With reference to a certificate of conformity to import your car into France, I have been told that if you have a new style RED V5 log book for your vehicle, you can take it for its French MOT and they can tell you if you need the certificate of conformity. My friends didn't need one, his car was in a category on the french system. The new V5 has a number on it, as long as the car has been categorised in the French system you don't need one. I have emailed my documents to France to see.
Most new cars come with one in the handbook for the vehicle, so check there first. I want to import three vehicles, a motorhome, and Audi, and a Westfield Kit car; so no doubt i will cross every bridge there is, the motorhome falls into a commercial vehicle because it is 4.25 tonne, the Audi normal car bracket and The Westfield is a classic car 16 yrs old and Westfield has refused to certify their own vehicle because it was bought as a kit in the UK. I emailed Westfield France they offered for a nice fat cheque, I am going to see if they conform on the system just from my new RED V5. Update you later....
I am actually going through this right now. I've bought a second hand Volvo with UK plates (but steering wheel on the left side) and I am in the process of getting it registered here. With a mass produced car, presumably conform to European standards, you'd think it would be rather smooth sailing. It is not it seems.
From Volvo France, I only got a partial conformity certificate and I will have to get an Attestation RTI via DRIRE (DRIEE here in the Paris region). Before I get this, I cannot take my file to the Prefecture to do my application. In order to get this document, I need to do a whole bunch of things. One is to get the Control Technique (equivalent to the MOT in the UK) done here in France. However, I took an appointment and took my car there, only to go back home with nothing more than a "sorry mate, cannot help you". The reason is that I will need a reference number from the DRIEE that I have done an application for my Attestation RTI, but when I had the DRIEE on the phone, they told me they cannot provide this reference number before I have provided them with a complete application (i.e. with the control technique papers!). I have sent a formal request for the reference number by registered mail, explaining the catch 22 situation and I am hoping that they will send me the number back.
Another funny detail is that the Tresory department who are supposed to give me a Quitus Fiscal (which is also needed in my file to get my French plates) turned my request down and asked for additional papers. The reason being that they did not accept the official "Certificat de Cession" papers provided by the Prefecture, which were filled in and signed by me and the previous owner. This document is the "proof of sale" for the Prefecture, but not good enough for the Treasory dpt. I have now asked the previous owner for a signature on a hand made "Certificat de Vente" where I have entered all the information that should be in such a document according to this administration.
I think it will be a while before I have my plates, but luckily my insurance company are cool with insuring a UK plated car for the time being.
Someone told me - or maybe I read it on the net - that if the previous owner (who lived for a while in Paris before being expatriated elsewhere) had imported his own car here the procedure would have been much less troublesome. Not sure if this is true but I will probably not find out as I unfortunately got this info after having completed the purchase.