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FACT
FILE: Buying and selling cars
in France
See
also: Driving in France
For
a French registered car to be driven legally on the road, it
will need a carte grise, insurance and a vaild contrôle
technique.
The
Carte Grise - Certificat d'immatriculation- When
you own a French (registered) car you are obliged to arrange
for a new carte grise that registers the vehicle in your
name at your address at the préfecture. This procedure must
be completed within 15 days of the sale. The price of
the carte grise depends on the size of the engine.
Registration
of a new car -The
dealer from whom you bought the car from, should arrange the
issue of a new carte grise.
Registration
of a second hand / used car - (Voiture d'occasion) If
you purchase a used car from a dealer, they should issue you
with a carte grise. If you purchased it privately then the following
procedure applies: You must go to the préfecture or sous-préfecture
with the following documents.
- Cancelled
carte grise that came with the car (don't purchase one without
this- it could be a stolen vehicle!)
- Certificat
de vente - sales certificate that was given to you by the
seller.
- photocopy
of your passport.
- Proof
of address of residency - electricty - phone bill etc
- Certificat
de situation - available from the préfecture, this ensures
that the car has no outstanding legal payments with it.
Contrôle
Technique - A
car over three years old must have a
contrôle technique.This is to check that the card is road worthy.
It must be completed every two years at an authorised garage.
Check that your garage can carry out the contre-visite
(the second visit after essential repairs have been carried
out) is free. When your car passes the contrôle technique you
are given a macaron - a sticker that is displayed on
your windscreen. If you are planning to sell your car you must
have a contrôle technique completed within 6 months
of the sale.
Changes
to French registration plates from 2009.
From
2009 the department number will no longer be on the French registration
plate. The registration plates will no longer be black on white
at the front and black on yellow at the rear as in the UK, but
black on white on the front and rear as in Portugal, Ireland,
Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland and many other European
countries. They will be made up of two letters, three numbers
and two letters and will be allocated to a vehicle for life
unlike presently if the owner moves from département to département
N.B.
This information should not be relied on for accuracy and is
presented here without the responsibility of jml Property Service
and the website it is being displayed at. ©jml property Services
07-05
See
also the experiences of an English Couple who moved to France
to the Midi-Pyrenees
region and the problems involved registering in France a second
hand Citroen AX and a Fiat Camper Van. Click
here
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will need Travel insurance for your holidayin the South of
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or
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