Hi all,
Hope someone may be able to help, i’m trying to understand how realistic it would be to import a car into France which is currently registered in Monaco. The car has been modified quite extensively and as i understand it, it’s quite hard to register a modified car into France?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Hi Tom,
I would think it depends on the modifications whether you can go the normal CT route or the DREAL route. CT would be easier than the DREAL route other than those routes, it would be impossible as the french system doesnt cater for oddballs like other european systems do. Why not leave it on Monaco plates.
Not forgetting either the problem of getting insurance.
Any extensive modifications could make it practically uninsurable and even if you did find someone willing to take on the risk, you would be paying a very high premium for the pleasure!!
If any foreign vehicle stays in France over a certain length of time… it is supposed to be put onto French plates. If it is practicable to use it for a few months a year and leave it in Monaco for the majority of the time ( always adhering to the law, of course)… that might be an easy answer. (it stays on Monaco plates)
Can a resident of France legally keep a Monaco registered car in France? Also do you know if i may be able to find a criteria of items which would not allow me to get a CT for the car?
It would need to stay permanently in France unfortunately.
The insurance premium isn’t necessarily the biggest issue as this will be a second car and subsequently not used much.
Probably won’t make a lot of difference
Stella explained already. As too the CT, well this is to check the roadworthyness ie brakes, suspension lights plus seatbelt fixings, a visual check on the underside and the all inclusive emissions test. You dont say what has been modified or even what model and make or how old the vehicle is.
Sorry. Basically the engine has been upgraded as has the suspension and brakes, and visually the majority of the body panels have been changed from the original.
The car is a Porsche 911 from approx. 1990
hee,hee 
Tom it sounds like a 911 has been made to look like a 935 or derivative with whale tail and all. Nice. I think the easiest is to take it to a CT station and let them test it without saying too much. See what comes out of it. A 911 insurance is going to be in the top bracket anyhow so whats the bother. Drive it to the ct and see what happens. Unfortunately you dont have the 4 options. you only have 50:50 Pass or fail.
That can be done if V5 section k is complete and starting “e”, still need a CoC though which might be more problematic, hence the DREAL route.
Thank you for that information Roger, it more looks just like an early 911 rather than a race inspired example but i suspect your point still stands that it is a gamble, and i suspect from what you’re saying, it’ll be a gamble i have to take every 2 years too? Is there are a database of CT stations i can contact to get the ball rolling with this?
The car doesn’t have a V5 currently as it is registered in Monaco
What is the equivalent to V5 in Monaco and how much indepth info on the car does it contain?
If it had already been registered in France and then you had modded it, you would have had to get it inspected by DREAL to get the cg updated.
If when you take it in for a CT the engine capacity etc of the car doesn’t match what it says on the cg, they won’t even start testing it.
When kids in France mod their cars (growly exhausts, lowered suspension, non standard wheels etc) but they don’t want the hassle of going through DREAL, they keep the OEM parts and put them back on when it has to go in for a CT, then they swap back once it’s passed. I somehow don’t see you wanting to swap all your mods out every couple of years if it still has the cg of a standard model. So it looks like DREAL.
If your current registration certificate has been updated to reflect the mods then maybe you can bypass the dreal test, I don’t know, but I rather doubt it.
another angle… I believe it can be a nightmare re Insurance, if the modifications have not been clearly stated when taking out Insurance… should a claim ever need to be made.
Whichever way this is handled… complete frankness is necessary, even if it ends in a refusal… and that goes for Registration and Insurance…
Well either you declare the mods or you don’t. Your insurers look at the cg and insure the car as registered. You can’t tell the insurers about the mods but not get your cg updated, or vice versa.
Hi Tom,
As Roger says, “backdating” a 911 is very common and as long as the mods are valid may easily be overlooked/ignored so it may well depend on the exact modifications. (Apologies if you already know all this!)
We are planning to immatriculate a '78 SC shortly so would be very interested in how you get on… Bon courage!