Assistance with registering a British car in France

[Pete5996]

Back in 2010 I registered my Passat here without a problem, despite being a non-resident. However, things seem to have changed and I'm on a Facebook group for registering vehicles in France, where it is often stated that non-residents cannot register a vehicle in France.

I've done a bit of digging and found , where the precise question is asked:
"I live abroad. I would like to register a vehicle and leave it in France for my holidays. What proof of address do you provide? "

Unfortunately the answer is (Google translation with a couple of adjustments):

"In accordance with the provisions of the Highway Code (Article R322-1), any owner of a vehicle who wishes to drive it on public roads in France, must apply for registration to the prefect of the department of his choice justifying his identity and his home in France. You must therefore prove that you have a domicile or domicile with a third party.

In the latter situation, the reality of the residence of the applicant in the home of the host must be proven by an official document (tax return, social security card (Carte Vitale), title of family allowances, Pôle emploi document etc).

Apart from these cases, the registration of your vehicle can not be carried out"

In other words, you have to produce proof of residence, not just ownership of a residential property. Not the answer you'd want, I know...





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[Charente16]

One 'Big' stumbling block for registering a pre 2001 car is the Certificate of Conformity, if you have one or you can obtain one from the manufacturer you should, in theory, be able to register the car against your french address. I say that based on the 'old system' of registering with the Prefecture; even then it depended in which Department you lived in.

Without a 'CoC.' you will have to have the Car inspected by 'DRIEA',. a long, tedious and expensive process. If you fall in that bracket, I suggest you cut your loss and buy a previously registered french LHD car as has already been suggested.

I had a post 2001 Morgan with a Ford engine but the Charente Prefecture wouldn't accept the Morgan 'CoC' they wanted one from Ford! I got the car registered in the end but not without a lot of hassle and delay. Luckily, 'DRIEA' was on my side otherwise it would have taken a lot longer and required a full test 'Dossier' to be completed; not cheap.

Robert

 

[Ingwe]

One 'Big' stumbling block for registering a pre 2001 car is the Certificate of Conformity, if you have one or you can obtain one from the manufacturer you should, in theory, be able to register the car against your french address. I say that based on the 'old system' of registering with the Prefecture; even then it depended in which Department you lived in.

Without a 'CoC.' you will have to have the Car inspected by 'DRIEA',. a long, tedious and expensive process. If you fall in that bracket, I suggest you cut your loss and buy a previously registered french LHD car as has already been suggested.

I had a post 2001 Morgan with a Ford engine but the Charente Prefecture wouldn't accept the Morgan 'CoC' they wanted one from Ford! I got the car registered in the end but not without a lot of hassle and delay. Luckily, 'DRIEA' was on my side otherwise it would have taken a lot longer and required a full test 'Dossier' to be completed; not cheap.

Robert

I have a Certificate of Conformity so hopefully, I can register against my French address.

 

[filopastry]

Technically one must be "resident" in France to register or purchase a vehicle here. You "can" do work-arounds and be economical with the facts, but, an insurance claim at a later date may open a can of worms. The fact the drivers door is on the "wrong" side makes no difference, lots of G>B vehicles registered over here. If you have a CoC not difficult, if not then one must go down the full test route over here known as a "mine". The French bureaucracy doesn't make things easy and with the now centralised system one cannot pop into the local office and discuss finer points.

 

[Lot lover]

To all of you.

Registering a foreign car in France is really really easy. As with all other things here you must have the right paperwork signed by the right people in the right order. The interweb will tell you what you need and MHF people will hold your hand, metaphorically anyway, if you are nervous doing it for the first time.

There is no need to try to fiddle a work around, do not be tempted.

As I said above if I can do it anyone can

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[spitfire]

To all of you.

Registering a foreign car in France is really really easy. As with all other things here you must have the right paperwork signed by the right people in the right order. The interweb will tell you what you need and MHF people will hold your hand, metaphorically anyway, if you are nervous doing it for the first time.

There is no need to try to fiddle a work around, do not be tempted.

As I said above if I can do it anyone can

Indeed everything is easy here if you have the paperwork they want lol

I think the point we are all making is that it must be registered to your principal residence so he need to check they will accept that. It doesn't matter who has done it before and possibly they have but if you have an accident then the insurance will take you to the cleaners as you will have declared France and not the UK as your main address.
Also not sure how the systems are linked now but more that they used to be with centralisation there could possible then be a query as to why if France is your main residence why are you not registered for tax and healthcare

 

[Lot lover]

The ANTS site asks for proof of residence only, an EDF bill suffices. Stop being obsessed with the word primary.

btw not sure how different the rules are for registering a non-EU vehicle and I can't be bothered to look.

