Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all well and keeping safe.
I am planning once the borders open in Algeria, perhaps in Summer or Autumn this year 2021, I will drive my British car back to the UK, going through France, hoping to sell it in France but my question is that my UK MOT ran out a while ago (Properly services in Algeria though), so how can I drive it through France without UK MOT?
Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.
Best wishes
Foudil
No MOT = No insurance
On the back of a trailer, motorail?
Would be an interesting route… assuming Alger…
Not sure there is much of a market for british registered cars in France now. And a 2nd hand car, RHD and without MOT may not be able to sell it for anything other than parts, ie would not get very much for it.
The cost of this journey will also be around €500, even if your car was legal, so is it really worth it? Would you get that amount more in the UK than reregistering it in Algeria and sell it there?
Hi Jane, It’s a very nice car and I wish I could register it in Algeria, you are not allowed to register old cars in Algeria unfortunately, and it would sell double in Algeria. Currently it’s worth about £7000 in the UK, my trip cost me around £800 from Algiers to Edinburgh.
Although cars are generally more expensive in France, if its a right-hand drive, then your potential market is very small.
Additionally, there may be the issue of importing the car to France.
Hi Graham, Yes from Algiers to Edinburgh. I have my dad in Paris and my cousins in London, so I have places to stay. My biggest concern is insurance, can I get french insurance? Will they accept Algerian Control Technique?
Sorry this is an awkward situation.
Foudil
You’ll be able to get French insurance if you start the process of importing the car to France and you will need a French Controle Technique at some stage during the process.
I once started importing a motorbike to France. I started the immatriculation process and obtained French insurance and CT. However, the French system refused to recognise my Certificate of Conformity. As a result, I decided to return the bike to the UK. I rode it to the channel tunnel and had pre-booked an MOT in the nearest garage to the tunnel exit. The bike passed and I set up UK insurance (it was already UK taxed) and went on my way with no problems. I then cancelled my French import but had to jump through some hoops to cancel the French insurance.
what is it? Bentley. Lamborghini, Roller? Just curious…
Hi Brian,
What a journey, do you still have the bike in France? I assume you are residing there? in that case do you have to change anything because of this brexit? I wish the weather is as nice to keep my Yamaha R6, I sadly sold it due to weather being shite in Scotland. This Brexit makes things worse for British people living abroad.
Its Mercedes ml280
I think that’s gone John. It has from Nice anyway.
Using your UK destination as your address, you could get insurance from a UK company over the phone. I was offered 365 day overseas use on my camper van by Adrian Flux Ins. But any period that gets you from ‘abroad’ to UK will do.
Once insured for ex-UK travel, book an MoT in UK for the day of your arrival. This does not have to be at your port of arrival. I checked with DVLA and was told that as long as it was a confirmed booking it could be anywhere. On that basis I drove from Valencia - Calais - Dover to Minehead, in Somerset, for the test because if there had been any issues, I would be only 5 miles from home rather than +/- 200.
If you want an MoT as soon as you get off the ferry, there is an excellent MoT garage in Dover, <10mins from the docks. I have had two vehicle tested there. They bent over backwards to get the necc repair done in time to leave the same day.
Wherever your MoT is booked get them to send confirmation on an email with their company details on it, so you can print this out. You have to be clear to make them understand why this is important. This should pacify any passing Plod who wants to see your papers.
Bon voyage!
Hi Foudil,
Yes, I do live in France.
Sadly I had to sell the bike in the UK as it was not possible to register it here at the time. The problem was that the CofC details had been entered incorrectly on the ANTS computer here in France. I understand that error has now been corrected so anyone else with a Triumph 1050 Sprint should not now have the same problem!
The important thing was that starting the immatriculation process enabled me to insure and drive the bike legally in France…
Good luck with your car sale.
@captainendeavour that still doesn’t resolve the issue of driving across France with a UK Regn car with no MOT…
No MOT = No Insurance - even if you’ve paid the premium 
That’d be a nice road trip, I’d do that. Take two of three weeks. Maybe even on up through Portugal. Very pleasant.That route would be about 4k klicks from Algiers to my house.
I have done this after discussion with the broker. The confirmed intention to have an MoT on the day of arrival in UK was acceptable to them.
It woud be a very nice jolly. However, in a situation like this I reckon it’s better to leave the jollies to times when there is no possible doubt as to the validity of all ‘docamenti’.
They may be. I have done this before. But peace of mind that cannot be gainsaid comes with having the new MoT cert in your hand.
but still an illegal drive in France 
