New car registration law - does it exist?

[Holly]

I read an article in the French News (which I've since lost) quoting that there is a new European law stating that it is no longer necessary to have to register your car in the country of residence as long as the car is from Europe. You have to have the Controle Technique but you no longer need to register in France.

I have an English car and now my insurance company (after 3 years) has said that I have to get it registered in France as soon as possible and that if I have an accident before it's gone through I will not be fully covered, even though I'm paying in full for the insurance.

I have tried to point out that they are flouting (learnt a new word in French there ) European Law and she said if I can find the law then she will take it back to head office and see what they say.

So, does anyone know about this law, if so, does anyone know where I can get proof that it exists so that I can send this to my insurance company?

Many thanks in advance.

[Bevdeforges]

That's a new one on me! But be careful - "European laws" don't exist. What happens is that the EU establishes a "directive" and then the individual member states have to pass the directive as a law in their country. So it can be several years between the issuance of a European directive and when it gets turned into law in any one country.

There is also a question about whether or not British car insurance is "adequate" for a car registered in France. And last I knew, you're supposed to register your car once you become "resident" in France. (Easier to determine for a non-EU national like myself, due to the issuance of a carte du séjour.)

They have been trying for years to open up the insurance markets to cross-border competition (so you could continue with your UK insurer, even if you live in France), but I haven't heard anything that indicates this is the case.

I'm sure if anyone has heard about this change in the law, they'll jump in here to tell us about it.
Cheers,
Bev

[Holly]

Thanks Bev.

I know of other insurance companies that don't insist on registering your car in France, just as long as the Controle Technique is done and the lights changed over to French lights (which I've done). So I told my company that I would leave them and go to another company, which is when I found out that I'm tied to them until November 1st: if I want to cancel my insurance with them I have to give 2 months' notice by registered post (that's 2 months before November 1st, but it can't arrive any earlier than mid October and obviously no later than Nov 1st ).

So it looks like I'm tied to them.

I've registered 4 cars in France so it isn't that much of a big deal apart from the car I have at the moment doesn't officially exist here (I rolled up outside the insurance office to be told my car doesn't exist - after directing their attention to the blue Fiesta parked in front of their office window they still insisted it didn't exist.....sigh) so it will cost about €170 for the list of specifications from Ford in Paris, on top of the usual carte grise costs.

Ho hum, I suppose I just need to bite the bullet and get the ball rolling.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Holly

Thanks Bev.

I know of other insurance companies that don't insist on registering your car in France, just as long as the Controle Technique is done and the lights changed over to French lights (which I've done). So I told my company that I would leave them and go to another company, which is when I found out that I'm tied to them until November 1st: if I want to cancel my insurance with them I have to give 2 months' notice by registered post (that's 2 months before November 1st, but it can't arrive any earlier than mid October and obviously no later than Nov 1st ).

So it looks like I'm tied to them.

I've registered 4 cars in France so it isn't that much of a big deal apart from the car I have at the moment doesn't officially exist here (I rolled up outside the insurance office to be told my car doesn't exist - after directing their attention to the blue Fiesta parked in front of their office window they still insisted it didn't exist.....sigh) so it will cost about €170 for the list of specifications from Ford in Paris, on top of the usual carte grise costs.

Ho hum, I suppose I just need to bite the bullet and get the ball rolling.

Technically a UK plated car is not legal in another country if you are a resident there, as it has to be legal in the country of registration. I.e it has to have a current MOT and road tax. In Spain (and it will be similar) an ITV (MOT) is not worth the paper its written on for a UK plated car, and there have been instances of drivers being in accidents and then finding that although the ins company was quick to take their money, they were actually not insured on a technicality.

Its a lot easier just to register the car in the country of residence

[Holly]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

Technically a UK plated car is not legal in another country if you are a resident there, as it has to be legal in the country of registration. I.e it has to have a current MOT and road tax. In Spain (and it will be similar) an ITV (MOT) is not worth the paper its written on for a UK plated car, and there have been instances of drivers being in accidents and then finding that although the ins company was quick to take their money, they were actually not insured on a technicality.

