We are permanent residents in France for the last 2 years. When we moved here from the UK, we imported our UK car to France. Now we are planning to go back to the UK for around 5 weeks, using the same car.
So it’s a UK car, imported into France with French plates, that we’re not taking back to the UK.
My question is, do we need to do anything to make sure it’s legal? It’s not due it’s first Control Technique until next year 2021 - however in the UK it would be due an MOT I guess, as it’s less time there.
It has modern french plates (with the EU symbol), so do I need a sticker on the back? Or anything else I’ve not thought of?
Thanks!
Russ
The only time I took my still UK reg car back to UK, the reg was flagged at Dartford tunnel & the bike plod that stopped me was only interested in the French insurance being valid, ie being on the list of “approved” insurers.
My paperwork was in order, & I explained my situation.
He said his only concern was insurance.
Why would it be illegal? A car with French plates, French registration documents, French insurance, owned and driven by a person who permanently lives in France and comes as a tourist for 5 weeks. Normal.
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Never had a problem, or even any questions, driving our French reg RHD care in the UK.
The car is now a French car Russell. There’s no link in the DVLA database to its new French registration. I’d also reckon the “F” on the side of your French plate will suffice too.
Just to back up what others have said; no problem! The last time I drove a rhd french plated car taken back to the UK was 14 years ago - no problem at all as everything was in order here (insurance contrôle technique etc.) Had LHD cars since aand obviously the same again, go to the UK once a year or once every two years in a French LHD car as a tourist for a week no problems 
I also see no problems with the legality of it, but you may have some explaining to do if you are stopped by an ignorant (I use the term in its true meaning) police person.
I was once stopped in the middle of the night in Cornwall for speeding. It gradually dawned on the police couple that I had been doing nowhere near the 85 mph alleged and I saw the slow dawning on his face that a sports car had overtaken me under ‘their’ bridge.
Equally slow to dawn was the ridiculous statement that ‘you do not have a licence, you need a British licence to drive in Britain’. Unable to contact Swansea at that time of night they eventually let me go half an hour later.
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