Taking a automobile to France and registering it in France
A guide to registering cars in France and obtaining a carte du jour grise
A automobile is typically essential in France
Once you have got finally waded through all the work, signed each sheet of the sale documents and initialled k additional items of legal paper, you'll be able to relax. you have got bought your house in France, ANd you're able to begin your new life as an ex-pat (Living in France). Before you relax utterly, though, have you ever considered a automobile and registering it? virtually everybody wants one currently, and as such a big amount of people move to the French country, or a minimum of to little market cities, a automobile extremely is as essential as a home. And registering it's should, though it should be same that if you're transfer your automobile from the united kingdom to France, it's still attainable to stay your United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland licence and plates (see our article automobile insurance in France), for a brief whereas a minimum of.
Registering a automobile in France involves obtaining a carte du jour grise (grey card) and new French range plates
And with great care you're clear from the beginning, what you're attempting to get by registering your automobile in France, may be a carte du jour grise with a brand new license number for your automobile, that you'll be able to then use to travel and get some new French range plates.
Registering a automobile in France can involve paper
Of course you knew that you simply would wish a automobile and would wish to travel concerning registering it. It's simply that it paled into unimportance aboard the large enterprise of shopping for a house. Registering a automobile cannot be as sophisticated as that, surely? Well, no it's not... usually. What you have got to recollect, in something you undertake from currently on, is that this can be France, and things ar done otherwise here. For one factor, wherever one little bit of paper would have sufficed within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in France you may want a minimum of twenty. France is drowning during a ocean of paper, and registering your automobile is another call that ocean. As long as you're ready for this, and build the game in blast, you may manage fine.
Take your recent automobile to France or get a brand new automobile in France?
Perhaps the primary call that you simply have to be compelled to build is whether or not to stay your United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland automobile, or whether or not it makes additional sense to trade it in and get a automobile in France. To a precise extent, of course, this relies on what quantity offered money you have got. If cash isn't any object, then it's most likely easier all spherical to sell your recent automobile within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, move to France and get a novel automobile.
Buying a brand new French automobile - registering is easy
If you purchase a brand new French automobile in France, registering and so everything is easy. The dealer can do all the work for you, and issue you with the carte du jour grise or gray card, that is that the equivalent of the log book and is that the certificate you're given showing your automobile has been registered. the sole purpose maybe price creating here is that it's most likely informed do because the French do and to shop for a automobile that's factory-made in France, by one amongst the most French automobile firms such Renault, Peugeot or Citroën.
Most cars driven in France ar factory-made in France
You will quickly notice that a vast proportion of cars on the roads of France ar factory-made by these French companies, and it's not even as a results of French national loyalty (although this beyond question may be a factor!). French cars ar just so abundant easier to seek out components for if they are going wrong, then abundant easier to seek out seasoned mechanics for too!
Buying a used automobile in France
The biggest single factor that you simply have to be compelled to bear in mind of here is that used cars ar expensive in France. a fast look at the petitsannonces or little ads sections of native papers, or a glance through a automobile sales magazine can show you instantly that the used market here is way dearer than in European country. it's additionally dearer than that of Kingdom of Spain, therefore one attainable answer for those that sleep in the south of the country is to buy a automobile in Kingdom of Spain, then import it into France. Of course, it then must be re-registered for France within the same manner as a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland automobile. (Second hand cars in France, used France.)
Registering a used automobile in France
If you are doing get a used automobile in France, there's a procedure that you simply can have to be compelled to bear so as to register it. the seller ought to provide you with all the prevailing work, together with the present carte du jour grise, and a bill of sale. You then have around fifteen days to use for a brand new carte du jour grise, as this can be not passed from owner to owner however is off and replaced. the best thanks to handle the work concerned here is to gift yourself at your Mairie, wherever they're going to not solely do all the work for you however additionally tell you precisely what it'll price. Some Mairie workers can even post the appliance for you! In some cases, it's going to be necessary to own the automobile place through the Côntrole Technique (French MOT) once more, though the seller is meant to try and do this as a routine a part of the sale if the automobile is the right age to warrant it.
