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importing a car from Belgium


Mulsanne

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Hi,

has anyone had any experience importing a car from Belgium or maybe Germany? It seems that there is a big difference in price

between similar cars in France and either of these two countries. I have read the post about importing a car from the Uk. Is the

process the same , and does it matter that you would have only owned the belgian car for a few days?

I would appreciate any input from anyone who has looked into this or has done it.

Thanks

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The process for importing a car from another EU member state is basically the same as from the UK, but with some differences depending on the country of origin.

UK:  you retain your UK number plates and you may drive the car in France for two weeks whilst you sort out the registration paperwork.

Belgium:  the seller keeps his number plates to put on his next car, so you need a French import carte grise and temporary WW plates which lasts for two weeks (renewable once) to enable you bring the car into France and register it.

Germany:  the registration seals from the original number plates are surrendered to the vehicle licencing authorities, so you need to apply for German export plates.  You may drive in France on these plates for up to two weeks.

Regardless of where it's come from, if the vehicle is less than six months old and has been driven less than 6,000kms, then you must pay 19.6% French TVA on arrival in France.  If it's a UK car, then you should have bought it tax free in the UK.  Same with Belgium.  For Germany, you have to pay 16% German VAT, then pay 19.6% French VAT, then reclaim the German VAT, so budget this in your cash flow.  For EU sourced used cars over six months old/6,000kms, there is no French VAT to pay and no import duties.

In all cases, you need to ensure that the vehicle comes with a valid type approval certificate of conformity which is required for registration in France.

It does not matter that you have only owned the car for a few days.

 

 

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Thanks very much for this reply.

I am not sure if I will be buying from a private seller or a dealer, however the car would be used and 2-3 years old 30-50k km.

In the event that I go to Belgium with a shortlist of cars to see, unsure which one I will choose, how can I arrange the French import

carte grise? I guess I could trailer it back in this event?

Thanks.

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If you buy the car and want to take delivery of it there and then, you can apply for Belgian export plates. They are issued by the Belgian Ministry of Traffic and cost 250 euros. This cost includes the plates, transit insurance and export documents. Transit plates are valid for 14 days.

The French WW carte grise option is cheaper at only 92 euros, but in this case, you'd have to return to France to get one, then go back to Belgium to collect the car. 

However, it's even cheaper if you just trailer the car home..... [;-)]

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am in a little bit of an unusual situation and would appreciate any advice if anyone knows the answer.

I am planning to move to Provence in the New Year and bring my vehicle with me.  Initially I was going to drive it under my UK insurance for up to 90 days until I sort the paperwork out.  From reading what is posted here, it sounds that if I intend to reside in France I have two weeks only - is that right?

The next thing is the fact that I imported the vehicle with me from the Middle East when I returned last year.  I do have a "certificate of comformity" which had to be issued after minor adjustments so it would be accepted by DVLA, will this suffice for French registration?

And finally (sorry!!) as I'd owned the car for more than a year I didn't have to pay import duty into the UK.  I have now owned the car for over 3 years and it has 60,000km on the clock - will I be liable to VAT/import duty in France.

Thanks in anticipation

Andy

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The period you're allowed to drive a foreign registered car is set out on the reverse of the quittus fiscale VAT certificate which you must obtain on arrival here.  In my case, the certificate I received in May 2005 says one month.  Other members have reported theirs as allowing only 15 days.  The tax offices keep a big book of certificates which they issue on demand, so given that it's not an everyday occurance, I suspect my certificate was part of an old batch and that more recently printed certificates are showing the shorter time period.  In any event, that's the sort of timescales which apply.

Regarding your Middle East import, if it's an EU manufactured car first registered after January 1998, then it will come with EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval so the certificate of conformity will be valid for importing into France.

Finally, as a UK registered car which is over six months old, there will be no French TVA or import duty to pay. 

With regard to the time you're allowed to sort out the paperwork, if you organise your LHD headlamps before you move over here, you can pop round to your local tax office and pick up your quittus fiscale, then go straight to the prefecture to register the car.  It's a straightforward job that you can do in a day or two.

 

 

 

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Also woth checking with your UK insurance company that you are covered for 90 days. Many policies have some small print which says that you must be UK resident, and the day you arrive here with the intention of living here you become a French resident. Therefore you could find that in the event of an accident you will not be covered.

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Bob's point about the insurance is important.  Best idea is when you arrive in France to take out French insurance and cancel your UK cover.  The French insurer will issue a temporary certificate which will cover you on the car's UK plates whilst you sort out the re-registration, then give you a full certificate against your new carte grise. 

French insurance includes unlimited continental use (at no extra charge!) and free breakdown cover - and the premiums will probably be cheaper as well...[:)]

 

 

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A minor point: France requires number plates to be riveted on to the car.  Many countries don't, although I don't know about Belgium or Germany. 

