Registering a Car in France

[Louielaloupe<STRONG>Louise<STRONG>]

Can anyone advise on what the process is for re-registering a UK car in France? Ie: where to go and how much (roughly) it costs? Many thanks, Louise

[Nick Trollope]

Suggest you do a forum search, as this has been covered plenty.

But, depending on how old the vehicle is, it will be easy or impossible. For a recent (European) car you will need a certificate of conformity from the manufacturer, a CT less than 6 months old, a certificate to prove that nothing is owing on the car and about 100 - 200 €, depending on the size ot the engine. Basically.

[Will]

Don't forget the cost of the new headlamps which will probably be needed. The CT is needed if the vehicle is more than four years old.

[Dover]

Reports vary re the price of doing this - one way is to use www.Ouicanhelp who advertise in France mag.

My Citroen main dealer in Frejus offered to do this for me, but I did not pursue it.

[Sunday Driver]

If you car is of "standard" EU manufacture (ie, not a Japanese/US grey import) then you'll need to sort out the following in order to register your car in France.

Type approval (certificat de conformite):

If its a recent car, then it's normal to find a copy of the manufacturer's certificate of conformity inside the owners manual/service book.  If its an older car, then you'll need to write to the manufacturer and ask them for one. There's normally a 100-130 euro fee for this although some will issue them for free.  Alternatively, you can apply to the DRIRE (Dept of Industry) for an attestation d'identite.  Download an application form (with english instructions) from [url=http://www.poitou-charentes.drire.gouv.fr/vehicules/RTI/7-5-2RCR19.pdf] HERE[/url] and post it off with a copy of your V5C to your local DRIRE office.  They'll check their database of type approved vehicles and post you an attestation certificate.  Cost is 67,38 euros.

VAT Paid certificate (quittance fiscal):

Visit your local Hotel des Impots and ask them for a quittance fiscal certificate.  You'll need to take along your V5C, original invoice/receipt (though for older cars, they don't usually ask for it) and a utility bill.  The certificate is free.

Controle Technique:

If your car is 4 years old or more, take it for a CT test.  You'll need to change the headlamps for right hand dipping ones (cost up to 200 euros - try a scrapyard).  You'll also need to produce your V5C.  The CT lasts for 2 years and costs 56,00 euros.  Retests on failed items are usually free. The certificate is called a proces-verbal.

Visit your local prefecture and fill in a demande de certificate d'immatriculation.  Take it to the counter and hand it over together with your certificat de conformite/attestation d'identite, quittance fiscal, proces-verbal de controle technique, invoice/receipt, passport and a utility bill.  After they've checked everything, you'll be given a slip of paper which you hand in at the caisse together with the fee (credit cards accepted).  Fees are based on a sliding scale depending on age of vehicle and its fiscal power rating. You can find a fee chart [url=http://www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr/demarches/carte_grise/cout.htm] HERE[/url]. Once you've paid, they'll issue you with a new registration document (carte grise). 

Now take the carte grise to a cordonniere (key cutting/handbag shop usually situated inside the foyer of a hypermarket) and he'll make you up a set of plaques for about 20,00 euros.  Don't forget to ask him for some rivets - screws are illegal here.

Finally, organise yourself some french insurance cover, stick their green insurance vignette on the inside of your windscreen and off you go.

 

 

 

[La Vette]

We registered our car last week and it worked just as Sunday Driver says.  Glad it was so easy as we had been told it was a nightmare and would cost us thousands, car would have to be imported etc etc.  We gathered all the relevant documents, it took 15 mins in the Sous-Prefecure then 10 minutes in our local garage to have the plates made and fitted (you must do this within 2 days of Carte Grise date) cost 145 E's to S-P and 25 to garage, easy peazey.

 

[Sunday Driver]

It really is that easy, isn't it.

Its only a nightmare if you've got an "odd" vehicle, such as a US or Japanese grey import or if you've had an LPG tank fitted .  Othrwise, if the car's a bog standard EU manufactured one, then its straightforward. 

[FiFi]

Unfortunately i do have an "odd" vehicle?!  It's a Mitsubishi , two door sports car and 18 months old.  Can you or are you able to explain the "nightmare" process i will have to go through to get my car registered in France?

 

FiFi

[Sunday Driver]

Fifi

The "nightmare" often begins when you come to providing evidence that your car is type approved for France.  Most EU manufacturered cars comply with pan european type approval and  the manufacturers can issue you with a certificate of conformity.  Recently built cars have a copy of the certificate inside the owner's manual/service book.

It gets more complex if you've a car which originated outside the EU.  If your's is an official UK import, then it will have been EU type approved and if you don't already have a CoC, you should be able to get one from Mitsubishi France.

The problems arise if it is a grey import (which means that the model was probably never officially imported into France either).  In that case, you will need to submit it for a single vehicle approval test.  This is a special inspection that examines several key components for conformity with EU technical standards.  It doesn't include things like crash testing, you'll be pleased to learn!  What it does include are safety items such as seatbelts and mountings, windscreens and other glass, light lenses, exhaust emissions, radio interference suppression, tyre equipment, etc.  You may find you have to replace some of these items if they do not comply with EU standards.

