. Bring your paperwork, support your cool, and you’ll beryllium enjoying your Spanish getaway successful nary time.

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