We've gone this route before. I expect our resident expert on the subject of importing cars, rynd2it, will stop by shortly to advise you on some of the details.

Yes, you can drive for a limited period of time in France on US plates. I've seen it, too, and actually know of at least one case where the people drove on their US plates long after the limited period was up. (Not advised, by the way. You can get away with it, but if you get caught, things can get very nasty.)

Your Mercedes may or may not be compliant with the equipment laws here in France, so you should expect to have to replace at least a few components on arrival to pass the initial inspection. The "usual suspects" are things like windshield, headlights, seatbelts - though it really does vary by model and manufacturer.

You'll need to talk to a French insurance agent about the car insurance. The registration process only takes a couple of days, so it may be far more worthwhile to just see that process through and then insure it as a normal, French registered vehicle.

Anyhow, rynd2it will be by shortly with more.
Cheers,
Bev

 

Hi,

I brought a 6 months old E320 Sport from the UK when I moved here in 2009. I was able to drive it while getting it set up as a French car for about 6 months. My car was from within the EU so I did not need Import Customs documentation - so I cannot help on that. My car in RHD (wheel was on the wrong side )which meant I had to get the lights changed and checked and a certificate given by a French Mercedes main dealer cost 125 euros. Although the process took a bit of time and a great deal of money it was not too much hastle and boy does your French improve.

1 Set up a file for the car to contain - original sales invoice and all the previous registration documents and written proof of any no claims bonus you have with your current insurer.

2 Contact French insurance companies for a quote, mine is fully comp with all sorts of cover including breakdown and travel in lots of countries, cost 680 euros a year.

3 Write to Mercedes France ( send by signed for service) and ask for a EU Certificate of Conformity form - takes bout 2 weeks. They will send you the form to complete and of course send a cheque 140 euros.

4 If the car is old or a non-standard version they may ask you to take the car to an agreed garage so that it meets French road standards - in spite of all the wrecks around it appears they do have some! If tou have a problem with getting this you can take the car to the DREAL who will make a visual inspection and write out an attestation that your car is allowed for a French road.

5 When you have the Certificate of Conformity if the car is over 4 years old you will need to go to a garage that provides a Controle Technique certificate, approx 65 euros. Take the Certificate of Conformity with you and ask the garage to put this info on the Controle Technique certificate.

6 When you have the Certificate of Conformity you need a Fiscal Certificate to prove that all the sales taxes have been paid in the US. Take all car documents (including your passport, sales invoice and any utility bills you have for your French property to your nearest Hotel d'impot - they will issue with a quittus which proves all taxes have been paid.

7 When you have all the above you can request the Carte Grise (French car registration papers). This is the most difficult part and asks for some patience...

Best to visit your local Prefecture so they can help if you need it. Take all the documents, EDF bills etc to prove you are living in France - not older than 3 months. You fill in a Demande d'Immatriculation. You then pay the fee - take a deep breath and smile - mine was 1, 770 euros. They issue the Carte Grise there and then and you can go to a garage and buy French plate 11 euros.

Hope this helps - in my case it was well worth it as my car would have cost 30,000 euros more in France. Cannot comment on cars with non French plates being driven as my advise is stick to the rules and you do not have any problems. Relocating in a new country and a different language is stressful enough.

Bon chance.

 

rynd2it's thread on his car import is here:
<add base url for the forum here> + 41885-bringing-your-car-france.html
(forum won't let me post a direct link)

But be warned, it is 10 pages long.

I'm just getting started on doing this, but bringing a car within the E.U. Crazy that to import a European-made car from another European country you need the EU Certificate of Conformity... but you still do.

 

OK, OK, I'll post the link here for the famous thread on bringing your car to France:
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/fr...ats/france-expat-forum-expats-living-france/41885-bringing-your-car-france.html

Significantly enough, it was a Mercedes and a Lexus he was considering bringing over. He dropped the idea of bringing the Mercedes early on. (Check the thread for his reasons.)

Ultimately, he decided not to bring over the Lexus, though he did considerable research and follow-up on what needed to be done.

It may be 10 pages long, but is probably well worth reading through.
Cheers,
Bev

 

Thanks for all the credits guys, appreciated.

If you have read the thread you will find that I discovered the US market Mercedes did NOT comply and getting the COC would be a hassle. Mercedes France were not much help - I got more sense out of Toyota France. I dropped the MBZ idea for several reasons, mainly it wasn't economic to convert and ship and it would cost a small fortune to run it (CLK500 = 14mpg).

The Lexus was finally dropped due to the number of unknowns in getting a COC, I just wasn't prepared for the financial risk even though I loved the car.

I don't know what model MBZ you have in the states but if it is a model available in Europe then I'll bet you can buy one in France and not lose money selling yours after factoring shipping and compliance costs.

So, read the thread, check all the items on your car and if something is suspect (especially headights, seat belts and air bags) ask your local dealer what that item would cost to replace in the states. Then check the Kelly blue book price for retail on your car and then search the web site Voiture occasion - Annonce auto, achat et vente voiture occasion - La Centrale.fr for French versions. Its a simple calculation from then on to see if its worth importing, my bet is it won't be.

Finally factor in running costs, gasoline is about E1.60 per liter. You might want to look at the diesel versions here, they are almost as quick and MUCH more economical. I just drove to England in a Peugeot 2.0 liter diesel and have covered 625 kilometers and my tank is still almost half full!

If you need any other clarifications either post them here or send me a pm, I'll try and help if I can

Bon chance

 

Thank you everyone for your responses. I received some great information from everyone. This is truly a great forum.

Sophia