Should You Take Your Car to France?

Expats are an interesting yet unusual breed by and large – with people from very different backgrounds absolutely no more or less likely to want to move to live abroad and get away from the UK.  It seems that anyone and everyone has reasons to move overseas and issues to prevent them remaining in Britain, but the one thing that does differentiate between groups of expats is that some research their move and some don’t.

There are of course pros and cons to both approach – for example, if you don’t do much research you’re less likely to begin reading negatives or finding out things you don’t like about your new chosen country, so you’re less likely to give up on your dream before you start!  However, those who do do the research and do have a fair idea of what they’re letting themselves in for are of course better prepared.

In this report we’re going to look at whether you should take your car to France – because if you are thinking about moving to the Continent from the UK and taking your car with you, you could face all sorts of issues, hurdles, disappointments and bureaucracy.  Of course, if you’re the type of would-be expat who doesn’t research their new life abroad you’ll move without reading this!  And maybe you’ll figure it all out on your own, or maybe you’ll begin getting frustrated when you realise that there is no one there to hold your hand and guide you through what is an incredibly complex process of re-registration!

The idea of taking a right hand drive car to France – or to any of the countries on the Continent where they drive on the right – is absolutely bizarre to me.  Why would you take a car that is not designed for driving on the right hand side of the road with you?  You will be risking your own life more significantly every single time to drive that car – proven fact.  What’s more, you’ll have to face the incredibly complex hassle of re-registering it in France to get new plates for it, you will see whatever value it held plummet as there is no resale market in France for right hand drive cars, and second hand cars in France are no more expensive than in the UK comparatively speaking – so to say you couldn’t afford another car in France is possibly a rubbish argument too!  Finally, all the main dealers have a presence in France and offer the same finance deals as in the UK – and banks in France are just as likely to give you a loan to buy a car as a British bank.  So why would you take your car with you?

When you read in a moment about how complex the re-registration process is perhaps you will have a complete rethink – because the author of this article (that’s me) really thinks you would have to be slightly crazy to take your car to France and re-register it and make it your main means of transportation for your new life.  The only exceptions to this judgement of madness are that you may want to use your car until you have settled in and got over the initial expenses of a move abroad – such as the cost of housing for example.  Or perhaps if you have a classic or rare car that you would never otherwise be able to own…however, because you have to have an Attestation de Conformité, (Manufacturer’s Certificate of Conformity), to re-register your car, this could be even harder with an old or rare model!

Okay, assuming you have paid no heed to the warnings that you’re crazy and that your decision to take your British car to live with you in France is actually dangerous, here is the process for re-registration!  You are supposed to do it within a month of arrival – but few Brits in France do!  Now, having said that, if you were in an accident and even if you were not in the wrong, you could be in trouble with the authorities if they discovered you had been living in France for more than a month and driving an imported non-registered car.  So as always, we’d really strongly advise you to follow the letter of the law!

In terms of what to do to re-register your car, I would suggest that the first step is to contact the local DRIRE office (Direction Régionale de L’Industrie, de la Recherche et de l’Environnement) – ask them and they will send you a checklist of the documents required to register your car.

You are likely to need the following documents and take the following action, however rules do change and can be slightly different depending on the region you live in, so seek advice from the DRIRE…

Customs Certificate A - certificat de régularité fiscale for cars imported from within the EU – i.e., brought with you from the UK.

Them take your original car registration documents and your receipt of purchase to your local Centre d’Impots and they will tell you whether more VAT is due on your car’s import.  Note: there shouldn’t be any if you purchased the car second-hand or if you can prove the payment of VAT in the country of origin…but you have to check.

Manufacturers Certificate of Conformity (Attestation de Conformité): now you can request this from a car-dealer, French importer or direct from the manufacturer – but as stated above, this process can become much more challenging for older or more obscure or classic models of car!!

You also need proof of the origin of the car or your certificate of purchase as well as proof that VAT was been paid in the country of origin

Registration request form (demande de certificat d’immatriculation)

Your original registration documents

An MOT test certificate (Rapport de contrôle technique) if the vehicle is more than four years old: if you are importing the car you will need to pass the contrôle technique at a vehicle-testing centre.  Just like an MOT, checks will be done relating to the car’s condition with them looking at its identification, brakes, tyres, noise levels, emission levels, lights, steering and chassis.  Unlike in the UK though, the test is then due every two years thereafter.

Proof of your identity and your residence in France

You will then need to take or send all of the required documents to the nearest car registration bureau and they will process your application.  Eventually you’ll get your carte grise with your car’s new registration number and you can go out, have new number plates made and fit them to your now French car!