The process you would need to follow is the “réception individuelle ou à titre isolé”. or RTI. I suspect it is too specialised for the average hand holder but it is possible. Basically it involves a physical inspection of the vehicle and a report specifying what needs to be changed. Then once the changes have been done the vehicle is inspected again and all being well can then be registered. To start the process you simply need to send an RTI request to DREAL but depending on what is required, it can be a lengthy process unfortunately.
La RTI est spécifique à la France. Cette réception vous permet, une fois la procédure achevée, d’obtenir un procès verbal (PV) de réception à titre isolé. Ce sésame est nécessaire pour déposer une demande d’immatriculation à votre préfecture départementale. Toutes les données figurant sur ce PV sont reportées sur la carte grise.
La DREAL (ancien service des mines) vous demande de fournir les documents relatifs à cette demande de réception. Dans ce cadre, vous devez fournir les éléments suivants :
une attestation de non-conformité du véhicule. Ce papier est délivré par le représentant accrédité de la marque en France ;
le certificat d’immatriculation étranger de votre voiture ;
la facture d’achat du véhicule ;
le certificat de dédouanement n° 846A ;
les tests UTAC liés à votre RTI ;
la notice descriptive du véhicule qui précise toutes les caractéristiques du véhicule (motorisation, masse, dimensions, etc.).
Une fois le dossier complet, l’agent de la DREAL vous donne un rendez-vous pour inspecter le véhicule. Il regarde les éléments éventuels à modifier (éclairage, signalisation, ceintures, etc.), et vous informe des modifications à mettre en œuvre avant le passage à l’UTAC. Le prix de ce passage aux mines est indiqué dans nos tarifs."
Those who have been through this process seem to invariably report that the DREAL inspectors are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and do everything they can to help you find a way.
If DREAL have not inspected the vehicle yet surely it is more a case of, they cannot accept it because it has no certificate of conformity, rather than that they have actually turned it down for a specific technical reason.
which is why I’m asking the “reason”. … for DREAL refusing to approve the vehicle.
(not having a CofConformity (or only have a partial-CoC) is one reason why DREAL do fully inspect a car… in order to confirm that the vehicle is roadworthy etc etc )
EDIT: From personal experience I know that DREAL do indeed explain why they are “refusing” a vehicle… and the Owner needs to correct whatever it was that DREAL did not approve.
hi i tried to email u back with the COD etc and stream of stuff from DREAL, but your email just bounced it back. Some of it, unless I just copy and paste chunks contains personal info, which is why I tried to email you. What do you suggest?
here’s DREAL stuff, I have the COC from Nissan and sketches i can try and upload from Brotherwood, but they have told me a year too late to get the correct stuff for France;
"La transformation n’a pas été validée par les autorités anglaises. Il faudra donc effectuer une réception à titre isolé par valider l’aménagement.
Le courriel du transformateur ne donne aucune réelle information sur les transformations effectuées.
Si le véhicule a été décaissé il faut fournir un dossier technique permettant de vérifier que le véhicule reste conforme aux prescriptions du code de la route.
Ce dossier permet de vérifier la conformité notamment sur les points impactés par la transformation suivants : niveau sonore, émissions de gaz polluant, réservoir à carburant, fixations du fauteuil roulant et de son occupant, et masses et dimensions.
Le transformateur semble indiquer qu’il ne dispose d’aucun justificatif. La raison étant que la production du véhicule a été stoppée avant qu’il ait finalisé les essais … !
Nous vous déconseillons donc d’importer ce véhicule car en l’absence de justificatifs la réception ne sera pas possible.
J’ai parlé à votre service au début septembre par rapport la voiture de Mme et la possibilité de la faire réceptionner si elle l’importe en France.
Vous trouverez ci-joint les documents suivants :
Certificat de conformité pour le modèle de base.
Brochure de l’entreprise qui a fait la conversion avec les dimensions du véhicule après conversion.
Email du responsable confirmant que la conversion a rajouté 65 kg au poids total du véhicule.
Certificat d’immatriculation britannique
Pour information, Mme entre dans le véhicule en fauteuil roulant et puis elle transfère au siège conducteur donc la seule adaptation est pour pouvoir monter en fauteuil roulant.
Elle saurait très gré si vous pouviez jeter un œil sur les documents pour lui dire s’il vous semble que le véhicule pourrait être immatriculer en France ou non, bien sûr en changeant les feux et éventuellement les rétroviseurs."