Importing a automobile from the united kingdom and registering it in France
If you opt that you simply wish to bring your automobile with you to France, things becomes alittle additional sophisticated. it's presently attainable, although you're a French resident, to stay your United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland licence and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland plates, for a brief time a minimum of, however you may need to modification to French plates and a French licence eventually. Your United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland licence is valid in France till it expires, whereas you're allowed to stay United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland plates for up to 6 months if you're a non-resident of France, and up to at least one month for French residents. The time allowed for French residents may be extended up to a most of 3 months ought to a vehicle have to be compelled to be approved via the DRIRE. within the past these limits haven't gave the impression to are strictly adhered to, however insurance laws ar currently adjustment and this could not be the case. do you have to be in any respect unsure, i might counsel you are taking current native recommendation concerning registering a automobile, from your Mairie within the 1st instance, then from the prefecture or capital city of your department.
A personal expertise
The continuance we tend to we tend tore told after we 1st came to France of 1 year is sort of totally different from what we ar currently being told, though there ar still many alternative reponses given from agents asked to insure British vehicles, even now. And in observe, we've had a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland registered van insured here for 6 years, having had no issues with insurance cowl or once checked by gendarmes etc.
How to re-register a automobile in France with French plates
Doing something in France is AN exercise in work, therefore the very first thing you wish to understand is strictly what work you have got to assemble with relevancy registering a automobile. you'll be able to get an inventory from the native offices of DRIRE (Direction Régionale American state l'Industrie, American state la Rechercheet American state l'Environnement), or maybe as we tend to did, from our insurers. Others have yet again found the Mairie to be extraordinarily useful as regards this too, however it's after all, conditional the people involved. The steps delineate below ar subject to regional and temporal variations, however give an outline of a probable sequence of events within the registering of a automobile in France!
1. Registering a automobile in France - country bit!
This is the simple bit, as you'll be able to do that in English. we tend to we tend tore told to advise the DVLA that we were for good exportation our vehicle to France, and obtained from them a certificate of export, or V561. However, it looks that currently all you wish do is, before delivering the V5C at the Prefecture, take the export section from the V5C and send it off to DVLA. Even this can be not strictly necessary although because the French authorities ar wrongfully duty-bound to tell DVLA that a vehicle has been registered in their territory inside 2 months of the event which is able to prompt DVLA to formally record the vehicle as exported. Note that this can be the sole notification which is able to, as neither AN export certificate nor the take from the V5C ar proof of something.
2. Registering a automobile in France - Certificate of Conformity
This is an important a part of registering your automobile in France, and it's the one that looks to offer the foremost issues. Difficulties will arise with uncommon vehicles, or cars that had been foreign to UK originally. The Certificate of Conformity is that the manufacturers' assurance that the vehicle copies with current relevant legislation. It wont to be the case that a manufacturer would provide this while not a fee and while not a fuss, as long because the automobile was a recognised model, and had a counterpart in France. currently there's typically a charge of €131 in France. This certificate should be an ingenious document, not a photocopy. If you can, contact the auto manufacturer and raise them to send you a Certificate of Conformity whereas you're still within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as this might then not price something, although it will depend upon the manufacturer. you will even be able to twig in French. you may have to be compelled to give a duplicate of your automobile registration document (V5C form) and in some cases a cheque.
Difficulties to be expected in registering older or unsual cars in France
Difficulties ar seemingly to arise with older or uncommon cars, or ones that don't have a similar in France. Older cars is also issued with a kind Approval Certificate, and your dealer ought to be able to advise on this. house owners of "vehicules American state collection" should get a certificate of attestation that the vehicle is technically compliant from the FFVE (Fédérationfrançaise des véhiculesd'epoch). And if your automobile is AN import to UK, and there's no equivalent model in France, you'll have your work cut out. i'm positive that there's the simplest way to try and do it, however i might not advise making an attempt it unless you have got luggage of your time, endless patience, a unrelentingly optimistic disposition and ar in no hurry in any respect.
3. Registering a automobile in France - modification the headlights
Change the headlights to mitt driving position. this can be not low-cost, and therefore the temporary stickers {that you|that you simply|that you simply} use once on vacation just won't do. you wish to suit blocsoptiques, although check your automobile manual to envision if you have got switchable lights 1st. (The lights have to be compelled to dip within the right direction.) Most smart garages are able to do that for between 400-700 Euros, however build a meeting prior to. they'll even be able to realize secondhand lights for you if asked.
