Australians buying a car

[melliemel]

Hi,

We're a couple from Australia with French working holiday visas but do not hold British passports. We plan to buy a car and drive around Europe for at least a year.

Is there any possibility of us buying and registering a car in France? Or anywhere else in Europe?

We're also trying to get info about buying and registering a car in Germany on "tourist plates"..any info would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Melliemel

[Anton Redman]

As a start point have a look at the links below. I would not normally recommend short term leases but the final article gives a fair analysis of the situation and it gets rid of the problem of selling a car with an impending flight home.

 

The need to provide proof of French address using a rent book or utility bill when you register a car can be overcome. I know people who come over from West Africa every couple of years for three months and then take the car back but it requires good French and fair persuasive skills.

 

I have no experience of any of the companies listed below but the postings make sense and are too long to précis here.

 

http://www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa/buying/chapter/index.html

 

https://www.autoturistica.com/en/leasing.php

 

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/short_term_car_leasing.htm

 

For more information try searching ‘Google’ using

 

“Cars Europe Visitors” or “ Tax Free Export Cars France”

[Nick Trollope]

You need a French address to buy a French car (or rather register it). German export plates are vaild for 2 weeks. The UK isn't much easier - using "accommodation" addesses to register cars is illegal & using an unresistered car is illegal throughout Europe. I also believe that insurance is not mandatory in Oz (or is that NZ?), it is throughout Europe.

 

[Chancer]

I was faced with the same problem in New Zealand and whilst I am sure that my advice will be followed by a chorus of "it's illegal!" in your shoes I would do what I did there.

Actually now I am not so sure as I think at some stage of my re-registration process here I had to return home to find some proof of residence (utility bill etc).

Anyway in New Zealand when I bought a campervan I used the address of the hostel that I was staying at as did everyone else.

I wonder what address the Romanies here use?

Editted

Nick.

In New Zealand the road fund license includes compulsory road traffic act only insurance, I paid about £40 for six months tax and insurance.

I remember that it covered personal injury to others and say knocking down a farmers fence but did not cover the damage that I could have done to say someones brand new BMW, I just drove very carefully and hoped that everyone else with decent cars had fully comp which was not the case with most youngsters.

To the original poster there was and I am sure still is a thriving kerbside market in Earls Court London where Australians go to buy and sell Kombi's. That would be your best place to start.

[Anton Redman]

Romanies have a 'home' commune in which driving licenses etc. are registered.

There was also a camper van market moved to near Old Street Tube London some years ago. With the more imaginative 'Wild Colonial Boys' ( or Girls) taking pipe cutters to parking meters Cool Hand Luke style    

[melliemel]

Thanks with your replies everyone,

Our conclusion is that it we need a french address to register our car. Does anyone know of an easy way to provide proof of address? We've read that lease/ tenant agreements or electricity bills are the best way but we only rent a room from friends so are unable to obtain any of these. Any ideas of other ID that would be suitable, or how to obtain this?