Registering an Imported Vehicle in France

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Registering an Imported Vehicle in France

The immatriculation is a vehicle's registration. The details of a vehicle's registration are carried in the Carte Grise (grey card). 

Before being able to register a foreign vehicle in France and receive the Carte Grise registration document, the vehicle must conform to the French road standards. The simplicity of the process can vary depending on the make, age and country of origin of the vehicle. Below are the basics of the process that can be expected.

The process is different (and can be simpler) for classic and collectable vehicles; it can be far more complicated for modified vehicles. Please enquire at the Préfecture.

Using a Foreign Car in France 

It is not obligatory to register a foreign vehicle in France unless the owner is resident in France. A resident is someone who is domiciled in France for more than six months (183 days) per year, or who is employed in France.

EU legislation

Under EU law, a private vehicle may be temporarily imported and used on French roads for up to six months in any 12 months. The vehicle must be re-registered in France if it is owned and used by a resident of France.

It is against the law for the resident of an EU country, while in that country, to drive any vehicle registered in another EU country. So a person who is a resident of France may only drive a French-registered car while they are in France (with the exception of cross-border workers).

An EU-registered vehicle must satisfy the legal roadworthiness requirements of its country of registration to be legal to drive elsewhere in the EU. 

Vehicles from the European Union

No duty is payable on a used vehicle imported for personal use, provided that VAT has been paid in the EU country where it was bought and it has belonged to the registered owner for over six months and driven 6,000 Km prior to entry into France.

For a new vehicle bought in another EU member state, the TVA must be paid in France unless the French Fiscal Services are provided with the original receipt stating that VAT has been paid and, and you have proof of a valid foreign registration of the vehicle.

1. Take the vehicle's original registration documents and receipt of sale to the Centre des Impots. You will be issued with a fiscal certificate or tax clearance form. In some instances, there are customs and Tax charges payable, depending on the age/mileage of the car.
2. Request an attestation de conformité (certificate of conformity) from the vehicle manufacturer or a certified representative. This identifies that the vehicle is of a recognised type in France or in the European Union.
   Note: If the vehicle has a recently-issued registration document which states the type approval number, a certificate of conformity may not be required
3. If the car is more than four years old it will need to go through a côntrole technique, the French roadworthiness test; this must have occurred less than six months previously (two months if a contre-visite or re-test is required). Roadworthiness certificates from other countries are not acceptable as an alternative - the car must go through a French côntrole technique.
4. Apply to the motor registration department at the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture for a demande d'immatriculation (Cerfa form n°10672). This initiates the process of registration. A dossier will be opened.

Supply them with:

• Proof of identity
• Proof of residence/address (property title deeds, rental contract, utility bill, insurance certificate)
• A copy of the foreign registration certificate
• Copy of the attestation de conformité (issued by the manufacturer or their agent)
• A copy of the certificate of purchase and customs clearance certificate (issued by the Centre des Impots)
• Côntrole technique certificate if required

There is a fee due based on the CV engine power of the vehicle. 

Documents should be sent to the Service des Mines or DRIRE which verifies that the vehicle: make, year and chassis number correspond to French homologation standards, La fiche d'homologation. This process can take two or three weeks.

If all goes well, you will be notified when you should return to the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture, where your registration document, the Carte Grise and new registration number will be issued. All that remains is to have new number plates (plaques d'immatriculation) made and fitted. 

• See the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for more: Click here (in French)
• More information from the French government: Click here (in French)

Vehicle From a Non-European Union Country

1. Take the vehicle's original registration documents and receipt of sale to the Centre des Impots. You will be issued with a fiscal certificate or tax clearance form. There are customs and tax charges payable, depending on the age/mileage of the car. You will be issued with certificat de dédouanement 846A
2. Apply to the motor registration department at the local Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture for a demande d'immatriculation. This initiates the process of registration. A dossier will be opened.

