Importing vehicles into France

[redwood]

Does anyone have any experience/advice on bring a new car from Germany into France? I've looked into various possibilities for getting a LHD vehicle and buying one in Germany (new or used) seems the cheapest option, although I have yet to look at Spain. 

Logically there shouldn't be any problems but I wondered if anyone has any comments. I'm assuming that if it is a new car then it will be ex-VAT in Germany so the French VAT, pollution Malus and CV based tax will be payable in France.

 

As a second question can someone confirm that the prices for new cars from dealerships I see on internet sites in France do NOT include the Malus and registration fee?

 

thanks

[Ethan1971]

I wouldn't look at Spain the cost of new/used cars is very expensive.

[Jonzjob]

I bought our Citroën C8 VAT free in Holland 7 1/2 years back just before we moved over. I took it to the U.K. and registered it there because you have to show the French authorities a VAT reciept and the U.K. VAT was less than the French. Then it was re-registered here when we arrived.

New Citroën, no problems registering it here and all in all we saved about £3,500 on the cost of one either bought in the U.K. or here. At that time the U.K. dealers were not allowed to sell new left hookers, but you could get them via specialist dealers, at a rip-off price!

[Sunday Driver]

I bought my four year old Mercedes E Class from Germany.

Prices in Germany and France were broadly comparable, but Holland was much more expensive. However, Germany offered a much wider choice of vehicles than France and I eventually found the exact model I was looking for at a small rural Mercedes dealer in South Germany. 

They handled all the export formalities for me - export registration, transit plates, EU CoC - and although the age of the car only qualified it for a dealer used car warranty, when I explained this would be not much good to me here in France, they managed to blag Mercedes Benz Germany into agreeing a full pan-european factory warranty for me.

Finally, because it was mid winter and my little Peugeot wasn't equipped with the obligatory winter tyres, I couldn't drive over there to view and collect the car.  No problem to them - they offered at no extra cost to truck the car across to Strasbourg where I met them off the TGV and drove the car home.

My local Mercedes Truck Repair Centre handles all my servicing requirements (their hammers are bigger) and their labour rates are actually cheaper than my local town garageist.

I'm a very happy punter........[;-)]

 

[redwood]

OK guys - thanks the replies help. I have been doing a little more digging in Germany for new cars as they have "re-imports" which means they get them from a high tax/duty EU country at a good discount but you still buy your car as a new vehicle from a German dealer. I'm still trying to find out what happens with VAT for a new car as I thought you purchased the car VAT free and then paid VAT at the rate of the country yo are bringing the car into. That was that case when I got a couple of new cars in Germany to use in the UK but it was 12 years ago.

Also some-one else said he had registered the car in the UK first but with LHD you have problems with headlights and speedo that can get expensive.

[Wilko]

If you want to buy VAT free you'll have to supply a VAT number to them. If you can buy net of all taxes then Denmark is cheaper than Germany..........they are also more likely to speak English. Have bought in both countries and Denmark was easier, though a longer drive back.

W

[Jonzjob]

If that is the case then it has changed in the past 7 yers? Because I, who have never had a VAT number, bought my car quite legally in Holland sans VAT and this was pointed out very clearly.