Bartbag Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I wonder if anyone can advise on this one? We're in the process of registering our UK imported car in France but are waiting for the headlights to arrive (and if anyone knows why it's half the price to order the headlights for a Peugeot from Germany rather than buy them in France, I'd love to know...). I've told the DVLA we're exporting the car and the tax runs out at the end of August. Someone's told me that traffic police can pull you over if your UK tax has expired and that our insurance won't be valid - is this correct, does anyone know? The insurance is specifically for driving in Europe rather than at home. All replies gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob T Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I don't think that the French police care about road tax. I suspect that your insurance is not what you think it is. You may have a green card, but if you are French resident then you will find in the small print of your UK isurance documents that they will only cover you if you are a UK resident. Your UK insurance will also try their best to aviod paying out any claim if your car is not taxed and MOTd. There are many cheap secondhand headlights to be had in French breakers yards, providing your car is not the very latest model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Not only just as a UK resident but your policy,not the certificate,will normally contain a statement that for the insurance to be valid the car must be roadworthy and LEGAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Bartbag's situation is quite straightforward and fully legal.He has correctly notified the DVLA that his vehicle has been permanently exported, so it no longer has to comply with UK registration requirements, ie Tax, MOT and UK insurance. That means he could now cash in any unexpired road tax....At the same time, he will have declared his vehicle for customs import on its arrival here in France and he will have obtained his quittus fiscale VAT certificate from his local tax office. As it is now officially imported into France, he is allowed to drive his currently unregistered (and therefore un-UKtaxed) vehicle on it's old UK number plates until he's completed the French registration formalities. This permission is set out on the reverse of the quittus fiscale certificate, which can be shown to any enquiring police officer.He now has a month in which to register the vehicle at his French address, which gives him time to arrange for a CT (if appropriate) and obtain the necessary documentation with which to complete the administrative formalities.In terms of insurance, as previously mentioned, he probably will find that his UK policy will have been invalidated by his new foreign residency , so he may as well take out a new French policy straight away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Sunday DriverEverything you say is, as always, absolutely spot on. I have been without a phone line and therefore internet access for over 4 months, hence the belated posting on the forum. Don't want you to think I haven't been paying attention. I have! In fact, I did everything that you advised to get my carte grise. In fact, the woman at the Prefecture was so impressed that I had all the documentation she required that she congratulated me! Result, no problems whatsoever and now every Brit in the locality who haven't yet done "the deed" comes round to my house to ask my advice as to how to register their car!What a laugh but I do insist that they follow the procedure PRECISELY and I am quite severe with them if they don't do it just so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartbag Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Thank you for all your responses, especially Sunday Driver. Yes, we do have our quittus fiscale VAT certificate - I must confess I hadn't read the small print..... It's just these b***** headlights holding everything up - we tried every breaker's yard within a 50 mile radius but nobody had them. Hopefully, they will arrive any day now and we can get them fitted and then arrange for the CT. In the meantime, we will sort out a French car insurance policy. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Have a look here, Bartbag. http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/980290/ShowPost.aspxTowards the end of this long thread, there are some good tips on how to adjust the headlamp beams yourself. Btw, try e-bay too, a good source of car parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1steveuk Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 The crux is "the vehicle must meet ALL the legal requirements for the country it is registered in".UK plates means, it must have road tax, and an annual MOT, there are quite a few Brits who are on UK plates, and have left the tax lapse, but as has been said, it is unlikely the French police will be bothered, but then again, IF you get caught speeding, and if as the new agreement goes the French send the ticket to the \uk, and it arrives at the address the UK reg'd car is supposed to be at, they'll check the tax/mot on the new linked system, and you'd be in all sorts of bother, especially if you aren't at the address either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEO Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 A new thing to worry about!are you kidding?What? I am already worrying about, being overweight, losing hair, dissappointing the OH, have I got enough money to live on, my next tax bill,will Scotland qualify for the next World Cup, how far will Celtic go in the Champions league, the absence of some of the bright and funny lassies who were regulars this forum, does Russethouse still hold me in her affection, will wen count up to ten before posting, will Twinkle still twinkle, when is Dick coming back for real, and when will Big Brother be put to bed forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 [quote user="f1steveuk"]The crux is "the vehicle must meet ALL the legal requirements for the country it is registered in".UK plates means, it must have road tax, and an annual MOT, there are quite a few Brits who are on UK plates, and have left the tax lapse, but as has been said, it is unlikely the French police will be bothered, but then again, IF you get caught speeding, and if as the new agreement goes the French send the ticket to the \uk, and it arrives at the address the UK reg'd car is supposed to be at, they'll check the tax/mot on the new linked system, and you'd be in all sorts of bother, especially if you aren't at the address either![/quote]Ah but surely, if you have told the DVLA that the vehicle has been permanently exported THEN it is no longer registered in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob T Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 [quote user="P2"]Ah but surely, if you have told the DVLA that the vehicle has been permanently exported THEN it is no longer registered in the UK.[/quote]Then it IS illegal as it has to be registered somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 No it's not...[;-)]As explained earlier, if you follow the DVLA guidance, then when the vehicle leaves the UK, you must notify them that the vehicle has been permanently exported. They will then amend the vehicle registration record to show it's new status. In simple terms, it is UK 'deregistered' and therefore is no longer subject to UK registration regulations. It's gone...Then, when the vehicle comes off the ferry on the French side, it is essentially at the point of being imported into France. That's why you have to go straight to the tax office and make a customs VAT declaration and pay any outstanding VAT (if applicable) before you can use it in France. The VAT certificate allows you to carry on driving the car (VAT paid if necessary) on it's old (now obsolete) UK number plates for a limited period. The tax office keep the record of the import and this is your 'temporary' registration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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