Supply them with:

• Proof of identity
• Proof of residence (property title deeds, rental contract, utility bill, insurance certificate)
• A copy of the foreign registration certificate
• Copy of the attestation de conformité (issued by the manufacturer or their agent)
• A copy of the certificate of purchase and customs clearance certificate (issued by the Centre des Impots)
• French Côntrole technique certificate if the car is more than four years old; this must have occurred less than six months previously (two months if a contre-visite or re-test is required). 

The applicant will have to complete a déclaration de mise en circulation and a form for additional information about the vehicle. Your dossier will be sent to the DRIRE, which will send notification by mail when to present the vehicle for examination at the DRIRE testing centre.

If it passes the test, DRIRE will issue a statement of approval. Take this and the other documents to the local Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture, which will release the Carte Grise and new registration number. All that remains is to have new number plates made and fitted.

• See the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for more: Click here (in French)

The DRIRE 

• To find a local DRIRE office: Click here and refer to the country map on the right, once the local DRIRE website opens, select "véhicules" on the left menu

Take:

• The vehicle
• Proof of identity
• Proof of residence (property title deeds, rental contract, utility bill, insurance certificate)
• A copy of the foreign registration certificate
• A copy of the certificate of purchase and customs clearance certificate (issued by the Centre des Impots)
• Driving licence
• Cheque book to pay the fee

The vehicle will be inspected and verified that the make, year and chassis number correspond to French homologation standards, la fiche d'homologation. This process can take two or three weeks. If your car conforms to these standards, there will be a fee to pay, varying on the vehicle.

Note: Even if the vehicle is homogene, there are certain things that may need changing because, for example the engine you have does not have the same number as the one in the French homologation fiche, or the optics are not the same. You may, therefore, be required to have the changes made and to take your vehicle back to the Service des Mines to be re-inspected and approved. You will be permitted to drive your vehicle in the interim.

Écotaxe for High Emissions Vehicles

From January 2008 a penalty tax (écotaxe) is due on any car with high emissions - over 160 grams of CO₂ per Kilometre. It is a one-off payment and applies to the following:

1. Any new vehicle registered in France from 1 January 2008,
2. Any used, privately owned vehicle imported and registered in France from 1 January 2008. 
   Note: In this case - a vehicle bought and registered abroad and then imported into France - the amount of tax reduced is reduced by 10 percent for each year from the date of first registration

• Further information on the additional tax (Malus): Click here (in French)

The écotaxe penalty is paid at the point of first registration of a new vehicle and applies to emissions as follows:

• €200 for vehicles with emissions from 161 to 165 grams of CO₂ per Kilometre
• €750 for vehicles with emissions from 166 to 200 grams of CO₂ per Kilometre
• €1,600 for vehicles with emissions from 201 to 250 grams of CO₂ per Kilometre
• €2,600 for vehicles with emissions over 250 grams of CO₂ per Kilometre

ADEME (Agence de l'Environment et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie) provides comprehensive information on vehicles and their emissions (in French) with calculation tables and reference information.

• For a full list of CO² emissions per vehicle make and model: Click here (in French)

To Obtain a Certificate (Certificate de conformité/COC) 

Note: It might not be possible to issue any Right Hand Drive vehicle built before April 1997 with a Certificate of Conformity. Vehicles before this date and back to August 1978 can instead be issued with a National Type Approval Certificate.

Contact the manufacturer's representative (some contacts below) to establish the fee (if any) and documents required. 

