Hi there,
I came to France and in doing so I lost my V5C (logbook) in the move and the DVLC wont issue another due to the fact they don’t send V5 C documents out of the UK.
I want to start the process of converting the UK car over to a french registered right hand drive car
The UK are prepared to issue a export certificate
The French don’t accept an export certificate as a form of ownership for me to even proceed with getting the car registered in France
For example I cant even get a french Control technique centre to check the car over without a logbook whether french or english logbook.
I had to get a certificate of permanent export as I realised that there was a problem with my V5. The DVLA sent it to a French address and it is accepted in lieu of a V5 for registration. It shows all the same information.
Dominic Best sax
Thank you for your reply but my brother who’s been a resident in France for quite sometime wants my British car off me, but the centres for the control technique (He’s asked at two different centres) and all apparently won’t accept it for testing unless there is the equivalent of a logbook(V5C).
My brother mentioned that an export certificate was being applied for but was told its not a valid document in replacement for the V5C.
I believe he is wrong. I discovered the VIN on my V5 was wrong, it had a 5 not an S in one position so I got the DVLA to send me a Certificate of permanent export. It had the EU conformity number, as did the CoC and was accepted in lieu of the V5 for the initial CT and registration. Once your certificate arrives take it to the CT station I’m sure that he will accept it once he sees what it actually is. It is the equivalent of a logbook.
In theory an export certificate should be accepted as it seems to meet the requrements laid out by the french government “Si la carte grise a été conservée par les autorités administratives du pays étranger, document officiel l’indiquant ou certificat international pour automobiles en cours de validité délivré par ces autorités”.
Having said that I have not managed to find anyone who has had one accepted!
I advise my customers not to notify DVLA of the export until after the car has been accepted by the new country otherwise they could end up with a stateless car, not legal anywhere.
On a separate note, the presence of the certificate of conformity number under section K on a V5c although sufficient for a CT is not in itself enough for registration purposes. The authorities need other details which may or may not be on your logbook. The type, variant/version numbers are required & they need to be correct but DVLA often have them wrong or the are omitted altogether. Other details can also be missing.
Despite what many brits may say it is again worth reading the official guide "Si l’ancien certificat d’immatriculation étranger ne peut être fourni ou ne comporte pas toutes les informations techniques nécessaires à l’immatriculation, justificatif complémentaire correspondant à votre situation :
Certificat de conformité européen délivré par le constructeur, édité le cas échéant dans une autre langue que le français
Attestation d'identification à un type communautaire
Procès-verbal de réception à titre isolé (RTI) établi par une Dreal"
Or you can argue that your english friend is right & the authorities are wrong but as the process has to be carried out online this can be a difficult task.
Surely a V5 is only proof of ownership, if you had the COC and an export certificate the authorities would have all the info they would need in theory.
You’re quite right but the principle is still the same Mark, the export certificate would have the OP’s name on it and the COC would have the required details regarding the vehicle so in theory that should be sufficent.
I registered my car with a Certificate of permanent export from the DVLA. It shows all the details of the car in the same way that the V5 should but often doesn’t; VIN, Make, Model, Version, Variant, Conformity code etc, etc, etc. It is and is accepted as a V5 replacement.
Always worth reading the V5c cover to cover. Page one, in capital letters “This document is not proof of ownership” . Let’s hope the french authorities continue to overlook this little phrase!
That was through the prefecture but there is no reason why it should not be accepted online. It is the standard issue to people who need the information usually found on the V5 who live out of the British Isles. As I pointed out I needed it because there was a mistake on the V5 and as I lived in France they could not send me an updated copy. You could no doubt use a friend or relative’s address to receive a new V5 but that might stir up a hornets’ nest in the form of automatically sent fines for non payment of road tax, no insurance etc. At least by getting the export certificate you are proving that the car has left the country.
@Dominic. The last time I tried to use an export certificate it was refused by the Tresor Public when I applied for a Quittas Fiscal. My insistance that it meets the requirements laid down on the Service Public web site fell on deaf ears. Without a Quittas Fiscale one cannot proceed to the next stage. Some of my customers have also had their applications turned down due to a lack of V5c.
I can see where a problem can occur - if you notify DVLA that you have exported the vehicle then it is no longer road legal until it has been re registered in its new country. If the vehicle was used on public roads in the meantime & was involved in a serious incident then tracing/idendifying the owner/keeper could be very difficult.
If one notifies DVLA that a vehicle has been exported then it cannot be driven on the road although in the UK trade plates can be used. It has to be taken on a trailer to the port of loading. As it is no longer road legal in the UK it cannot be driven in Europe either. If you have owned the car in the UK as a UK resident who has moved over here & it is still taxed, insured & mot’d (& you have the V5C), you can use the car for one month while you go through the registration procedure. You can post date the export notification form.
As I’ve pointed out a couple of times it worked for me. The OP has no V5 so what does he have to lose. I’m fairly sure that the export certificated stated that it could be used in lieu of a V5 when registering the car in another country. I, of course, obtained a Q.V. before registering the car.
I’m not having a go at you, Dominic! I’m just pointing out that although it should be accepted (my post above quotes the french web site which seems to say so too), often an official who is not familiar with the document will refuse to accept it. This is meant as a warning to others who might have chosen not to obtain a new V5c before leaving the country.
The fact that you have succeeded where others have failed gives us all hope that acceptance of an export certificate instead of a V5c is becoming more widespread. Just be prepared that one might come up against a refusal.
Exactly. It is acceptable. If it is not accepted you can prove that it should be. Your earlier posts were virtually telling the OP not to bother getting one whereas it is his best way forward.
