Maison secondaire in France plus car registration

[banyuls diver]

I now have a "maison secondaire" in France and  am now looking to address the transport issue.

I'm still very confused about how I can bring a British car to France and keep it there.

I read in the forum that as a British resident paying taxes in the U.K. I don't need  to register my British car in France.

I've also read that a British car can only stay in France for 90 days without being registered in France.

I've also read somewhere that I cannot register the car in France if I'm not a French resident (i.e. pay taxes in France).

All in all I'm very confused.

Also, if I can bring the car to France, do I have to change the headlamps permanently?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

   

 

 

[cooperlola]

If your car is resident in France it must be registered there.  You only need a French address (your 2nd home), not French residency, to register it here.  The steps as to how to go about this are detailed in the FAQ's at the top of this section.  Yes, change the headlamps (depending on the model, they're often pretty cheap on e-bay!)

Edit : This has been said before (a lot!) but I should point out that's it's an insurance issue - no reputable British company will insure a car which is permanently abroad (it's not legal).  To get French insurance, it needs a French registration - hence the above.  Different if you're just driving over with it when you come to stay.  No gendarme's going to be interested in where you pay tax, if you're involved in an accident!

Predicition : There will now follow a long thread full of anecdotes about people who don't bother, and who "get away with it" by taking their cars back to the UK for a couple of days a year to get it MOT'd etc.  My tip : take note of Sunday Driver's response and follow his advice - always good.

 

[Sunday Driver]

BD

There is only one simple issue here - what do you intend to do with the car?

If you are just using it to drive to and from your maison secondaire (eg for holidays or longer term visits), then provided it not kept in France for more than six months in any twelve month period, then there is no requirement to register it here.  During this time, the car must have a valid UK tax disc, MOT and UK insurance. It's just the same as if you were coming here on holiday.

On the other hand, if you want to leave the car at your French house as a runaround, then you can do this, but it'd be subject to the above time limitations and again, subject to the car being UK taxed, MOT'd and insured for the duration of its stay.  

If it's a 'spare' car that's going to stay here, then it would probably be best to register it here.  You have a French address, so this is no problem.  There are benefits to this - you no longer have to pay UK road tax, the CT (French MOT) is every two years and French insurance is generally cheaper than in the UK. And you don't have to periodically remove it from France for six months at a time....

That's all you need to consider. 

 

 

[banyuls diver]

Thanks for that.

 

My car is a Daewoo Matiz. Do you think I'll be able to get lhd headlamps for that in France o.k.? Not sure whether this is a common car in France.

[Clair]

[quote user="banyuls diver"]My car is a Daewoo Matiz. Do you think I'll be able to get lhd headlamps for that in France o.k.? Not sure whether this is a common car in France.[/quote]

http://www.chevrolet.fr/matiz/

[Nicos]

We are wondering about leaving a small car at our French house, so this post is very interesting to me!

I had wondered about the insurance though .

Being of a very generous nature, it would be for several people to drive, and I'm a bit worried about my own insurance ( incase of someone else having an accident) as I drive a high bracket insurance car in England.

Other than not letting other people drive it ( or selling my own car!)- any ideas?????

[Sunday Driver]

If you take the option of registering the vehicle in France, then you can obtain French insurance on an 'any driver' basis.  This insurance will be completely separate from your UK policy for your UK car.

 

[Nicos]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

If you take the option of registering the vehicle in France, then you can obtain French insurance on an 'any driver' basis.  This insurance will be completely separate from your UK policy for your UK car.

 

[/quote]

Yipppeee!!!![:-))]

[Bob T]

[quote user="Nicos"][quote user="Sunday Driver"]

If you take the option of registering the vehicle in France, then you can obtain French insurance on an 'any driver' basis.  This insurance will be completely separate from your UK policy for your UK car.

 

[/quote]

Yipppeee!!!![:-))]

[/quote]

Nicos, Glad to see that you are happy with the French way of doing things and that it has worked out in your favour. I get fed up with seeing people who do not like the way things are done here in France and try to work around the system. Best of luck to you.

[noc]

Just to say that I have a maison secondaire in France, keep a French registered and insured car there and the system works well - once you work out what you have to do!

Speaking of which, how far in advance of the Controle Technique date can you get the Controle Technique done?

Neil

[Ron Avery]

I believe you can get a CT any time, this is based on the fact that you have to have 18 months left on a CT when you sell in France, unless you state otherwise, ie sold for spares etc

[LEO]

I have a Maison  Secondaire in Normandy.

My principal residence and tax paying habits are in the UK.