4. Registering a automobile in France - the Côntrole Technique
Now you have got the headlights, you'll be able to get the Côntrole Technique, that is that the French version of the MOT. These ar performed at virtually many garages round the cities and villages. If your French is nice (Learning French) it does not matter that you decide on to use, however otherwise, if you recognize folks regionally then word of mouth may be a smart guide on that garage is probably going to be useful to you as a non French speaking Brit! If your automobile wants additional work you may incline a deadline (it was period after I last had mine done) to correct any issues and re-test. The Côntrole Technique prices aproximately sixty five Euros and you may have to be compelled to take with you to the garage your Certificate of Conformity, proof of address (eg: a utility bill), proof of identity (eg: passport, you will not want it, however it's useful to require it simply in case) and your blue V5C.
5. Registering a automobile in France - tax certificate
Now take all the work you have got congregate to date and attend your native Centre des Impots, explaining that you simply wish to import your automobile. If the automobile is older than six months and has done over three,500 kilometres then you may not have to be compelled to pay any tax. you may be asked for your current mileage. the aim of progressing to the Centre des Impots with all of this can be to get a certificate, the QuitasFiscal, which will show that there's no duty collectable on the vehicle. In our case the work needed to result this enclosed the united kingdom Log Book, V561 certificate of export, proof of residence in France (utilities bill etc.), original invoice from the acquisition of the vehicle showing the name of the previous owner and therefore the worth paid, Côntrole Technique Certificate, and therefore the Certificate of Conformity. we tend to additionally required proof of our identity, therefore we tend to took our passports too. it's additionally an honest plan, like any officialdom exercise in France, to require on around 5 photocopies of everything, simply just in case.
Please note although that though this was things in our case, I perceive that currently the sole documents you truly want for the Quitus ar, V5C, an acquisition invoice (not extremely needed if V5C is in your name), proof of identity (passport), Certificate of Conformity and proof of address. Some would additionally say that once addressing French bureaucrats it's going to be best to figure on a minimalist basis by at the start providing solely what documents you recognize or believe to be necessary and solely providing others on specific request. The thinking behind this being the less you offer them the less there's for them to argue over!
6. Registering a automobile in France - the carte du jour grise at last!
Finally, weighed down by all of your bits of paper, you're currently able to attend the préfecture to form the registration and receive your carte du jour grise. you may have to be compelled to complete a Demande American state Certificatd'Immatriculation (a downloadable kind is on the market at http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/R13567.xhtml), pay your fee then the fun begins. (Regarding the fee, bear in mind that since 2008 there's a tax collectable here on 1st registration of any automobile with a high greenhouse emission emission, varied from two hundred Euros to concerning 3000 Euros, looking on the emission of the automobile and therefore the department it's registered in. Cars registered for disabled use don't attract this tax.) you will be lucky, and receive your new registration like a shot or a minimum of a probationary registration certificate... (really, there ar reports of this occurring - see purpose four in our "Your Comments" section below!) within which case off you attend get your new plates and contemplate yourself French! Sadly, however, this could all take alittle longer. There are reports of cases wherever folks have had to come back home, carte du jour griseless, and wait with baited breath for a few seeks for La Poste to show up with the abundant required and onerous won documents.
What you want to be ready to own with you to form this simple on yourself is your Certificate of Conformity, Quitus business enterprise, Contrôle Technique Certificate, proof of identity (eg: passport), proof of address (eg: utility bill or your house purchase Attestation), V5C and at last the Demande American state Certificatd'Immatriculation kind completed.
Please note that {they can|they're going to|they'll} keep your V5 in conjunction with the QuitusFiscale and therefore the Certificate of Conformity however will hand you back the exportation slip (section 11) that you want to send to the DVLA immediately. (See http://www.carte-grise.org/importation_vehicule_angleterre.htm.)
7. Registering a automobile in France - modification your plates
Now you want to modification your plates. Garages are able to do that for you for atiny low fee, as long as you have got with you your carte du jour grise.
8. Registering a automobile in France - modification the Côntrole Technique data
All you may want is here is your carte du jour grise (or the probationary kind if you haven't nonetheless got your carte du jour grise), Contrôle Technique Certificate and a few kind of ID (eg: passport). {you can|you'll|you may} have to be compelled to take these to the garage wherever you had your Contrôle Technique done and that they will alter the registration plate data on your certificate, typically for no fee.
9. Registering a automobile in France - dynamic your insurance certificate
If you have got French automobile insurance you may have to be compelled to have the amount on your insurance certificate modified.
Jason Hyde resides in Eschau, Alsace. A jack of all trades, Jason writes about prefecture gray card (préfecture carte grise), gray card price (prix carte grise) and formalities gray card (formalités carte grise). He believes in love and art above all else.
