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Curious about bringing a car from the US to France


tech-teacher

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We hadn't previously thought we would even have a car right away as we are going to settle in Toulouse in the city but now I think we will spend 4-5 months traveling around before we settle down and thought why not look into bringing our car.  We figured we'd have to buy one to do the traveling and since ours is already paid off and we like it why not look into bringing it.

We have a 2000 Subaru Impreza wagon.  It is coming from the US.  Where can I find out more about what I have to do and how much it will cost?  We are not against selling it and then buying a cheap car in France either.  Just don't want to get rid of the car we already have if it is not too complicated, one of us is French so we have some idea of how complicated it could be.

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I think you will find that your existing car needs to fully meet European specification, which means that relevant components have to carry the CE mark. Far Eastern imports, unless made specifically for Europe, can be notoriously difficult to register in France so you may well be better off selling it over there and buying in France.
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The sort of components that might be affected by being non-homologuated for the EU include: windscreen (quite possible), seatbelts (quite possible), lights (quite possible), as well as engine-related components. Perhaps the thing to do would be to contact Subaru France, giving them the VIN number, and asking what parts may be non-conforming.

Pickles
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Hello,

We are also from the USA.  We looked into importing our car from the US to France and decided that it was just too complicated and expensive to be worthwhile.  Even if you do bring it over, another consideration is access to mechanics that can work on your car.  We own a French spec. SAAB now and have to drive quite a long distance to get service and repair from a SAAB dealer. You are most likely better off buying a French car or a popular model such as Toyota for ease of repair and maintenance.

Best of luck in your travels and relocation. 

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