You’ve decided to move to France and want to take your UK vehicle with you (or have a second home and permanently keep a UK car there), you’ve found and bought the perfect place and are preparing for the move… what do you need to think about as far as your car is concerned?

Although registering a UK vehicle in France is relatively straightforward, there are a number of different documents required and potential costs to factor in, as well as time! It can take longer than you think to obtain the documents you’ll need, such as a certificate of conformity (for older vehicles), so it’s wise not to leave it until the last minute!

Before you leave the UK it’s a good idea to make sure you have as many of the relevant documents needed to register your car in France as you can (we’ve compiled a handy list below). You should also change your headlights or make sure they are suitable for France (it may be cheaper to do this in the UK than France) – a quick note: stick-on deflectors are not sufficient. En plus to pass your French MOT your car will need a speedometer with a km reading.

Documents needed to import your vehicle:

  • Your passport and valid driver’s licence
  • Green Card / proof of car insurance
  • Proof of your French address, e.g. a utility bill less than 6 months old
  • Vehicle registration document or V5C (or export certificate if the registration document has been retained by the original issuing authority). You must complete the ‘permanent export’ section of the certificate and send this to the DVLA
  • Car Bill of Sale – if you have bought the car from someone else. However, if the vehicle registration document is already in your name, then no further proof is required.
  • Certificate of Conformity (see box for further details)
  • *Dated and signed Application for Registration of the Vehicle in France (Cerfa 13750*05) which you can complete online or download from the government website.
  • *Signed Registration Mandate form
  • *Import tax Certificate 846 A (see below)
  • *Contrôle Technique certificate (French ‘MOT’) no older than 6 months (if applicable)

*to be completed once in France

When you’ve arrived in France you’ll need to:

  • Contact your local customs office to obtain your 846A certificate (Certificat de dédouanement). You’ll need to send them two copies of your Declaration of Goods being imported from a third country to the European Union form, with a copy of proof of your former residence in the UK (or if you’re planning to keep a UK vehicle at your maison secondaire proof of your UK address), the Vehicle Registration certificate and the Car Bill of Sale (if applicable). They will then inform you of any customs duty or tax payable and upon receipt of payment send you the 846A certificate
    In general, if you’ve owned your car for more than 6 months prior to leaving the UK and have included it on your list of personal goods being imported, no customs duty or tax should be due
  • Book your car in for Contrôle Technique (necessary every 2 years for any vehicle over 4 years old) – you’ll need this to complete your Carte Grise application
  • Make sure you have your Certificate of Conformity
  • Apply for your Carte Grise/ Certificat d’Immatriculation – this can take 6-8 weeks
  • When you have received your Carte Grise, complete the online form to request your French number plates
  • Organise your French car insurance!

Your Carte Grise/ Certificat d’Immatriculation is France’s Vehicle Registration Document. You have one month in which to obtain the Carte Grise after arriving in France or four months if your vehicle requires a single vehicle approval inspection (see the section above on ‘How to obtain a Certificate of Conformity).

Applying for a Carte Grise is done online rather than at your local prefecture (although they should still be able to advise you if you need extra help). The application process is simple, but a long list of documentation is required when importing a vehicle from the UK. Obtaining all of them can sometimes take time. The cost of a Carte Grise includes 4 different taxes and a fee, the most important of which are the regional tax (varies by department and is then multiplied by the vehicles ‘puissance fiscale’) and the pollution tax (from January 2021 this is only applicable to new cars). However, the Carte Grise website has a handy calculator which gives you an idea of what to expect.

It’s also useful to remember that unlike in the UK there is no annual road tax – you just make the one payment when you register your vehicle.

Once you’ve finally got your Carte Grise and your French number plates you can enjoy life on the road in en France!