registering a car

[busdriver]

hi aplogies if i have missed this on another thread but i could not find a definitive answer.

Have moved to france, thinking of going back to uk and buying a second hand car (post 98 so will have a certificate of conformity) and registering it over here.

- Is there a requirement for me to have owned the car for 6 months before i can import it?

does anyone have a link to the offical answer?

Thanks

[AnOther]

No !

However, if the car is under 6 months old or has less than 6000km on it you may have to pay TVA (VAT) in France.

Bomb proof solution:- buy a car older than 6 months and with more than 6000km on it - simples [;-)]

[Sunday Driver]

Here's your link to the official answer....

http://www.douane.gouv.fr/page.asp?id=31

 

[busdriver]

Thats great guys , thanks very much. I think even with the paperwork effort of importing there is still a saving by buying in uk. The current car i am looking at is 3000 euro cheaper in uk.

Thanks again

[NickP]

[quote user="busdriver"]Thats great guys , thanks very much. I think even with the paperwork effort of importing there is still a saving by buying in uk. The current car i am looking at is 3000 euro cheaper in uk. Thanks again[/quote]

While you are correct in thinking that cars are cheaper to buy in the UK, remember you must factor in the registration costs etc. in France, the cost of travelling back and forth to the UK to buy the car. Also the fact that after a few years your car will be difficult to sell  in France if it's right hand drive, so; back to the UK to sell it ( more cost) only to find that second hand cars there have no value. My car (UK bought) is worth about £2000 scrapage value in the UK, If it was French purchased and left hand drive it would be worth around 6000 Euro in France. So although 3000 Euro seems attractive now, five or six years down the line? What ever best of luck.

[tasng4]

Nickp is right to warn about the camparative value of cars, however, you only lose the money when you sell it. IF you plan to run the car into the ground then I'd buy from the UK everytime.

I've imported 2 cars from the UK:

MG ZT-T - UK value £2000 France Value 6000€ cost of importing 1000€ we imported this car because we couldn't buy a comparative car in France for the UK value.

Suzuki Jeep - UK value £1100 France value 3000€ cost to import 300€ but a word of warning suzuki DO NOT issue full certificates only partial which means you need to go to the DREAL (nee. DRIRE) to get it inspected and, I believe, they are tough.

Also Toyota DO NOT issue full certificates.

Finally, DO NOT count on all Prefectures accepting a V5C with the type aproval number instead of a certificate. Drome (26) do not accept but Haute Alpe (05) do. I would visit your Prefecture and ask

[Sunday Driver]

I think you'll find that Suzuki and Toyota will issue certificates if your vehicle complies with the necessary type approval.....[;-)]

 

[tasng4]

Whilst I respect SD's knowledge of driving issues AND I've had lots of accurate advice I can only repeat my experience. I have a 1991 Suzuki SJ413 jeep, the certificate states that it satisfies ALL aspects of the code de la route except that it's Right Hand Drive and as such the certificate issued is partial. Also a fried of mine has a Toyota with the same RHD comment AND a comment re: headlights. He changed the headlights AND has an atestation from the garage backing this up and still the Prefecture would not accept the dossier. In both cases the cars have a CT but MUST be checked by the DREAL.

Maybe we live in a department that doesn't abide by the rules the rest of France does but we still have to have our cars inspected.

Again this is just my experience.

[Sunday Driver]

I can't comment on the particular circumstances of your Jeep, but I am surprised that a RHD vehicle does not satisfy the code de la route when the code does not even make reference to RHD vehicles.

I have helped countless people obtain conformity certificates for RHD vehicles, including the models you mention, and none of them have been partial on the basis of being RHD.  I just don't feel that statements like 'Suzuki DO NOT issue full certificates' based purely on the basis of a single experience are particularly helpful......[;-)]

 

[Beemer1150]

Just to confirm that Suzuki do issue full CoCs.

I imported a 2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara in 2007 and obtained a full certificate from Suzuki GB. An added bonus was that it was free...

[tasng4]

SD, you're probably right aqbout my 'DO NOT' comment. IT is based only on my, and my friend's, experiences. Perhaps the original poster just ne3ed to be aware that it's not always straight forwar.

[tasng4]

Beemer, My jeep is a 1991 SJ and does not have the type aproval no. on the V5C and I applied to Suzuki France and it was they who issued the partial certificate.

If your certificate was issued by Suzuki UK did you have to have an official translation of the certificate to send to the Pefecture?

Also do you have an address for Suzuki UK?

[Beemer1150]

Being an '04 vehicle it did have the magic type approval number. The CoC was in English and I did wonder whether it would be accepted, but there was no problem at the sous Prefecture at Saintes (17) - I have heard this varies from Prefecture to Prefecture.

Sorry I don't have an address for Suzuki GB as the dealer I bought the car from (pre-registered, so virtually new if theoretically second hand) contacted them and they sent it direct to me in France. Excellent service as the car was by then three years old. Curiously a friend had to contact them direct and pay for his motorcycle CoC even though he'd bought the bike new and the car and bike divisions work from the same offices...

As an aside BMW did the same for my motorcycle, sent it by post after an email request, no charge and as the original was in German they also supplied English and French translations!

[Sunday Driver]

Just to clarify a point....

Since 1998, all passenger cars manufactured for commercial sale anywhere in Europe must comply with common EU technical and safety standards.  This qualifies them for an EU certificate of conformity which is recognised in all other EU member states. The certificate is issued by the manufacturer/importer based in the vehicle's current country of registration and allows you to register the vehicle in France without any further inspection or modification.  This exemption does not apply to UK specification cars whose lights and speedo require modification in order to comply with local traffic regulations.

On the other hand, older cars do not have this automatic EU guarantee of approval.  Instead, they must comply with French national type approval which only applies to cars which have been on commercial sale in France.  Experience has shown that not every UK model has been sold here, so those that weren't will require a DRIRE single vehicle approval inspection.

So, if you have an older car, it's worth making enquiries as to the availablity of a conformity certificate before bringing it across to France and spending money preparing it for use here. If it later turns out to need individual approval, you may consider it's not worth the bother and decide return it to the UK for sale.