moving from Spain to France

[Princessjo]

Bonjour to all,

Hope this is not a silly question!?

I live in Spain and have a lhd Spanish reg car, if I move to France will I have to reregister it with a French plate?

Thanks in advance

Jo

[Pearly Spencer]

Of course not, we are all one now in a united Europe, you will find that in France it is quite alright to drive around ib foreign registered cars, you will be amazed by the number of UK plates you will see. The beauty of it is that you will not need a CT (MOT) a no-one will know you are here, voila!

regards

Pearly

[Benjamin]

Welcome to the forum Princessjo.

You have one month from moving to France, if you intend staying here, in which to register your car in France. Try a search on something like "importing a vehicle". If you don't find anything then one of the resident gurus on this subject will shortly be along to point you in the right direction.

Pearly

If you were to know Spain at all you would realise why Jo asked the question. In southern Spain especially there are literally thousands of vehicles on other than Spanish plates. The problem is so great that I think the Guardia Civil Trafico division just do not have the resources to tackle the problem.

A trend also seems to be starting on here to take the p*ss out of newcomers either because they ask what might appear to the ill informed to be a naive question or because they make an unfortunate spelling mistake. If you want to take it out of anybody why not try PdF; at least you'll get as good back as you give even if you can't understand what it's all about.

[terry1956]

I 2nd the above, Why do some fools take the p#ss out of others who our asking for help, I for one am sick of these smart ass fools who think far to much of themselves to help anyone else.

I have seen lots of UK plates in france and most of the fools that like to drive around with no mot,s insurrance no brains. The time is coming when the french police will catch on to their game and then its big fines and with luck a bit of jail time.

michael

[Ron Avery]

Benjamin

I think yer man was being or trying to be ironic.   But you are right one poster did get unnecessary stick over spelling errors, the first reply was quite amusing but the others were a bit slow off the mark and loked silly for doing it.

Michael, interested in your post,  spot on about the current crop of second home owners uninsured and un- tested cars appearing from barns etc all over the Lot and Dordogne and being used for the holidays, Rodez airport is full of them picking up on  every flight in, I even know of a Director of a a UK water company who has two such cars, but what have you heard about the French Police doing anything about it?  My experience is they don't stop UK plated cars in spot checks.

[powerdesal]

[quote user="terry1956"]

I 2nd the above, Why do some fools take the p#ss out of others who our asking for help, I for one am sick of these smart ass fools who think far to much of themselves to help anyone else.

I have seen lots of UK plates in france and most of the fools that like to drive around with no mot,s insurrance no brains. The time is coming when the french police will catch on to their game and then its big fines and with luck a bit of jail time.

michael

[/quote]

Possibly mine amongst them, but sorry to dissappoint you michael, we dont actually LIVE here, our car is fully road legal in the country of registration. Just because we are here for months (less than 183 days - check the law) does not mean no ins, no mot (its not due yet) or no brains. There are LOTS of Brits just like us.

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

Benjamin

I think yer man was being or trying to be ironic.

[/quote]

Full of the milk of human kindness and understanding as ever Ron.  [:D]

[Ron Avery]

Steve

It is patently clear who Michael is referring to, and its not your car. is it?

Its the cars that have a blank windscreen or a 2005 or earlier tax disc in them, just go to any port or airport to see examples.  Nobody is suggesting that all Brits here are breaking the law, just a lot them it would appear.

[Pearly Spencer]

[quote user="Benjamin"]Welcome to the forum Princessjo.

Pearly

If you were to know Spain at all you would realise why Jo asked the question. In southern Spain especially there are literally thousands of vehicles on other than Spanish plates. The problem is so great that I think the Guardia Civil Trafico division just do not have the resources to tackle the problem.

A trend also seems to be starting on here to take the p*ss out of newcomers either because they ask what might appear to the ill informed to be a naive question or because they make an unfortunate spelling mistake. If you want to take it out of anybody why not try PdF; at least you'll get as good back as you give even if you can't understand what it's all about.

[/quote]

Actually I have just returned from Spain and I met an English guy driving around in his 4x4 on UK plates, he has lived there for two years and admiited that he knew that the probability was that as he had no MOT that his Spanish insurance would not cover him in the event of an accident. The fact that you tell us that there are literally 1000's of non Spanish reg cars ther and that it is a big problem for the Guardia means that the OP surely knows that it would be illegal to NOT register her car here in France. Are you saying that you cannot give as good back to me as PdF, well I have to agree with you. And Terry1956 I have to tell you that when you moved to France it was NOT compulsory to have your sense of humour removed but I guess that in your case they did not need to remove it because it was never there in the first place![kiss]

Pearly

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

I have had the good fortune to live in a number of countries round the world and appreciate the value of good prearrival briefing. But there have been a number of posts on here recently which, shall we say, leave doubts as to their authenticity. The misspelt one concerning Gits, one asking if permission was required for drains (the content was hilarious) and the one at the head of this thread., oh and the parrots. When there is a doubt or it is deliberate, then humour is intended and invited. There is no harm in that. If however people coming to France or going to any other country as as naive as some of these posters sound then they may be in for a hard time of it if they ever actually get here/there.

