Registration of car vs UK MOT?

Cars / Motoring / Insurance
1

Hi, this Q has probably been asked lots of times, so maybe I just need a referral or link to where on the site it's archived...


I brought my car over in July, am renting while I househunt, and UK MOT is due in November. I'm a bit clueless about this - presumably if I don't do the MOT it's not relevant here i.t.o. the French laws? And I guess I need to look at registering my car at some stage here - I had heard a year after arrival, and was hoping to find the house first. Just not sure whether, if there's a gap between the time of scheduled MOT renewal and the time of registering the car here, I'm illegal in some way? Any collective wisdom to share?


Thanks.

2

True , we have registered three UK cars , no problems at all. Just get the paperwork right...cert of conformity is the most important we were informed. The prefecture were most helpful in Montpellier .

3

I can second that, John. I don't know what all the fuss is about!

4

Registering a car here isnt as difficult as folk would have you believe having heard all the horror stories we sailed through it

5

Ah the first baptism by fonctionnaire :-D

Sort out your Certificate of conformity and CT and you are mostly there. Quidis is easy (if you remembered to keep the car purchase invoice) and then you just need a cheque book.

6

Thanks guys, for all inputs - love the pic. After hearing endless moans about French bureaucracy from different sources before and since, I guess I've just been reluctant to engage in any way, but hey ho, got to start sometime I suppose. Thanks again.

7

:-D

8

Would this be any use?

9

just to add, your insurance is usually no longer valid if your car doesn't have an MOT (check the small print of your contract) so if you have an accident... :-O

As Roger says, there's no halfway house. You need to be 100% correct with one system or the other and if you intend staying in France you need to get the car registered here. A fairly easy process which we've pretty much all gone through.

Bonne chance et bonne route ;-)

10

Great, thanks Sheila, I'm working my way through those pages now.

11

Thanks Roger, and if it's three months I better move my tail!

12

Hi Suzanne. There have indeed been many discussions on importing cars vs. buying here. This discussion might give you some information: http://www.survivefrance.com/forum/topics/keeping-a-uk-registered-vehicle-in-france

13

1.All cars must be legal in the country where they are registered.

2. If you are or intend to become a French resident ie you will live here for more than six months in each year then having imported a car from within the EU ie the UK you have 3 months in which to register it in France.

No half way, half hearted stage ie tested in France on UK plates and dodgy insurance the Gendarmerie are becoming a lot more au fait with This..