I have a uk registered car and intend to spend 4 months in France 4 months in Spain

and 4 months in UK.

With a British car throughout my travels are there any obstacles which I should address.

Kind regards,

Leo

[Ron Avery]

To be legally used in France and Spain it must be UK legal, taxed Mot'd,  insured.  You might have a problem getting a green card for  all your travels (and bail bonds for Spain)  for 8 months, you will need to talk to your UK insurer about that, the normal maximum is 90 days in any year. In theory you can use your car in the EU without a green card but you would only be covered for third party risks and your insurer may not pay up if you do not tell them that you are using the car abroad.  There are some UK insurers who do an all year round cover try the RAC for starters.

[LEO]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]To be legally used in France and Spain it must be UK legal, taxed Mot'd,  insured.  You might have a problem getting a green card for  all your travels (and bail bonds for Spain)  for 8 months, you will need to talk to your UK insurer about that, the normal maximum is 90 days in any year. In theory you can use your car in the EU without a green card but you would only be covered for third party risks and your insurer may not pay up if you do not tell them that you are using the car abroad.  There are some UK insurers who do an all year round cover try the RAC for starters.[/quote]

Hi Ron,

thank for the info - I am currently insured with Saga and ,as far as I can understand my cover in Eu countries does not have any time restrictions .

Kind regards,

Leo 

[teejay]

The general view of Insurers is : if you want to drive for most of the year on the Continent then insure on the Continent. I do not have a Saga Policy but Ron is right when he says that the some (not all) Insurers offer unlimited visits to the EU but a maximum of 90 days in one visit/year. I will be very (pleasantly) surprised if  Saga exceeded this.

 

[Moriarty]

We're currently resident in the UK but travel to France and the continent frequently and were very frustrated with the 90-day limit on our overseas car insurance - therefore we changed to Saga who don't have a maximum limit.  Your policy is valid for any time out of the UK (but I think limited to the EU), and there's no maximum duration for any one trip.  So you could go down to France for six months at a time or more.  The only requirement for Saga is that you live in the UK and the car is registered in the UK. 

It's an excellent policy and, as far as I know, one of the only ones to offer the 'unlmited duration' overseas.  Highly recommended.

 

[Framboise]

Are the French insurance companies not a bit "funny" about right hand drive vehicles?

 

[Will]

Not usually - the major companies don't seem to bother from which side the vehicle is steered.

Another limitation of Saga is that you have to be over 50 of course. But they do offer very good value; not the cheapest but an excellent package.

 

 

[Framboise]

I had this sense of foreboding................. a gloomy cloud drifted across when the words Insurance Companies were mentioned.

My car - clobbered in the rear end at red lights by a moron, shunted into another lady's sweet little Mini Cooper.   As innocents we presumed that this debacle would be easily enough sorted - but no.

My car was taken to the bodyshop yesterday then I get the phone call.    "We cannot saction the repairs to your car because it is modified" - ie it is apparently a Bugatti Veyron cleverly disguised as a Renault Clio1.2 - so I had to fork out an extra £200 on top of this year's figure just so that I can have my lovely little car back to the condition she was in before that cretin drove into her!    Seems to me I am paying for the honour of having MY car smashed up.   In any case, I refused utterly to accept any fault in this accident as did the lady in the Mini because we were after all, just waiting at the red lights,  so my insurance lot are not paying out anyway.   Furthermore, since that imbecile and I are both with the same insurance company I have also discovered that she not even reported her crash to them yet.   Worrying......

I bought this car, and yes it does have alloys, sports exhaust and an air induction kit, but NONE of these make a blind bit of difference to the performance yet apparently it makes me a "Boy Racer". [8-|]   I am approaching the Big 5 - 0 and a grandmother!!!!  Incredible!

So folks, don't for heavens sake do anything to make your car a bit different to standard.    Get rid of your Feu Orange or your beaded seat covers because this undoubtedly means you have "Customised" your car and therefore the Insurance Company can wriggle out of paying out on your policy.  And as for furry dice, nodding dogs or fluourescent fur steering wheel covers, forget it!

Needless to say that I will not be renewing my insurance policy with the company that has a little telephone on wheels - instead as I qualify for SAGA next year (and it pains me to say it!), perhaps I shall take my Boy Racer Bugatti Veyron Clio to them instead?   Either that or I too will register her in France and have done with it.  [6]   She is of course, very popular with the French Boy Racers haha!

[Sunday Driver]

Just make sure you declare the modifications to Saga, otherwise they will do exactly the same as the previous insurers if you have another claim....[:(]

 

[Framboise]

Yes, on renewal  we will, IF we are still here.  