 

[spitfire]

The ANTS site asks for proof of residence only, an EDF bill suffices. Stop being obsessed with the word primary.

btw not sure how different the rules are for registering a non-EU vehicle and I can't be bothered to look.

Up to you if you want to give advice contrary to the french site and up to OP of he wants to take a chance.

 

[Lot lover]

Pls provide evidence to support the word primary.

 

[Ingwe]

Up to you if you want to give advice contrary to the french site and up to OP of he wants to take a chance.

This is from the official site. Lot lover is correct. There is no mention of primary residence.

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[spitfire]

This is from the official site. Lot lover is correct. There is no mention of primary residence. View attachment 342843

If you check my post 19 it states in French direct from the government site the only address you may have on your Carte Grise is your principal address . Hence my advice to ask if you may use a U.K. address
However it is up to you to decide which you think is correct so I will now bow out if this post as it seems others are more informed .

 

[spitfire]

Pls provide evidence to support the word primary.

Please check my No 19 post

 

[Ingwe]

Spitfire, please don't take your bat home. I very much welcome all the posts offered in the sprit of trying to help me. I think that the position is confused and there is a degree of ambiguity. For example, the answer in your post #19 is in response to a FAQ where there is an assumption (in my view) that it is aimed at a French resident who is asking whether one can choose whether to give his primary address or that of his holiday home in a different department of France. The answer is that one must use the primary address where the rate of tax paid is dependent on that address.
The excerpt that I exhibited in post #40 is in respect of the question of how to register a vehicle imported from another EU member state and merely asks for, amongst other information, proof of residence/address not primary or secondary address. I'm assuming ( and of course I may be wrong) that it is intended to be the address where the imported and registered vehicle is based. Hence the need to tie the owner to a French address.

I'm not being dogmatic; I'm being guided by others. If at the end of the day it isn't possible, so be it. There is no way that I want to own/drive a vehicle anywhere unlawfully or without proper insurance.
Thanks all for your input and no hard feelings if there is disagreement.

 

[spitfire]

Spitfire, please don't take your bat home. I very much welcome all the posts offered in the sprit of trying to help me. I think that the position is confused and there is a degree of ambiguity. For example, the answer in your post #19 is in response to a FAQ where there is an assumption (in my view) that it is aimed at a French resident who is asking whether one can choose whether to give his primary address or that of his holiday home in a different department of France. The answer is that one must use the primary address where the rate of tax paid is dependent on that address.
The excerpt that I exhibited in post #40 is in respect of the question of how to register a vehicle imported from another EU member state and merely asks for, amongst other information, proof of residence/address not primary or secondary address. I'm assuming ( and of course I may be wrong) that it is intended to be the address where the imported and registered vehicle is based. Hence the need to tie the owner to a French address.

I'm not being dogmatic; I'm being guided by others. If at the end of the day it isn't possible, so be it. There is no way that I want to own/drive a vehicle anywhere unlawfully or without proper insurance.
Thanks all for your input and no hard feelings if there is disagreement.

I am not being difficult but trying to help you by letting you know what the French site says . I have been here for 15 years and registered our vehicles and sold and bought new vehicles here . In my post 19 it states the address on your Carte Grise ( registration document ) must be your main residence which is why I advised you to check carefully with someone in authority if you may use a U.K. address .
My worry for you is that in any situation like being stopped by gendarmes or say in an accident ( heaven forbid ) They ask for your Carte Grise and assurance etc and if it is not your main address of residence then you could find yourself st minimum uninsured .

How about asking yodeli to check it out for you ?

 

[Ingwe]

I am not being difficult but trying to help you by letting you know what the French site says . I have been here for 15 years and registered our vehicles and sold and bought new vehicles here . In my post 19 it states the address on your Carte Grise ( registration document ) must be your main residence which is why I advised you to check carefully with someone in authority if you may use a U.K. address .
My worry for you is that in any situation like being stopped by gendarmes or say in an accident ( heaven forbid ) They ask for your Carte Grise and assurance etc and if it is not your main address of residence then you could find yourself st minimum uninsured .

How about asking yodeli to check it out for you ?

Yodeli has offered to help but as you know, this weekend is a public holiday and Yodeli is enjoying some quality family time. So no rush.