In the first instance, check your manual/service book for a CoC, if not, then contact Mitsubishi France, 3 Avenue Hoche, 75008 PARIS  (tel: 01 34 35 84 00 - service homologation) and ask them for a copy (usually costs between 100-130 euros).  Alternatively, check out the[url=http://www.drire.gouv.fr/] DRIRE[/url] website.  Select your local office's website then choose "vehicules" where you can check out the information provided and if necessary, make a demande d'identification to find out if the model is on their database of type approved cars.  If it is, then they'll issue an attestation (67 euros) and you're home and dry.  

Otherwise, you'll need to go through the single vehicle inspection (reception de titre isole).  The DRIRE website contains downloadable forms and help sheets which you can study and put together a dossier of the required paperwork (there will be lots!!).  Also, its worth making an appointment to speak to the DRIRE people in person - they are usually quite helpful, especially if you turn up with a nicely prepared dossier.

Hope this helps.  PM me if you need any more assistance.

Dave 

[FiFi]

 

Hi there Dave

Thanks for the information. I will let you know in due course whether i make it through the nightmare or end up with a head ache!

FiFi

 

[PossumGirl]

We brought our US manufactured Toyota Echo with us when we moved last year. It was neither expensive nor a nightmare to get it registered.

We needed a certificate of non-comformité (clearly, not being an EU car, it couldn't actually conform) from Toyota.  Although it took a bit of time to get it, we got it no problem.  We sent them a check, but they sent it back and didn't charge us for it.

We went to the DRIRE and got a list of the things that needed to be changed.  They were all minor and our local garagiste was able to do them all in about a day.  The one thing we needed was another letter from Toyota, because although the seatbelt on the Driver's side conformed to EU standards, the cheapos at Toyota had NOT put a similar ticket on the passenger side belt, and that, unfortunately, was the one that was looked at!  The guy from the DRIRE was sorry that he had seen that one first, but we had to go through procedure.  So, we got a letter (that took quite a bit longer than we would have liked) saying that there were no conforming parts available for our seatbelts in the EU, and with that and the other changes, we got approved.

The total cost for all the changes came to just over 200€.  And, the slowest part of the process was dealing with Toyota.

PG

[Sunday Driver]

Well done, PG

The "nightmare" tends to be people's perception of the difficulties surrounding the type approval process, usually based upon unfounded comments on forums like this.  As you've demonstrated, if you follow the rules, it isn't really a problem.  More effort (and expense) required, yes - but achievable all the same.

[Will]

Sunday Driver is right in that it doesn't have to be a nightmare. At least not if your regional DRIRE is sensible and cooperative, which most are. There are exceptions, some seem to be a right pain to deal with even with a comparatively straightforward request. That at Villedieu-les-Poeles (50) is a well-known esception, another can be found by searching for a story from Washy about a non-EU specification Range Rover.

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Will the Conqueror"]Sunday Driver, another can be found by searching for a story from Washy about a non-EU specification Range Rover.[/quote]

Believe it or not, our GOOD experience was with the same DRIRE inspector with whom Washy had so much trouble!

I have to say that we got along great with him from day one and he actually went out of his way to help us and be nice.  There were probably several reasons for this, one of them being that our flight from the Shrub and the U.S. political situation appealed to his politics, another was that we write comic books and he's a fan, and, we were considered re-patriating French citizens, something of which he approved.

At any rate, he is no longer there, having returned to an actual mine to work.

PG

[pouyade]

Ok, going to sound thick BUT was the cert.n-c  from Toyota in US or France (or even Japan)?

Am in not disimilar situation - we have a Suzuki UK reg but originally a US import to UK.

Pouyade

[Mishtoon]

Hi,

For what it's worth - we just got our Certificate de Conformite back from Renault (we have a Kangoo) and the cost was E120.00.  I have visited the Sous Prefecture, very helpful, confirmed the process as outlined above and seems quite straightforward (after also having heard it can be a nightmare).  Fingers crossed as haven't got that far yet!

 

byeee

[Sunday Driver]

Simple, isn't it?  If you understand the requirements, then its no bother at all. 

Just waltz up to the counter in the prefecture, slap your papers down, and say "Ok, blue eyes, lets get some action going here!"

[;)]

 

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="pouyade"]

Ok, going to sound thick BUT was the cert.n-c  from Toyota in US or France (or even Japan)?

Am in not disimilar situation - we have a Suzuki UK reg but originally a US import to UK.

[/quote]

It has to come from the French company, Pouyade.  It would have been too easy if we could have just gotten it from the U.S.!

Actually, the most complicated part was filling out the forms that the DRIRE gave us, which asked a lot of questions that to us read like "Blah, blah, blah, Ginger.  Blah, blah, Blah" (to quote the FAR SIDE).  It had nothing to do with not understanding French, which we clearl do.  It had to do with understanding CAR, which we clearly do not!

PG