Importing a car to France
Discussion
Hi folks,
There's a left hand drive car that I can get my hands on here in the uk (uk registered)
I'm thinking of bringing it out to the family pad in France but know nowt about the legalities of it.
It's a '91 Mazda mx5 so not worth a whole lot.
How would I go about registering it in France? What are the costs involved/paperwork needed?
I'd appreciate any pointers;thanks in advance
There's a left hand drive car that I can get my hands on here in the uk (uk registered)
I'm thinking of bringing it out to the family pad in France but know nowt about the legalities of it.
It's a '91 Mazda mx5 so not worth a whole lot.
How would I go about registering it in France? What are the costs involved/paperwork needed?
I'd appreciate any pointers;thanks in advance
Don't know the system for a pre '98 car without a certificate of conformity.
I think it has to have a vehicle check in Paris as they have closeed all the local test centres and as stated it needs to be European spec not US (LHD) or is it ex Europe.
You can google the French government web site which explains the system but to be honest id stick to a post '98 car it's so much easier.
I think it has to have a vehicle check in Paris as they have closeed all the local test centres and as stated it needs to be European spec not US (LHD) or is it ex Europe.
You can google the French government web site which explains the system but to be honest id stick to a post '98 car it's so much easier.
This link will take you to an MX5 forum (in French) where a chap is asking for advice on importing a 1991 MX5 from Lithuania. I haven't got time to read it at the moment, but it may help...
http://www.mx5passion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13...
Steve
http://www.mx5passion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13...
Steve
or to summarise what I did in 2011 with a UK spec MX5 -
1 Get a certificat de conformite from the manufacturer (I got one from Mazda France at a cost of €131, but it is up to the company how much they charge).
2 Do the Control Technique - usual charges. I convinced my local centre to do it before I had the certificat de conformite, but supposedly they should insist on this.
3 Go to the Centre des Impots (no queue, nice people in my town) with the paperwork. I managed to get the garage in the UK that sold me the car to sign the French forms that you use to sell a car, so I don't know if they'd insist on a certified translation if not in French - no fee;
4 Spend over 3 hours in various queues at the Prefecture with all the above paperwork to get it registered and pay a fee - I think it was around €300.
It took time, but the French officials that I dealt with were fine.
1 Get a certificat de conformite from the manufacturer (I got one from Mazda France at a cost of €131, but it is up to the company how much they charge).
2 Do the Control Technique - usual charges. I convinced my local centre to do it before I had the certificat de conformite, but supposedly they should insist on this.
3 Go to the Centre des Impots (no queue, nice people in my town) with the paperwork. I managed to get the garage in the UK that sold me the car to sign the French forms that you use to sell a car, so I don't know if they'd insist on a certified translation if not in French - no fee;
4 Spend over 3 hours in various queues at the Prefecture with all the above paperwork to get it registered and pay a fee - I think it was around €300.
It took time, but the French officials that I dealt with were fine.
Then prepare for the inspection route without a clean Certificat de Conformite. A former colleague's brother managed to get a Japanese spec Eunos that he bought whilst in the UK registered over here with an inspection and a few changes, but I never found out exactly what he needed to do, and he had the advantage of being French to get through the procedures.
Certificates of Conformity are not issued for cars first registered before January 1998 so the standard method is not applicable. I've registered over 20 cars in France but normally with a CoC.
Cars from outside the EU are often very different in small details, e.g. Seat belts and light lenses not marked with the little 'E' mark to indicate conformity with European standards. Some clubs here have sets that they loan out for registration use then swap back to the none EU lights.
A post 98 car is CT, Quitus fiscal, and visit the Prefecture all done in the day, however a Suzuki not sold here took nearly a year trying and failing to get it accepted.
I wouldn't try with a pre 98 car but what have you to loose? How much have you got in it? You could always split it for parts and get your money back if you can't get it registered. By the way usual French local government rules apply, easy in some departments but by the book in others.
Cars from outside the EU are often very different in small details, e.g. Seat belts and light lenses not marked with the little 'E' mark to indicate conformity with European standards. Some clubs here have sets that they loan out for registration use then swap back to the none EU lights.
A post 98 car is CT, Quitus fiscal, and visit the Prefecture all done in the day, however a Suzuki not sold here took nearly a year trying and failing to get it accepted.
I wouldn't try with a pre 98 car but what have you to loose? How much have you got in it? You could always split it for parts and get your money back if you can't get it registered. By the way usual French local government rules apply, easy in some departments but by the book in others.
trunnie said:
or to summarise what I did in 2011 with a UK spec MX5 -
1 Get a certificat de conformite from the manufacturer (I got one from Mazda France at a cost of €131, but it is up to the company how much they charge).
2 Do the Control Technique - usual charges. I convinced my local centre to do it before I had the certificat de conformite, but supposedly they should insist on this.
3 Go to the Centre des Impots (no queue, nice people in my town) with the paperwork. I managed to get the garage in the UK that sold me the car to sign the French forms that you use to sell a car, so I don't know if they'd insist on a certified translation if not in French - no fee;
4 Spend over 3 hours in various queues at the Prefecture with all the above paperwork to get it registered and pay a fee - I think it was around €300.
It took time, but the French officials that I dealt with were fine.
This ^^^^^^^^^^1 Get a certificat de conformite from the manufacturer (I got one from Mazda France at a cost of €131, but it is up to the company how much they charge).
2 Do the Control Technique - usual charges. I convinced my local centre to do it before I had the certificat de conformite, but supposedly they should insist on this.
3 Go to the Centre des Impots (no queue, nice people in my town) with the paperwork. I managed to get the garage in the UK that sold me the car to sign the French forms that you use to sell a car, so I don't know if they'd insist on a certified translation if not in French - no fee;
4 Spend over 3 hours in various queues at the Prefecture with all the above paperwork to get it registered and pay a fee - I think it was around €300.
It took time, but the French officials that I dealt with were fine.
Anything US spec or Jap spec is a royal ball ache. A UK spec car is usually OK. Pre-CoC cars need a declaration from the manufacturer (a partial CoC), a CT, quitus fiscal. I brought a UK reg LHD 205 GTi in like that. Bought in Denmark in 88 on tourist plates from Andorra, then Spanish regd until 1992, then UK reg until 2013, now on French plates!
Gassing Station | France | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff