Registering a vehicle in France

[redwood]

One more question. In order to register a car in France do I need to be fully resident (tax et al) or is it enough to have a house, utility bills and bank account. Just asking as it would be easier to buy and register a car as soon as possible after buying a house.

[woolybanana]

redwood, have you thought of trying these people to see if they can give you a decent deal? I have been thinking of taking a punt there.

http://www.aramisauto.com/

Anyone else tried a mandataire?

[cooperlola]

I am very tempted, Wooly.  Our local garagiste is a franchisee and as far as I can see you can save 10% or more on nearly any model you wish.  Looks good.  If I get my payout (which should happen soon), I think they'll see some of my business.

http://multimarque.fr/

[cooperlola]

[quote user="redwood"]One more question. In order to register a car in France do I need to be fully resident (tax et al) or is it enough to have a house, utility bills and bank account. Just asking as it would be easier to buy and register a car as soon as possible after buying a house.[/quote]House and bank account should suffice. 

[Les]

Although, lot's of people do register their vehicles without being resident, the official version is no.

"You can only register a car in the country where you normally live   or have permanent residence.

You cannot   register your car in a country where you have a secondary residence or holiday house."

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/formalities/index_en.htm

[Stuarta]

"You can only register a car in the country where you normally live   or have permanent residence.

You cannot   register your car in a country where you have a secondary residence or holiday house."

Interesting - didn't know that. So basically, you can't have a car in France if you only have a second home there? Reason I ask is that my old car, which was bought and registered when I DID live there, is still insured etc. so that I can use it when I'm around. Or is it only that you can't register a newly bought one? Semantics, I know but that's the name of the game!

[Pickles]

[quote user="Stuarta"]"You can only register a car in the country where you normally live   or have permanent residence.

You cannot   register your car in a country where you have a secondary residence or holiday house."

Interesting - didn't know that. So basically, you can't have a car in France if you only have a second home there? Reason I ask is that my old car, which was bought and registered when I DID live there, is still insured etc. so that I can use it when I'm around. Or is it only that you can't register a newly bought one? Semantics, I know but that's the name of the game!

[/quote]

We have been here before:

http://services.completefrance.com/forums/completefrance/cs/forums/1/2315807/ShowPost.aspx#2315807

If

you wade through that thread, you will see that what is being quoted is

"the general case": most people are NOT in the happy position of being

able to afford second homes elsewhere and being able to afford to base a

car there. That website is there simply to report the general case. We

have queried the statement - the details are in the thread above - and

received assurance that the quote above is not actually definitive.

What the website that is being quoted is getting at is that the car that

you use on a day-to-day basis should be registered in the country where

you normally live or have permanent residence (and even that may not

necessarily hold for those subject to so-called "transfrontaliere"

rules). However, if you have a second home and you have a car that is

based there and spends most of its time there (and NOT at your principal

residence), then it should be registered there. The site is saying

simply that it is not allowed for you to use your car that is registered

at your second home as your main car based at your principal residence.

AnOther has also dug up this bit which directly addresses the quote above:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:51998PC0030:EN:HTML 

Article 9 - Permanent use in a Member State other than that of normal residence

"1. Where a person wishes to use a vehicle in a Member State other than

that in which he has his place of normal residence for a period in

excess of that provided for in Article 5, for example on an ongoing

basis in connection with a secondary residence, the Member State in

question shall register such vehicle."

You CAN therefore have a French-registered car based at a holiday home in France, even if you are non-resident; in fact, if you have a car that spends more than 6 months of the year in France (eg because it is based at your holiday home), then it SHOULD be registered in France. For registration purposes, the usual identification requirements will suffice (we used electric bill plus acte authentique).

[redwood]

Pickles - thank you so much that seems to clear things up nicely. Just need the house now (coming down next week) and then can get things rolling. I suppose I'll then be into the joys of French insurance but it cannot be any worse than Aviva (current insurers) who are particularly dim. I was wondering about getting a UK registered LHD with switchable headlights but depsite emails, phone and pigeon no response from Aviva so far!!!

[AnOther]

Just to pick up a couple of points; in your initial post you said " In order to register a car in France do I need to be fully resident (tax et al)".

Whilst paying tax here is certainly an integral part of residency even if you moved tomorrow you would not officially enter the French tax system until May 2013 when you would be filling in your first tax return. However, if you are moving over with the intention of living here that of itself makes you French resident and that in turn impinges on your later musing on a RHD with UK insurance as this would almost certainly be withdrawn when the insurer learns that you are no longer UK resident. Under the terms & conditions you would have to declare the fact.

Good luck with the house purchase.