jo Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi, I may become known as little miss awkward!We are English which is why we read this forum for English, mainly moving or owning places in France. But we have moved from Spain to France, bringing a left hand drive Spanish bought and registered car to France.Actually two, one for best, and a loved little citreon, nicknamed the skip! So lights etc all correct, what do we need to do? Had to renew insurance just as we left , runs out in Dec 09, but I read over here a green sticker has to be shown to show insurance on windscreen? (I was assured insurance covered us living in France, but I don´t think they thought of the re-registering rule) or do I just tootle back over the border occasionally? I´m not sure the faithfull old skip will make it!! I´m sorry to introduce a thread that will be irrelivant for most readers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Read the FAQ entitled Importing and registering your UK car to France.Substitute 'Spanish registration document' for 'V5C registration document'.Ignore the bit about changing headlamps for the CT.Now follow the rest of the steps..... [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Here is a tiny detail for you.In Spain, licence plates may be attached to the car by screws or bolts. In France they are required to be riveted. In my innocence, when I imported a car from Spain, I just re-used the Spanish bolts to fix the French plates. On my third visit to the contrôle technique they finally told me that this was illegal (although not a reason for failing).Whether this is truly important is another question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 So far,so good. Both cars went for control technique on Tuesday and to our utter amazement both past, the skip only just! While we were waiting we went to the Hotel de Impots and got the quittas fiscal, off to prefecture on Friday to complete, while we are on a roll! Skip is insured with French insurance already, other car has Spanish insurance for another eight months, I think we will have to change it, as we do not have a green sticker for the window?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 [quote user="jo"]off to prefecture on Friday to complete, while we are on a roll! [/quote]Don't bother, it will be shut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 [quote user="Maricopa"][quote user="jo"]off to prefecture on Friday to complete, while we are on a roll! [/quote]Don't bother, it will be shut![/quote]Check the opening times, just in case , as Thursday is a bank holiday: Téléphone : 05 53 77 60 47 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Now I am confused, as I just rang(Thursday) to see if an ansa phone would give me details of opening times and someone answered, so they are working today.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Sorry, my mistake... Friday is the bank holiday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Seen no mention of Certificates of Conformity yet [blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Clair, thankyou so much for your answer, am going to build a wall rather than have a wasted journey to Agen! ?? Will they be open Monday? or do official offices normally work Mon to Fri, having only just moved here still getting to learn the French way!!Ernie? Certificate of conformity? both cars were issued with them in the document pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 [quote user="jo"]Clair, thankyou so much for your answer, am going to build a wall rather than have a wasted journey to Agen![/quote]If I might respectively point out it was I that originally told you they would be shut on Friday, and that Clair, font of all knowledge that she usually is, made a mistake and confused you.But instead of building a wall, why not go and watch the ceremony at your local village monument des morts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 [quote user="I"]In Spain, licence plates may be attached to the car by screws or bolts. In France they are required to be riveted... (etc) [/quote]Sorry, I see this is already mentioned in the FAQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 [quote user="jo"]Certificate of conformity? both cars were issued with them in the document pack.[/quote]You're virtually home and dry then, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Why don't you go to the sub prefecture in Marmande? closer to you and parking opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Goodness! thanks for your answers!! Maricopa, you did indeed, but just said they won´t be there, actually having thought about it..of course VE day, penny dropped watching Foyle´s War on DVD last night!! Ernie, home and dry? .. we hope so! Rivets not screws...as in Spain. We are just happy to fit them ourselves, you have no idea how many number plates you see in Tenerife that look like the fitter had several litres too many of Sangria!! Gosub, if we go to Marmande, can we get the Carte Gris the same day??....... Anyone know if Prefecture in Marmande or Agen open on a Monday?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 [quote user="jo"]Goodness! thanks for your answers!! Maricopa, you did indeed, but just said they won´t be there, actually having thought about it..of course VE day, penny dropped watching Foyle´s War on DVD last night!! Ernie, home and dry? .. we hope so! Rivets not screws...as in Spain. We are just happy to fit them ourselves, you have no idea how many number plates you see in Tenerife that look like the fitter had several litres too many of Sangria!! Gosub, if we go to Marmande, can we get the Carte Gris the same day??....... Anyone know if Prefecture in Marmande or Agen open on a Monday??[/quote]Yes, you will get your Carte Gris straight away in Marmande if all your paperwork is OK. I am sure they will be open on Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 No personal experience but I thought sub Prefectures just forwarded your papers to the Prefecture by post.Is there a difference between a sub and a sous prefecture ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 Thats what I thought,the car insurance lady seemed to think that too, that Marmande would have to forward to Agen then back again.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 We have twice collected Carte Grise over the counter in Marmande, and Marmande is much nicer than Agen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 [quote user="jo"]Thats what I thought,the car insurance lady seemed to think that too, that Marmande would have to forward to Agen then back again.![/quote]Definitely not, you can walk out of the door with your carte gris within 5 mins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 [quote user="gosub"]Why don't you go to the sub prefecture in Marmande? [/quote]Just a couple of comments on Marmande:(1) Most things in Marmande are closed on Monday. I don't know about the préfecture but it might be wise to make a phone call.(2) I got my carte grise in Marmande very quickly over the counter, but not on the first visit, because they weren't satisfied with the certificat de conformité that came with the car: it had to be one provided by the French importer for the make (Mazda) even though he had nothing to do with importing it. On this question, someone on this forum (sorry, I can't remember who) commented that main préfectures such as Agen are sometimes more flexible than a sous-préfecture, which is what Marmande has. Again, it might be worth a phone call.Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 I will not swear, I will not swear!We went to Marmande, yes it was open, but we came away, empty-handed and frustrated. Both cars have Spanish registration documents, both also have Cards, technicial inspection of vehicles,reg number, and stating, vehicle conforms to the european comunity rules. Lady behind counter first agreed that Jaguar card was correct then changed her mind. Is Agen worth a try, tried to argue, but in your rusty second language battling with her in full flow was impossible. Only trying to obey the rules within the stated time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Sorry to hear that.Although I didn't question what you meant by 'in the document packs' at the time I did wonder what you meant but it seems now that they were perhaps from Spain, or elsewhere other than France, hence the baulking at the Prefecture.Not saying they were right or wrong but had you got French CofC's then I have no doubt that you would be happily clutching your new French plates now and patting yourselves on the back, not resisting urges to blasphemy [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 If you don't have the correct documents, I don't think it will make any difference where you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 [quote user="gosub"]If you don't have the correct documents, I don't think it will make any difference where you go.[/quote]But it seems that not all offices agree about what the "correct" CoC is.On my first visit to the Marmande office, I had three of them, one of which (issued in Belgium) was actually in French. None of them satisfied the sous-préfecture, and I had to buy a new one from the French importer. But I was told later that Agen would not have required that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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