crossy67 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 We are moving next week and I would be eternally grateful if some one could answer a few blindingly obvious questions for me please.We have an old diesel Corsa to move over with until we find a French car, I intend to start looking almost straight away.My insurance runs out on April 25th, we move out April 22nd so I get 3 days cover from my old insurance. Here is where the questions begin.Will we need photo driving licences of will paper ones be ok?I assume we will need to change our address to the French one, how can this be done on a UK licence, will we need to get a French one and who do we do this with?I really don't want to bother getting my UK car through a CT, it's getting on and the costs of getting an EU COC and new headlights then a CT would probably be more than the value of the car, I only want it legal for a couple of months max until we find the French car of our dreams lol.We still have our UK address but we will need to register our selves as French residents as soon as possible (as soon as we arrive).I hope someone might be able to answer these simple questions, I have searched and whilst the questions have been asked the answers seem to digress a bit.Thanks.Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Your paper licences are fine - you can't change the address on them, even if you want to but that doesn't matter, they are valid all over Europe.Insurance is the problem because the day you move, you become French residents in theory at least. We insured our old Skoda via Nick Chubb at Asttral and he fixed it so that it kicked in the day we left. http://www.asttral.com/You then have a month to get it compliant with the law or you will be in breach (although thousands seem to ignore this rule.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossy67 Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 That's great news Thanks Coops.One other thing though. What about the registration document, where should the car be registered to? Can we register it to a French address without all the COC and CT malarky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEO Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 [quote user="crossy67"]We are moving next week and I would be eternally grateful if some one could answer a few blindingly obvious questions for me please.We have an old diesel Corsa to move over with until we find a French car, I intend to start looking almost straight away.My insurance runs out on April 25th, we move out April 22nd so I get 3 days cover from my old insurance. Here is where the questions begin.Will we need photo driving licences of will paper ones be ok?I assume we will need to change our address to the French one, how can this be done on a UK licence, will we need to get a French one and who do we do this with?I really don't want to bother getting my UK car through a CT, it's getting on and the costs of getting an EU COC and new headlights then a CT would probably be more than the value of the car, I only want it legal for a couple of months max until we find the French car of our dreams lol.We still have our UK address but we will need to register our selves as French residents as soon as possible (as soon as we arrive).I hope someone might be able to answer these simple questions, I have searched and whilst the questions have been asked the answers seem to digress a bit.Thanks.Why?, what is your hurry?Ian[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEO Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 [quote user="crossy67"]We are moving next week and I would be eternally grateful if some one could answer a few blindingly obvious questions for me please.We have an old diesel Corsa to move over with until we find a French car, I intend to start looking almost straight away.My insurance runs out on April 25th, we move out April 22nd so I get 3 days cover from my old insurance. Here is where the questions begin.Will we need photo driving licences of will paper ones be ok?I assume we will need to change our address to the French one, how can this be done on a UK licence, will we need to get a French one and who do we do this with?I really don't want to bother getting my UK car through a CT, it's getting on and the costs of getting an EU COC and new headlights then a CT would probably be more than the value of the car, I only want it legal for a couple of months max until we find the French car of our dreams lol.We still have our UK address but we will need to register our selves as French residents as soon as possible (as soon as we arrive).I hope someone might be able to answer these simple questions, I have searched and whilst the questions have been asked the answers seem to digress a bit.ThanksIan[/quote]Why? what is your hurry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossy67 Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 I, like many others have a finite amount of time covered by my S1 and want to begin the 5 years as soon as possible so I can still afford to pay for health care. That and I want to get on with the next chapter of my life rather than lingering in limbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Whilst you do not have to formally register yourselves as French residents (as Cooperlola says, you become resident the day you move into your new house), you will want to register for state health insurance at the earliest opportunity. That will effectively start the clock running on your five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossy67 Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Thanks SD.That's my point, problem is doing this opens a can of worms. I think I will speak to one of my insurance broker friends and see what they think of keeping the car registered here for a few months so I can insure it at our old address. I do have one that says he can insure cars in France for us no problems.I shall report back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 [quote user="crossy67"] One of my insurance broker friends says he can insure cars in France for us no problems. [/quote]That would be very useful, any chance of PM'ing me with some contact details so that I could ask him for a quote? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 [quote user="crossy67"]What about the registration document, where should the car be registered to? Can we register it to a French address without all the COC and CT malarky?[/quote]No.The only thing you should do with the V5 is fill in the export section and sent it off to DVLA. Other than that there is nothing else to do unless or until you register it in which case you will surrender it as part of the process.There is also the issue of cancelling French insurance to consider. As it seems it is not destined to be French registered then I'm not sure the normal procedures for cancelling will apply. Possibly the insurance can be transferred to another car, I don't know as it's uncharted territory for me..Not that I advocate law breaking but another option might be to insure with Stuart Collins http://www.stuartcollins.com which would mean that you could keep it in France for up to 11 months, plenty of time to find your nightmare....oops sorry....dream French car.The problem I have with their scheme is that I cannot work out how it is legit [blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossy67 Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 It's all a bit of a pain in the bum really. I have decided to keep it registered here in the UK and insure it for another year and just take it to France until I find my new car. I am sure this will be within the first 6 months and if not I will just have to bring it home again. You would think there would be an easy way to use your car fully legally for more than a month wouldn't you. The clinching factor for me was it's almost impossible to uninsure the car unless I had a certificate of sale, as I wouldn't bother trying to sell it in France and it's too old and knackered to be of interest to a dealer I don't see how I would be able to supply one.Thanks for the advice all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 [quote user="crossy67"]I have decided to keep it registered here in the UK and insure it for another year and just take it to France until I find my new car.[/quote]Unfortunately you cannot do that because you will effectively cease tobe UK resident from the moment you leave which in turn will almost certainly invalidate your UK insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossy67 Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 I will have to have a chat with my broker I think but one thing is for sure, I am not going to insure it in France because of the hassle getting rid of it once it becomes officially there. I have been looking on Autotrader France and there are a few cars that take my liking close by, I may have one sooner rather than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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