I imported two cars from Spain and innocently used the same nuts and bolts to attach the French plates.  This had been legal in Spain and also in Luxembourg, where one of them had previously been registered.  Only on the second French contrôle technique was I told by the inspector that the plates should be riveted; in three years nobody else had noticed.  But I have since heard of one person who was fined following a roadside check.

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That's true about riveting No. Plates in France, but it's really down to the Police who stop you, indeed as with so many other things, as well.

I was stopped on the bike this year, for a document check and he noticed my plate had no rivets (I use double sided tape which is stronger anyway). I explained in my limited french that rivets looked horrible and would spoil the look of my bike, and he had another look and yes, I agree with you, and off I went. Thank you.................[:)]

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  • 4 weeks later...
My french brother in law bought a used Scenic from Belgium - saved about 5k.

Not long after buying it the gearbox started playing up, so his contact collected it from his home; replaced it with another Scenic; had the original Scenic repaired and delivered it back to his doorstep!

Worth the  initial messing about at that price I reckon.

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Sunday Driver, thanks for the useful information.

I am thinking of buying a new car from germany and importing it here.

How is it possible to get a tax refund from germany?

The tax in france (19.6%?) is applied on the: 'price of the vehicle in germany minus the german VAT'?

 

Thanks,

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[quote user="allanb"]A minor point: France requires number plates to be riveted on to the car.  Many countries don't, although I don't know about Belgium or Germany. 

I imported two cars from Spain and innocently used the same nuts and bolts to attach the French plates.  This had been legal in Spain and also in Luxembourg, where one of them had previously been registered.  [/quote]

Actually the number plates thing in Lux has changed (don't know when) Not only can't you bolt the plates on but they have to be mounted in a special tamper-proof holder AND fitted by an approved fitting garage (of which there are only 2 or 3) so they charge the earth to do it CHA-CHING !!!  Anything else is rejected at the Control Technique.

By the way, if you buy a used car here you have to go immediately to get a Control Technique even if the car passed the day before with the previous owner - crazy!

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  • 4 weeks later...
[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

The process for importing a car from another EU member state is basically the same as from the UK, but with some differences depending on the country of origin.

UK:  you retain your UK number plates and you may drive the car in France for two weeks whilst you sort out the registration paperwork.

Belgium:  the seller keeps his number plates to put on his next car, so you need a French import carte grise and temporary WW plates which lasts for two weeks (renewable once) to enable you bring the car into France and register it.

Germany:  the registration seals from the original number plates are surrendered to the vehicle licencing authorities, so you need to apply for German export plates.  You may drive in France on these plates for up to two weeks.

Regardless of where it's come from, if the vehicle is less than six months old and has been driven less than 6,000kms, then you must pay 19.6% French TVA on arrival in France.  If it's a UK car, then you should have bought it tax free in the UK.  Same with Belgium.  For Germany, you have to pay 16% German VAT, then pay 19.6% French VAT, then reclaim the German VAT, so budget this in your cash flow.  For EU sourced used cars over six months old/6,000kms, there is no French VAT to pay and no import duties.

 [/quote]

Have to bring this up ...what if the car is more than 6 months old, but has less than 6000kms?

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Sunday Driver wrote:

Regardless of where it's come from, if the vehicle is less than six months old and has been driven less than 6,000kms, then you must pay 19.6% French TVA on arrival in France.  If it's a UK car, then you should have bought it tax free in the UK.  Same with Belgium.  For Germany, you have to pay 16% German VAT, then pay 19.6% French VAT, then reclaim the German VAT, so budget this in your cash flow.  For EU sourced used cars over six months old/6,000kms, there is no French VAT to pay and no import duties.

Irlandais wrote

> Have to bring this up ...what if the car is more than 6 months old, but has less than 6000kms?

Then it is classified as a second-hand car (the requirement is less than 6 months old AND less than 6K Kms, so if your car fails on either requirement then it is a second-hand car) and you don't pay French VAT on importation and don't get to claim back the VAT paid in the country of origin. Incidentally, if you buy an new export car in the UK (hence not paying VAT) and try to hang on to it for more than six months before registering it elsewhere (or else do more than 6K Kms in the six months), then the car becomes liable for UK VAT. The tax authorities have the right to demand the original bill of sale/VAT receipt.

Regards

Pickles

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Irlandaise

Well spotted.  I should have said less than six months old or driven for less than 6,000kms.  So a vehicle over six months old but driven less than 6,000kms will be liable to French TVA.

A few trips up and down the M6 should do it.....[;-)]

 [/quote]

Thanks for clarifying Sunday Driver, that's what I suspected...

I've seen something which takes my fancy, however only 4k on the clock [:(]

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