• Audi/Volkswagen
  Tel: 03 23 73 81 77 
  Call to obtain a form and return it with registration documents and payment.
• BMW Homologation Department
  BMW France Service Homologation,
  3, Avenue Ampere,
  Montigny le Bretonneux
  78886 St-Quinten Yvelines CEDEX
  Tel: 01 30 43 93 00
• Citroën
  Attestation CO10 (Service Attestation Technique Citroen Immeuble Colisée)
  12 Rue Fructidor
  75835 Paris Cedex 17
  Tel: 01 58 79 71 48 or 01 58 79 70 29 (14:00 to 17:00)
  Send copy of registration document (both sides). Invoice/purchase contract confirming that you own the vehicle. Information on manufacturer's plaque. Number of speeds. Number of seats. Proof of your identity (passport or similar). Payment made payable to Automobiles Citroen to cover administrative fees (approx €100+, ask for the exact amount). 
• Chrysler Daimler Mercedes
  Service Homologation
  Parc de Rocancourt
  BP 100
  78153 Le Chesnay Cedex. 
  Tel: 01 39 23 56 00
  Send (both sides) copy of registration document.
• Fiat, Alfa Romeo & Lancia
  Tel: 01 30 16 70 00
  Call to obtain form - ask for "service homologation".
• Ford
  34, Rue Croix de Fer
  78122 St Germain en Laye cedex 
  Tel: 01 61 01 61 01
  Send both sides copy of registration documents. Information on manufacturer's plaque (could be found on the radiator). Bill proving adjustment of lights to French standard. Payment to FMC Automobiles SAS
• Honda
  Service Homologation
  Honda France
  Parc D'Activités Parisest
  Allée du 1er Mai
  BP46 Roissy Bourbour
  77312 Marne la Vallée Cedex 02
  Tel: 01 60 37 30 00
  Write or call to obtain form
• Land Rover/Range Rover
  Land Rover France
  Service Homologation
  34 Rue de la Croix de Fer
  78127 St-Germain-en-Laye Cedex
  Tel: 01 61 01 62 61
  Fax: 01 61 01 62 63
  Call to request a form. Then send copy of registration document. Information on manufacturer's plaque on vehicle. Type of bodywork. Number of doors. Number of seats. Tyre dimensions. Owner's name, and address in France. Bill or attestation from garage (if relevant). Payment made to Land Rover France SA.
• Mazda
  Mazda Automobiles France SAS 
  ZI Moimont 2 
  1 rue Eugene Pottier Marly-la-Ville 
  95476 Fosses Cedex 
  Tel: 01 34 72 13 00 Fax: 01 34 72 27
• Mitsubishi
  Mitsubishi France
  3 Avenue Hoche
  75008 Paris
  Tel: 01 34 35 84 00 
  Call to discuss the request for a certificat de conformité (some telephone agents speak English).
• Opel, Vauxhall
  1 Avenue du Marais
  95100 Argenteuil 
  Tel: 01 34 26 30 00 
  Call to obtain form to fill and return it with registration documents and payment. 
• Peugeot - Automobiles Peugeot
  DCFP/IVP Case Courrier GA 213 
  75809 PARIS CEDEX 17 France 
  Send a copy of purchase invoice, or if second-hand, a hand-written private sale document and if UK registered, a copy of UK V5. Payment. 
• Porsche France 
  122 Ave du General-Leclerc, Boulogne Billancourt, , France
  Tel: 0820 800 911, 
  Fax: 01 55 19 91 11 
  Call for instructions
• Renault S.A.S 
  Service attestations
  860 Quai de Stalingrad, 92109 Boulogne Billancourt 
  Tel: 08.10.28.22.82
• Suzuki
  Suzuki France SA
  Servive Après-Vente Auto
  BP 136
  78196 Trappes Cedex 
  Write to request a certificate, enclosing a copy of your registration document.
• Triumph
  Jean Louis Picot
  Triumph France
  19 Rue Georges Bidault
  Roissy Bourbourg
  77437 Marne La Vallée Cedex 02 
  Tel: 01 64 62 38 38
  Write with a copy of the registration document. There may be a charge.
• Toyota
  Toyota France
  Service Homologation
  20 Bld de la République
  92420 Vaucresson
  Tel: 01 47 10 81 00
  Fax: 01 47 10 81 81
  Call to request appropriate forms. Vehicle details and copy of registration papers are required. There is a fee payable. 
• Volvo
  Volvo Automobiles France
  Service Homologation
  34, rue de la croix de fer
  78128 Saint-Germain en Laye
  Tel: 01 61 01 62 59
  Fax: 01 61 01 62 63

Related Information

• French Government Web site
• DRIRE
• French Department of Transport
• French Customs
• Article from the European Union Enterprise and Industry on the simplification of registration procedures. 
• Information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Click here (in French)

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