[Russethouse]

Careful Tag, I have seen some posts that defy logic yet turn out to be genuine. Do you remember the posts from the lady who wanted to move to France but had never been there ? Despite all doubts as to her authenticity it turned out to be genuine and the lady in question has since posted about how much she loves her new life........never assume....

[Sunday Driver]

The easiest response to the original poster should have been - Read the FAQ entitled "How to register your car in France".

It would have avoided the eight subsequent posts arguing about the first contentious response....[;-)]

 

[terry1956]

Hi all, as far as the police pulling cars with UK plates, well they have started this year around caen, its also been in the local french papers that no longer are non french reg cars going to be allowed to travel unchecked by the police. I have been pulled over once and asked for my papers, I don,t think that he knew what he was looking at, but did ask for insurrance and checked the date for sure. Also there is a policeman at some of the ferry ports on the french side who checks if you have any outstanding speeding tickets before you are allowed on the ferrie.

As to no sense of humour, I have a very good one thanks, Just did not see anything funny in the above, so please keep your remarks to yourself please.

michael

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

You wanna joke about all that?  Well in Libya years ago the guys used to look at our passports upside down til they saw the foto. Then they glanced at us to see if anyone had been laughing. Woe betied you if you had.

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

[quote user="Russethouse"]Careful Tag, I have seen some posts that defy logic yet turn out to be genuine. Do you remember the posts from the lady who wanted to move to France but had never been there ? Despite all doubts as to her authenticity it turned out to be genuine and the lady in question has since posted about how much she loves her new life........never assume....[/quote]

Ah my beloved Trussed in a Trice of the corsets well fitting (were they any good by the way, seemed very waspish somehow, not for the mature figure?), please reread the ultimate discretion of my post for 'tis so surrounded with modality and qualification that even an Angel from Modsville could find not the slightest, not the merest scintilla of deviation from the always outstanding norms adopted on this site. A nun from Archant could pass a night naked next to me and never know she had been interfered with except by her maker. Such are my powers dear lady of the fine waist.

But not those bloody parrots!

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

Oh I forgot, the lady from France, ikkle me

[Ron Avery]

"Do you remember the posts from the lady who wanted to move to France but had never been there"

Several not one or two, of the couples on Place in the Sun type programmes have never been to France before, just how they know they will like it or the region that they are being shown is beyond me.  The one the other day about the ski lodge couple in the Pyrenees has been on before only this time they have blanked out the reg plate of their RHD Land Rover, I wonder why?[Www]               Don't bother to speculate,  I know why, they showed the plate from the rear by accident. Hope its insured[6]

[sharkhunter]

Hi all, in reply to being stopped in UK registered cars, i have been pulled over twice and breathalysed one of the occasions whilst driving my UK car, mind you it was a Subaru Imprezza turbo and they heard me coming. They spent more time under the bonnet looking at the engine than paying attention to me blowing into their bag ( no wife jokes ), all passed without a hitch.

[Ron Avery]

We were not talking about breath tests, this was about document checks. So what was the actual point of your post, that you got away with driving a UK registerered car that was not road legal in France or just a breath test?  What would have happened if they had checked your papers?  This thread is about cars not being legally on the road in France due to not having a CT or valid insurance, what really bothers me is the number of French and it appears Spanish insurance companies that seem happy to insure UK registered cars infinitum with no CT.

[MrCanary]

[quote user="Princessjo"]Bonjour to all,

Hope this is not a silly question!?

I live in Spain and have a lhd Spanish reg car, if I move to France will I have to reregister it with a French plate?

Thanks in advance
Jo
[/quote]

Hi Jo              

The best advice is to find out what the legal requirements are (given above by Benjamin) then comply with them. Gendarmes are tightening up in this area of the law and their powers are quite far-reaching.

Mel                      

 

[allanb]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]... what really bothers me is the number of French and it appears Spanish insurance companies that seem happy to insure UK registered cars infinitum with no CT.[/quote]I would rephrase that.  I don't think the companies are happy to insure such cars; I think they are happy to take the premiums and ask no questions, until there is a liability claim.  That's when some people who think they have insurance will find out that they haven't, because of invalid registration.

Ignorance is bliss.  Until you have a significant claim against you.

[opas]

This is sooo true!  I know of a Brit plated red escort that has been permanently in our area for over 2 years , the other day I was walking behind this car owner/driver in the municiple car park, he was having a right old whinge at his companion about how his insurance is arguing with him over a claim he has made.

I was parked about 3 spaces after his car........he had a front spoiler totaly wrecked and a dented wing, I just wondered what the other car looked like and how they ( the other party) were faring in their claim!

Just get ligit , it is easy, doesn't cost a great amount and the CT (mot) is valid for 2 years........and insurance prices are comparable.

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

When I reregistered a car here ( from Belgium) the insurance company wanted to know how far along I had got and offered cover for four months (I think it was) which they extended immediately I had the car sorted. But I am pretty sure you are not covered if you have made no attempt to register the car.