Process of registering a UK car in France

[Cazs]

Can someone help me in defining the steps required to register an english car in France. Also the order in which to do things ie. register, insurance, plates etc,.,. In the Dordogne if it changes by region

[opas]

We are not in the area you mentioned, these are the steps we took.

Searched out an insurance company.....we chose Groupama.  We were told that we had 3 months in which to register our vehicle.

Called in our main dealer, for a price for a cert of conformity.  Our first car we bought the cert from Ford (Paris) at quite a high price.   the Citroen cert we bought through DRIRE after some advice from Miki on this forum, that was about 1/2 price.

We then went for a CT.

When we had all these pieces of paper we then went to the prefecture for our Carte Grise and streight off to the garage for number plates ...our local garage fitted and supplied them cheaper than the local key cutter charged just for the plates.

lastly back to the insurance to inform them of our new reg.

Mrs O

[Cazs]

Many thanks.

 

DO you know when a car needs a CT - Is it three years as in UK?

[Will]

CT is required at four years old in France.

Things vary slightly between regions but it is basically as Mrs O said. For instance, most prefectures want a certificate, that you get from the impots or douanes, that any VAT due has been paid (it will usually only be payable if the vehicle is virtually new).

[Ron Avery]

Edit

I was typing this before any replies, obviously OPAS and Will can type faster than me

Personally if it is a RHD car I would leave it in the UK, they are OK for holidays but not for continuous use, but second hand cars are dear in France so its up to you

This topic has been covered before but the search facility appears not to be working. So from a previous thread, but edited

Check with your UK insurer to see if they will continue to insure your car via  a green card while you sort out French Insurance, most good insurers will do this if you still have time to run on your UK policy.

You can insure the car on UK plates with a French insurer (now usually on the basis that you will register the car in France ASAP).  To do so you need to go the your  Prefecture or sub Prefecture with:

Current registration documents ... OR

Export certificate from DVLA  (You should apply for this before you leave the UK it will stop you getting prosecuted later under the SORN rules) 

A Controle technique (French MOT equivelant) if vehicle is over over 4 years old with at least 6 months to run on it.

Certificate of conformity for vehicle from manufacturers French office.( if a new car, you may find a EU wide certificate in your car's handbook)

Passport

Two forms of identification like household bills

Cheque book/Bank card

 

Take ticket, wait in line, fill in forms, pay , get carte grise with new plate number then go somewhere designated to have number plates made and rivetted to the cars.

Eh Voila

[Motorhead]

Ron do you mind telling how it was ever possible to be in possesion of both a registration document and an export certificate at the same time.

Reg documents have been illegal since the start of this month. The new reg certificates have a tearoff section for notification of export and export certificates are now a thing of the past.

[Ron Avery]

Sorry I did not realise that the system in the UK had changed, trouble with cutting and pasting an old reply

but hopefully the poster would know that they need the UK reg doc/export document as part of the paperwork they need to register a car here. 

 

By the way, if you do not have the reg book/certificate, (I didn't for a car I brought here) what do you do if you can no longer apply for an export certificate then???.

[Motorhead]

You need to apply for a new V5c before you go. Might cost you £19 though.

Although the old V5's are illegal now and all UK vehicles are supposed to have V5c's now I know for a fact that there are plenty of old motorbikes out there in boxes that haven't been taxed for years and are therefore completely off the radar as far as DVLA is concerned. There will be fun and games when it comes round to putting them back on the road.