I’m the same, just taken my beloved Volvo back to the UK to sell now it’s been re registered with it’s original UK number. My next car (awaiting delivery) will be a left hand drive car, hoping not to meet too many ditches
That looks like a letter that your agent has sent to DREAL explaining (amongst other things) that you don’t have the required documentation. Have DREAL replied?
Reading the extract that you copied and pasted (which I assume was a reply from DREAL to your “helper”) - it sounds to me as if DREAL are not “turning it down” but saying that the information supplied by the firm that converted the vehicle (Brotherwood?) is not sufficient for DREAL to say it would be accepted.
That’s not quite the same thing as an outright rejection.
I am not a car import expert but it sounds to me as if the modifications that have been done to it are fairly minor (just allowing you to get into the vehicle more easily and then move into the driving seat) and therefore they might well pass it as OK if an inspection in France were done. Plus changing the headlamps and perhaps mirrors to French spec.
it’s not too surprising that they won’t give you the go-ahead sight-unseen with a one-off conversion that Brotherwood have not got type-approved in the EU.
So I suspect your choices are either sell the vehicle in the UK and see if you can buy something similar in France, or else bring it to France and arrange for DREAL to inspect it and tell you what aspects of it are not compliant. It may only be a matter of changing the headlights!
Just to be clear, would it be correct to deduce that the first part of the text, from “La transformation” to “l’importe en France” is the reply sent by DREAL, in response to a communication sent by the hand holder which is second part, “J’ai parlé” to “les rétroviseurs”?
So it appears that no request for the RTI has been made, since they advise that that this is what you need to do:
However they also add:
i.e. it has not been turned down yet because no application has yet been made, but unless you can provide a proper tech spec for the conversion it is likely that it will be turned down.
Can you not contact Brotherwood and ask them if they can provide the necessary technical documentation? I think the key to this is going to depend on Brotherwood being cooperative and agreeing to provide detailed information on the conversion process.
thanks, Brotherwood sent some sketches of what they did but say the car was a year too old 2008 to provide the correct EU conformity. I really like the car and not in a position to replace yet, French adapted WAVs very expensive, and my Nissan X-Trail a very good car
For heaven’s sake, DREAL are not going to even consider it on ‘a few sketches’ THEY NEED TO SEE THE CAR.
You should employ someone with experience in this. Just because you do not have a CoC EU does not mean the car cannot be brought into France. The whole idea of DREAL is a means to be able to bring a car in! They look at the car and issue a cert of non-conformity. With this you toddle off and make the non conforming bits to conform and then voila, you have a CoC France (maybe not EU) and then toddle off to customs and ANTS. Job done.
thanks I’ve copied in the answer from DREAL, I’m going over in 2 months with my car, insured in the UK for now, do you think it’s worth actually going to them and getting an idea from them as to what I will need. Adapted cars, I just need a ramp, medium people carrier size, and automatic, are all very expensive in France, whereas mine is really good with a low mileage, a rare Nissan x-trail conversion. I have tried to get more info from Brotherwood, and resent an email today, with the translation of what Dreal want
Ah, so you are saying that the base vehicle does not have a CoC?
That is surprising because surely XTrails were marketed in France. Have you asked Nissan?
I do not think you can just turn up at DREAL and ask somebody to inspect a vehicle and give you a rough idea. This is France. You will discover that nobody can do anything until there is a dossier. You need to make a formal application so that you are put into the system, and the process will then take its course. This outlines how to apply but you need to find the correct DREAL website for your region. https://www.bourgogne-franche-comte.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/comment-demander-une-reception-ou-homologation-a7570.html?lang=fr
Well no, what you have is a Reception de titre isolée. It is not a certificate of conformity as such. But it does mean that you can get a carte grise.
I hope that when you visit in two months you will be coming as a visitor not coming to stay. If so you will be able to bring you car and use it for as long as your Schengen days allow. Get the person who is helping you to arrange a rendezvous for you and the car so you can find out exactly what needs to be done to make it possible to register it in France. At the end of the day, when you come as a resident, if the car cannot be registered nice, low mileage, automatic or not it will be pointless bringing it. If there are hoops that you need to jump through that will be your way forward.
ive a nice lady from Generali.fr trying to get me an appointment with DREAL, and I’ve forwarded all the docs I have for the car COC and what Brotherwood have finally forwarded me from the conversion, basically a ramp, and await to see if I can see them whilst in France. It’s only done 45K miles, is petrol and has the ramp and is automatic and has been such a good car. The med sized WAVs I’ve seen for sale online in France ar diesil, manual, and very high mileage.
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