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[spitfire]

Yodeli has offered to help but as you know, this weekend is a public holiday and Yodeli is enjoying some family quality time. So no rush.

Best thing ever is to get her to check with the authorities for you Then at least you know the answer is correct .
Yes a holiday here lol All holidays are religious or for wars lol

 

[Ingwe]

The French are learning; their public holidays are becoming just like ours in the UK. It’s pouring down all day and scheduled to do so all weekend.

 

[Lot lover]

spitfire - why does your quote trump mine? The ANTS site on re-registering foreign vehicles is crystal clear, why create a problem that does not exist?

I have also bought and sold French vehicles here but that is not relevant to this thread.

 

[Pete5996]

My post #31 above couldn't be clearer, I'd have thought? I'll post the whole link to the ANTS Q&A page and leave you to sort out the translation, but in effect, it says that unless you can produce a tax return, carte vitale, emplyment card or other doc to show you are properly registered as living in France, registering a car is a no-no.

 

[Lot lover]

There must be a good reason why neither I, nor my friends, have ever been asked for this info.

Nor do I understand why another part of the ANTS site appears to disagree with you.

But as someone wrote, it is up to the OP to decide what to believe.

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[gus-lopez]

One 'Big' stumbling block for registering a pre 2001 car is the Certificate of Conformity, if you have one or you can obtain one from the manufacturer you should, in theory, be able to register the car against your french address. I say that based on the 'old system' of registering with the Prefecture; even then it depended in which Department you lived in.

Without a 'CoC.' you will have to have the Car inspected by 'DRIEA',. a long, tedious and expensive process. If you fall in that bracket, I suggest you cut your loss and buy a previously registered french LHD car as has already been suggested.

I had a post 2001 Morgan with a Ford engine but the Charente Prefecture wouldn't accept the Morgan 'CoC' they wanted one from Ford! I got the car registered in the end but not without a lot of hassle and delay. Luckily, 'DRIEA' was on my side otherwise it would have taken a lot longer and required a full test 'Dossier' to be completed; not cheap.

Robert

EU law, which takes precedence,is quite specific. If it has been registered previously either from new or a re- registration it cannot be refused on any type of CoC regs. They cannot ask for inspections,etc apart from the normal country mot.
If these things are introduced then make complaints direct to the EU using the complaints procedure.

government site the only address you may have on your Carte Grise is your principal address . Hence my a

When in France the principal address would be French. When in UK ,UK.

My post #31 above couldn't be clearer, I'd have thought? I'll post the whole link to the ANTS Q&A page and leave you to sort out the translation, but in effect, it says that unless you can produce a tax return, carte vitale, emplyment card or other doc to show you are properly registered as living in France, registering a car is a no-no.

How does a holiday home owner buy one?

The op can't change his UK residence to. French even if he wants to as they are refusing any applications by all accounts .
Another illegality under EU rules,as the requirements are you can register up until the moment the UK leaves,which it hasn't.
Even the Spanish and Portuguese comply.

 

[Charente16]

"EU law, which takes precedence,is quite specific. If it has been registered previously either from new or a re- registration it cannot be refused on any type of CoC regs. They cannot ask for inspections,etc apart from the normal country mot.
If these things are introduced then make complaints direct to the EU using the complaints procedure."

Hi gus-lopez, unfortunately the new licencing arrangements don't allow 'face to face' contact with the 'functionaires', otherwise if I ended up in that situation again I would be sure to request your assistance at the Prefecture! Even 'DREIA', a government organisation, were tearing their hair out trying to make the Prefecture accept the CoC. The fact that the car had been previously registered in the UK didn't come into it. "What others do is not neccessarily right", if I remember correctly being said.

I think you will agree the difference between the UK and the rest of the EU is that the UK follows(ed) the EU Law blindly, whilst the rest of the EU interprets the laws to suit themselves. In the case of France before 'Centralisation' at Nantes, every Department interpreted things differently. That was the case for everything not just car registration.

Robert

 

[stcyr]

Even a sdf (sans domicile fixe - homeless person) can register a car in France. Also one can use an 'attestaion sur l'honneur' from a home-owner saying that he/she is 'housing' you.

 

[DL42846]

This question may have been suggested already but why not just sell your 20 year old UK car and buy a 20 year old French car. Steering wheel will be on the correct side for France etc. I think it would be less of a problem than trying to register the car in France. I registered a left hand drive car in France when we moved over here 20 years ago but that was before all these pollution controls came into force. Even the French don't understand all the forms that would have to be filled out. Good luck.