Hi. I have just joined the group so be gentle with me.
I have a question about insurance for a car in France. My wife and I are now French tax residents. We have a house in France and a house in the UK. The house in France is deemed our primary residence.
This year I’m either going to bring a car registered in the UK and import it into France or, and this is my preferred option, I’m going to buy a car in France, which will save me all the paperwork and hassle. In either case we will need car insurance.
As I said we are French residents and spending around 7 months of the year in France. The other five months of the year we are either on holiday or we are at our home in the UK.
Is there a car insurance policy that allows both my wife and I to drive the car in France on a French registered car and also allows us to use it in the UK for up to a maximum of 5 months? It is highly unlikely that it would be 5 months in one go but this is the worst case scenario. Is there breakdown cover that would also cover us for the time we spend in the UK and of course in France? If not do you have any suggestions where we could try to get insurance to cover us. We haven’t bought a car yet, but I’m trying to find out what’s possible before we do.
Hello and welcome to Survive France 
You can insure a French-registered vehicle permanently with both drivers declared as named drivers. French policies usually allow for up to 90 consecutive days abroad, including the UK. So, if you never spend more than 90 days in a row in the UK, you can be covered for even more than 5 months. However, exceeding 90 days of coverage is impossible, as it would contradict French regulations, which stipulate that a vehicle should be exported (or imported, depending on the perspective) when spending more than 90 consecutive days in a single country. Since insurers cannot violate the law, you will not be able to be insured for more than 90 days abroad. Nevertheless, you can spend 89 days in the UK, return to France for a day, and then go back for an extra 90 days, and the insurance would still be valid.
On a side note, I would advise you to consider buying a new vehicle in France, as imports are becoming increasingly expensive. Unless there is sentimental value or it’s a vintage vehicle, it’s often not worth the time and money to import it.
Thank you Fabien that is really helpful. I will need to find an insurer that confirms the 90 day rule. The Generali office I contacted suggested only “a few weeks in the UK” . I am still waiting for a reply from AXA and some others. I don’t know if it is against the rules but if anyone knows of an insurance company that offers a suitable policy then that would be useful information to me.
Fabien is an insurance broker!
Well that is even more useful information. I will obviously have to wait until I have purchased a car in a month or two. I found Fabiens web site, so what could go wrong 
@fabien
There is a lot of confusion about the number of days that a French resident can take a car to the UK, mostly by me.
As you explaned French regulations limit this to 90 days as any more would violate the regulations. However, I had contacted a few insurance companies before I received your feedback. Generali was non commital but said it was weeks not months. AXA international said they would cover me for up to 180 days per trip in the UK and Europe.
Can I ask where I can find the definitive statement referring to the 90 days, if that is possible, then I can put this to bed.
I’m just wondering how long a French Resident can drive a French Registered car in the UK… without needing to import it to UK, under UK rules… ??? is it 6 months?
Everything I have read suggests 6 months as long as it is fully legal in its own country but that is only after a google search.
I am confused by your 2 threads… are you a Resident in France… or a Resident in UK… ??
We are residents in France but also have a place in the UK. We spend more than 6 months in France but go back to the UK for several months of the year to see family and other fun stuff.
Unfortunately there is no such thing as a definitive answer, or if there is it is: it depends. As it depends on the insurance company and they can offer anything from 0 up to 90 days in any particular country.
More than 90 days in any country and you’re no longer a simple tourist. This is a rule that’s common all accross the EU and in France in particular. By the very definition of this it depends on the country you’re going but French insurers (and all EU insurers) will apply the rule of their home country of the general rule for export as well. I didn’t dig too deep but already found an official article on the “douane” (french customs) => Achat d'un véhicule à l'étranger ou dans un DOM-COM | Portail de la Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects
And sure this is in relation to your particular case, nothing will be but it is to highlight that “90 days” rule / limit.
Thanks for that Fabien. I will work my way through the link. I suppose at the end of the day all that matters is that when I come to you for insurance I will be after a policy that gives me 90 days 
But where are you fiscally resident? That’s the important part!
Cat because we are there for more than 6 months we are French resident and pay tax in France.
90 day insurance outside of France is the norm I thought? Certainly my cars with Allianz have this.
Do be careful when you get insurance and take the car into the UK, any of your family resident in the UK cannot drive your car… 
Thanks Adam1. Only my wife and I are allowed to drive our car or any car that I buy in the future. I take your point.