Its a lot easier just to register the car in the country of residence

I know what you're saying, especially about Spain!

I have the full MOT equivalent in France and it is worth the paper it's written on luckily.

The new "law" I read about in the French News (I think that's what it's called) said that the new law meant you no longer needed to register your car in the country of residence, although you still needed to get the CT (MOT equiv) and road tax (not relevant in France). I can't find the article though and there's no point fighting the bureaucracy down here, just have to get on and do it.

Thanks for the quick and useful responses!

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Holly

I know what you're saying, especially about Spain!

I have the full MOT equivalent in France and it is worth the paper it's written on luckily.

The new "law" I read about in the French News (I think that's what it's called) said that the new law meant you no longer needed to register your car in the country of residence, although you still needed to get the CT (MOT equiv) and road tax (not relevant in France). I can't find the article though and there's no point fighting the bureaucracy down here, just have to get on and do it.

Thanks for the quick and useful responses!

Well when you think about it logically its unlikely to come into force I guess. If, just as an example, you were involved in a road traffic accident and drove off (I know you wouldn't!) then if someone took your reg number, how would they trace you.

Do you pay French road Tax? You never would if you kept it on UK plates

Its likely to become more strict I think.

I'm not scaremongering about the foreign road test on a UK reg car, honest! Its actually happened ... when people have come to claim, the insurance companies have turned around and said that the car is not legal as it is not legal in its own country of registration ... therefore claim rejected. Thet are happy to take your money but they'll find any way to wriggle out of it when the chips are down!

The EU law states that a UK registration car must be street legal in its own country of registration to be legal in the country you are driving it in.

[Bevdeforges]

The closest thing I'm aware of to what you're saying is that you are no longer required to change your drivers' license over to another EU country. (In a couple countries, you need to register your foreign license to continue driving on it as a resident, but that's it.) But if you're taking your car in for the controle technique in France, you might as well get yourself a carte grise.

As I recall, getting a carte grise is basically like a slightly more intense controle technique (at a departement des mines site rather than at one of the commercial sites), plus you have to prove that you paid the VAT when you originally bought the car.
Cheers,
Bev

[Holly]

Yes, the European UK licence has been valid for a couple of years now, but I think they prefer you to have a French licence if you have French plates and will let you off with the Euro one of you have English plates.

Unfortunately getting the carte grise incurs some expense and as I'm "between jobs" it's an expense I can't afford.

To get the car registered in France you need to go to the Tax Office and get a form saying that you aren't liable for the VAT as it is over 3 years old - you need to show them the receipt (the last one I did was on the back of a cigarette packet that we did in the office as it was my boyfriend who'd given me the car, but they accepted that!)

Then you need to get the controle technique (MOT)
Insurance details (from a French insurance company, which you can't get without the CT)
Proof from the car manufacturers that your car conforms to French specifications (that will cost me about €170 from Ford in Paris, but I'm concerned that as this model doesn't exist in France they may not have the specs.).
Log book (the English Carte Grise)
Proof of residence in France - Carte de Sejour & utility bill
(You don't pay road tax in France - it was abolished about 10 years ago I think, so that's one less bit of paper needed)

You then go to D.R.I.R.E. with these 7 bits of paper and they have an 8th which is a check list saying you have these 7 bits of paper. You pay around €70 for that if I remember correctly.

You then go to the Prefecture with your 8 bits of paper and hopefully (after handing over €90) you get your log book taken from you and replaced by the carte grise. You finally go to a Mister Minit or equivalent to get your new plates made up.

All a little tedious as it can't all be done easily. Sometimes DRIRE do it on the spot, other times they tell you to come back in a week (I live an hour from my office as I'm up in the mountains).

But, as I said, it looks like I have no other option. Thanks for all the info!