Registering a vehicle in France from the European Union

Agreements between European Union countries greatly facilitate procedures and reduce costs, thanks in particular to no customs duties or VAT.

a) If the vehicle is less than 30 years old

Once you have purchased your vehicle, you will need to register it:

• Obtain a COC (European Certificate of Conformity) from the vehicle manufacturer. This document can be obtained either directly from the manufacturer, often via a dedicated service, or from generalist websites that can supply them. On average, this document will cost you between €150 and €300.
  The COC is not required in France if boxes "K" and "D.2" on the foreign vehicle registration document are completed!
• Request a tax receipt from the SIE (Service d'Impôt Entreprises) in your place of residence. free approach and dematerialized.
• Carry out a technical inspection if the vehicle does not have one. Today, most European roadworthiness tests less than 6 months old are accepted by the French administration
• The purchase invoice if you bought the vehicle from a professional, or the sales contract if you bought the vehicle from a private individual.

All you need to do is :

• Make the request yourself via the ANTS website, under "Make another request".
• Make the process quick and easy with our Online registration service

Important notes:

• The vehicle must have been sold for the 1st time in an EU country and be of European origin. A vehicle of non-EU origin that has been registered in an EU country may be refused registration in France if it does not meet French approval criteria (see the following case study: Registering a non-EU vehicle in France).
• If the vehicle is less than 6 months old or has less than 6,000 km: if the vehicle meets one of these two conditions, you will be required to pay VAT, which in France is 20% of the purchase price.

b) If the vehicle is over 30 years old

If the vehicle is over 30 years old, you can either use the previous procedure (if you manage to obtain a COC), or consider registering it as a classic vehicle.

You will need :

• Obtain a certificate from the FFVE (https://www.ffve.org/attestation-ffve-pour-l-ex-carte-grise-de-collection). The formality will cost you around €60.
• Request a tax receipt from the SIE (Service d'Impôt Entreprises) in your place of residence. free approach and dematerialized.
• Carry out a technical inspection if the vehicle does not have one. Today, most European roadworthiness tests less than 6 months old are accepted by the French administration
• Previous registration certificate or, failing that, proof of vehicle ownership

Then simply choose one of the following :

• Make the request yourself via the ANTS website, under "Make another request".
• Make the process quick and easy with our Online registration service

Important note:

Registration as a classic vehicle is only possible for vehicles in their original configuration: heavily modified vehicles (especially engines) may be refused, except in exceptional cases (notably very old and rare vehicles whose original parts are impossible to find).

Registering a non-EU vehicle in France

If the vehicle is over 30 years old, refer to the "classic vehicle" registration above, which is by far the simplest solution.

If the vehicle is less than 30 years old, is not of European origin and was first registered in a non-EU countryIf you're in the market for a new product, you'll need to go through the homologation process, also known as "Réception à Titre Isolé" or RTI, issued by the DREAL.

Several cases are possible, depending on whether or not the vehicle has been marketed in Europe in a similar configuration. In all cases, the first step is to ask the manufacturer for a certificate of "non-conformity" or "partial conformity".

You'll then need to carry out the necessary modifications to bring the vehicle into line with European standards: these often involve modifying the headlamps, the anti-pollution system or the noise level. The complexity of these modifications varies from one vehicle to another, and it's always best to seek advice from specialized professionals before taking the plunge.

Finally, the DREAL officer will inspect the vehicle and there are three possible outcomes:

a) Your vehicle is compliant

If the modifications are sufficient and compliant, the DREAL will issue your RTI and you can apply for registration as explained above for vehicles from the EU.

b) Your vehicle does not conform

Either the agent will give you a new appointment if the problem can be corrected, or the agent considers that tests are necessary to validate compliance (see next point), or he will not follow up and you will not be able to register the vehicle.

c) Your vehicle must pass tests

If the agent deems that tests are necessary to validate compliance, you'll need to go to UTAC for a battery of tests. In this case, you should expect to pay around €2,000 per test. At the end, either UTAC determines that your vehicle is compliant, or it will give you a new appointment if the problem can be corrected, or it will not proceed and you will not be able to register the vehicle. If it's compliant, congratulations, you'll get your RTI!

Important notes:

Benzin can offer you a service to put you in touch with a trusted partner capable of registering a vehicle from outside the European Union. Please contact us for further information.

Further information

Calculate the cost of your vehicle registration

The government has set up a cost simulator available here : Click ici

Transiting a vehicle purchased abroad

The question of transit often arises when buying a car or motorcycle abroad.

The simplest solution will almost always be to hire a haulage firm or tow the vehicle yourself. This avoids registration and insurance problems. If, however, you wish to repatriate the vehicle by road, here are a few tips.

1) Registration

To drive on the road, a vehicle must be registered. This may seem obvious, but it's less so when vehicles are sold without plates. This is the case in most European countries outside France, including Belgium, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

The solution is temporary registration: either by purchasing export plates in the country of purchase, or by applying for temporary French plates (known as "WW" plates).

a) Registration with temporary "WW" plates (or CPI - Certificat d'Immatriculation Provisoire)

It's the easiest way, and will also allow you to drive in France for up to 4 months. Today, almost all European countries allow you to use these plates on their territory.

After your purchase on Benzin, contact us to get your temporary plates!

b) Export plate registration

Most countries offer the possibility of purchasing export plates, enabling you to drive around the country within a limited timeframe. The other advantage is that many automotive professionals offer to supply them, which can make your job much easier. The disadvantage is that these plates are often valid for shorter periods and cost more than French WW plates.

2) Insurance

The second step is to obtain insurance. There are several ways of doing this:

a) Have your vehicle insured by your insurer

This is the simplest case, provided you already have an insurer who agrees to insure a vehicle that is not permanently registered.

b) Take out temporary insurance

This is the quickest and most flexible solution. There are several companies offering insurance for different periods. They generally pay little attention to the vehicle purchased.

c) Buy temporary plates with insurance included

Some provisional export plates include insurance, so you don't have to buy it separately. It certainly saves time.

Conclusion

Benzin makes buying a car abroad much easier, firstly by offering highly detailed advertisements, and secondly by facilitating communication with the seller, which saves you unnecessary travel. Payment is secured by an escrow account (for eligible vehicles), so there's no need to worry about sending payment abroad. Last but not least, the transport service means you don't have to deal with repatriation, or take any additional steps for provisional registration.

Resources :

ANTS website (vehicle registration): ANTS

FFVE website (Collection registration) : FFVE

Achat de COC : Eurococ

Provisional insurance : JLassure

Benzin online car registration service: Go to

This article is intended solely to present the most common approaches encountered in the most general cases, may contain errors and may not be up to date with the latest regulations at the time of reading. It can in no way guarantee the success of a personal procedure. Vehicle registration is always your responsibility.