Buying Cars in France

We definitely do not recommend right-hand drive cars in France. Over-taking can be a little tricky in an English car, and unless you love bureaucracy, the paperwork involved with exporting a vehicle is a little tedious. Plus, diesel tends to be the French fuel of choice, which is considerably cheaper.

If you want to buy (or sell) a second-hand car (van, boat, bike, caravan, etc.), you can now do so on this site - just follow this link...

If you do buy a second-hand car, it will need to have passed its Contrôle-Technique. This is roughly equivalent to the English MOT, but it is only done every two years (for cars over 4 years old) and by government-appointed professionals, not, as is sometimes the case in the UK, by mechanics who kindly advertise that they’ll do the test for free and then find five hundred quids’ worth of work to do afterwards.

As of January 2008 there have been some changes to the testing of vehicles, making it harder for non-roadworthy vehicles to pass:

Shock absorbers are not legal if they have “oil leaks forming droplets” and oil on the body of the shock absorber.

Airbags The container of the bag must not be damaged.

Pollution Testing of the onboard pollution monitor in modern vehicles – for petrol vehicles sold after January 1, 2002 and for diesels after January 1, 2004.

Brakes Insufficient fluid level or the absence of rubber or anti-slip material will be a reason for failure.

Bumpers There will be checks on vehicles sold after May 25, 2007, so obviously there is still some time before this will come into effect.

Lights General tightening of the rules on the state of headlamps and side lights

Once your car has passed its CT, you will have to display the contrôle sticker in the window. The person from whom you buy the car will have to have put it through the test no more than six months before the sale, so you should have at least 18 months before worrying about it.

If you have a utility vehicle, you will need to put that through an annual pollution test as well as the Contrôle Technique.

Also, make sure that the car you buy has a certificat de non-gage. This means there are no outstanding fines, debts or loans secured on the vehicle.

In addition, if you can find a car that is registered in the département in which you live, the paperwork will be even simpler; if not, you will have to re-register it, which involves applying for number plates.

Transporting your vehicle into France

In light of this, the following information is brought to you directly from the DVLA:

If you are taking your vehicle out of Great Britain permanently you must notify DVLA. If you have a Registration Document (V5) you can do this by completing section C to show the intended date of export. The V5 should then be returned to DVLA or to a DVLA Local Office. In its place you will receive a Certificate of Permanent Export (V561) as confirmation of your vehicle's registration.

If you have a Registration Certificate (V5C) then you must notify export on the purple section (V5C/4). You must take your Registration Certificate with you as you may have to hand it over to the relevant authority when the vehicle is registered abroad.

Further information on this subject, including advice on taking a vehicle to Northern Ireland, can be found in leaflet V526 'Taking your vehicle out of the country'.

Temporary Exports

If you are taking your vehicle out of the country for less than 12 months you must make sure you take your Registration Document (V5) / Certificate (V5C) with you. If you do not have one, you should apply to a DVLA Local Office on form V62.

The Registration Certificate may take up to 14 days to arrive. If you need to travel during this time you will need to apply for Temporary Registration Certificate. You should apply well before your journey, as there could be delays of up to 14 days in issuing the Certificate if you are not already recorded as the vehicle keeper. There is a fee for this service.

You should make sure that you meet any international and national conditions for licensing and taxation.

Vehicle On-Hire Certificate (VE103)

If you are in possession of a leased, hired or rented vehicle the registration certificate will normally be held securely by the company that supplied the vehicle. When travelling abroad it is important that drivers are able to produce documentation to show they are authorised to be in possession of the vehicle. The VE 103 Vehicle On-hire Certificate has been developed to satisfy this requirement. The certificate, which is subject to a small administrative fee, may be obtained from the following organisations:

AA – Automobile Association;

RAC – Royal Automobile Association;

Green Flag;

RHA – Road Haulage Association;

BVRLA – British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association;

FTA – Fleet Transport Association.

More details about how to obtain the VE 103 and its benefits may be found on the websites of the above issuing authorities.

If you want to find out any further information about exporting your vehicle or you wish to download the relevant forms, you might want to visit:
directgov or
carte-grise

Licences, Paperwork and Legalities

You should carry all of your vehicle documentation and your licence with you when you are out on the road, in case of on-the-spot checks. If you fail to produce them, you have five days in which to present them to your nearest Gendarmerie.

Drink-driving is a serious offence, which can carry a prison sentence, as well as an on-the-spot revocation of your licence. For more information about legal alcohol levels, visit simu- alcool

Speed limits are generally displayed at regular intervals along the road, but be prepared for the limit to change within a few hundred metres!

Unless otherwise stated, the general rules regarding speed limits, are:

50 kph in built-up areas

90 kph or 110 kph outside built up areas or on dual carriageways

130 kph on motorways

If you are caught exceeding the speed limit by 25 kph, you may well have your licence confiscated on the spot and incur a hefty fine.

For more information about driving in France, you might find the following website helpful:
french-news