 I thought "modifications" meant engine changes or major tune-ups etc, not alloy wheels and few prettying-up bits.  Frankly the air induction kit dosn't make a hap'peth of difference to the speed - she is still a 1.2 Clio and  bit pedestrian - but she is beautiful to me, thus why I am so enraged a being clouted by a moron who was too busy gossipping to her mate in the car to worry about trifles such as red lights.    The sports exhaust just gives a more distrinct tone and looks different to all the other millions of silver Clios around Europe, which is obviously a hanging offence according to insurance companies.   (They have you hanging by the wallet of course).

I think it perhaps will be simpler to register her in France as the renewal comes up in February and we plan to leave then for our New Life..    I will go and start my own Cool Clio Club [8-|] - Founder and eldest member!

[jc]

You can have alloy wheels on your car if that is how the car was manufactured but all-repeat-all changes to the standard specification must be declared.You won't necessarily get charged extra but those changes usually reflect a different driving style.

[Framboise]

Plainly I have to start my own club for Grandma Clio Racers.   I surely am not the only lady who likes to own a cute car? [:P]

Its not too far to le Mans from our place so perhaps I shall take her there and welly her about a bit, drive recklessly on my gold & chrome alloys, clanking with bling as I hurl myself around corners,  seeing as that is obviously what is expected of me.   (That is a joke by the way.   Nothing short of nitrous oxide or a cruise missile welded to the roof would make my car go any faster - she is still a basic 1.2, despite the bits!)

I am going to visit our insurance broker when next in France to see what it would cost to insure my Veyron Clio out there and compare the difference,  then if  as I anticipate  it proves to be substantially different then I will re-register her at our house in February when the policy expires here.    Besides, I am taking her with me when we move so it will be done sooner or later.

And all this because of the cretin who drove into me?  Bahhh

[AnOther]

[quote user="Framboise"]yes it does have alloys, sports exhaust and an air induction kit, but NONE of these make a blind bit of difference to the performance yet apparently it makes me a "Boy Racer". [8-|]   I am approaching the Big 5 - 0 and a grandmother!!!!  Incredible![/quote]Sorry if this sounds unsympathetic but insurance is based on risk which can only be gauged by full disclosure. You might not think your mods make "a blind bit of difference" but, as you have discovered to your cost, the insurance companies take a rather different view, and rightly so. Performance enhancement is not the only criteria to consider, grandmother or not certain mods can suggest an atypical driver plus alloy wheels and other visual bolt on goodies can make your car more attractive to a thief, both of which equate to higher risk.

Ironically, and of little comfort now, had you disclosed the mods when you took out the insurance, it's possible that it would have made little or no difference to the cost of the policy !

I wonder what you are doing re insurance now as it seems your previous cover is no longer valid ?

Presumably you will be re-insuring with someone else and if so you will of course be disclosing this incident (and your the mods) won't you because it will almost certainly be recorded on the insurance companies database and should you be unfortunate enough to have another bump you could find yourself once again uninsured but with potentially much more serious consequences !

It's further possible that when you ring round for quotes some companies may actually refuse to cover you which would put you in a very difficult position because one of the stock questions asked is "Have you ever been refused or declined insurance" and of course, having been bitten once, you will have no option but to tell the truth !

I fear the few pound you may have saved by being less than completely open and honest with the "little telephone on wheels" could cost you dear for some time to come.

[Framboise]

Well actually I had no idea that the odds 'n ends on my car would make it into such a speed machine seeing as I bought it that way, and furthermore I thought if you fiddled with the engine etc that meant "modified".   Saving a few quid??  You must be joking.  No insurance is cheap. What next?   Change the paintwork to something a bit more jazzy and double the premiums?

Well, for the information of you lot who seem to think I am some despicable person because I happen to like my little car a wee bit different,  IT IS INSURED.  We paid the extra premium on top of what they have already had, so the repairs will continue much to your chagrin then she will be back out on the road again to face another stupid moron undoubtedly.   I will not being asking the telephone on wheels for a renewal either - I will take my matchbox racing car to a specialist insurer instead or I will leave her in France and insure her there - and we will take our other two vehicles elsewhere too.

Oh and to test your theory that I won't get insured again because I am The Master Criminal of the Universe, well unlucky [:P].  I've just been offerred another quote for my "pocket rocket 1.2 Clio with endless mods..." and its only a bit more that I had paid the Phone Lot yet without all the additional stuff I had to pay to just get her repaired.   I shall be taking that quote when renewal time comes, so you can all rest easy in the knowledge that I am not swindling the Insurance Company - perish the thought!  [:@]