Chris

Hi Sunday Driver, I was speaking to Philippe today and he says that no, this is a misconception that all UK-plated vehicles are illegal and he seems very sure. If you can prove that with a letter from the manufacturer or importer that it is not possible to issue a French confirmity certificate, then the car can legally be insured in France. Under EU law a car is legal in France if it legal in another EU member state. Although conformity is required to obtain French reg plates, French reg plates are not a requirement for a car to be legally insured or driven in France full time. This may seem controversial but Philippe has had much wrangling with Generali about this on behalf of clients and is certain this is the case. For any more info please call him, as I am not an insurance expert! Best wishes, Chris

Hi there, My insurer in France, Philip Schreinemachers, can register UK plated vehicles which are in France full time. Apparently this is not illegal - on the contrary they have an obligation to insure any vehicle offered to them. This could be particularly helpful for people who have admin difficulty obtaining a "certificat de conformité". He can also provide cover notes recognized by the UK Post Office for tax disc renewal if you are still taking you bike back to the UK occasionally. His website is here for more info and I'm sure there's an article about insuring non-imported UK vehicles on there: www.insurance.fr Hope that helps.. Chris