advice on import\export of a car

[Frank O' Phile]

Hi all,

Just wondering the best way to go about registering my ole Volvo.

The back story.... I have a 740 estate sitting in my garage in France. I bought it a few years ago after a disaster with a broken 4x4. I found my Volvo from a friend and paid not much for it. It ran and stopped and not much else. However I got it (and family) home safely and had it running sweetly. I managed to get an MOT on it. It looks like a shed but I'm quite attached to it.

Now the tricky bit. It is LHD, has Dutch plates, I do have the buff Dutch log book. My intention is to eventually have it registered in France, but might want to use it here for a while too.

Question, having looked at registering UK cars in france, would it be any more difficult to do a Dutch one? or would I be easier swapping from Dutch, Uk, then France?

Your advice please, and any tips on procedure would be great.

Thanks

 

[imadoofus]

Frank,

As I understand it, the procedure is exactly the same with regard to registering a car in France, regardless of where it's come from. Once you've got hold of the relevant forms from The Netherlands (Notification of Permanent Export or whatever their equivalent is - I may be able to assist with this), I'd say that you may as well go straight to French plates, rather than via UK ones. It'll only involve one set of fees, and only one bout of wrestling with les bureaucrates.

PJ

 

[RoseTattoo]

Les Bureaucracies

A friend of mine wanting to register his UK plated Renault in France was told that he had to prove it was a Renault.

 

[Chattonmill]

Frank,

I'd say that you may as well go straight to French plates, rather than via UK ones. It'll only involve one set of fees, and only one bout of wrestling with les bureaucrates.

PJ

From my experience with registering a French car this is fun!
First you have to get it to Pass the Control Technique (French version of the MOT) Then get it insured, the spend an age at the local Hotel de ville getting the registration number, then go get the plates, then insuance etc.

The French love a good bit of paper pushing

 

[crockers]

Surely if you registered it in UK first you would have all the hassle of lights needing changing etc - so makes sense to go straight to French plates

 

[Frank O' Phile]

Thanks everybod, I had considered the lights issue, but there are plenty of 2nd hand items in my local recycling yard.

I'll start with the French mot I think, and let them be warned, I can push paper with the best of them.

I just have this image of myself in the Hotel de Ville, singing (to the tune of La Marseillaise) 'ou et le papier?'

 

[recycled]

As far as i know if you have dutch plates, you have to take the car or the plates at least, to zoetomeer to get the export plates else you will still be liable for dutch taxes.
they are black with white background as opposed to normal black on yellow background dutch plates. As for registering in france, you then have to present those export papers, and then do the tests e..t.c

 

[jpwilliams]

Please be very careful. I`ve seen somewhere on the DVLA website that a UK resident can`t drive a foreign registered vehicle in the UK !!

Happy Motoring !!

Regards
John

 

[recycled]

its rubbish. I did but there is a time limit. Six months i think, but then you can always go back and come in.
I imported cars from den haag zuid

 

[MrMotul]

its rubbish. I did but there is a time limit. Six months i think, but then you can always go back and come in.
I imported cars from den haag zuid

I second that, I think that because we are all part of the European union, you can legally drive any European registered car, in any European country legally for six months, after which time I believe that it has to return to its country of registration and then the process starts all over again. If I were you, I would register the car in the UK, take it to France and use it. I would be very surprised if anyone comes knocking on your door telling you that your car has been in france for more than six months!!!

Oh btw, If your car is more than 10 years old, you can register it as a personal import and you do not need any import/export documentation, just the original reg doc from country of origin/registration and an Invoice,

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Terry.

 

[Frank O' Phile]

I second that, I think that because we are all part of the European union, you can legally drive any European registered car, in any European country legally for six months, after which time I believe that it has to return to its country of registration and then the process starts all over again. If I were you, I would register the car in the UK, take it to France and use it. I would be very surprised if anyone comes knocking on your door telling you that your car has been in france for more than six months!!!

Oh btw, If your car is more than 10 years old, you can register it as a personal import and you do not need any import/export documentation, just the original reg doc from country of origin/registration and an Invoice,

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Terry.

Thanks Terry, It certainly is over 10 years old, and then some. I've managed to find it on the dutch DVLA equivalent. I have the log book (not in my name though) and a hand written receipt of purchase.

So I just need these to 'Personally import' it to France? Sounds great, the job just got a bit easier.

 

[recycled]

True that is all you need. they do not even check for the APK as well but you will still need to get the export docs from the RDW or else the french authorities may think the car is not yours and those export plates else the dutch would think you have not exported the car.
If anyone gives you hassle about the docs not in your name, that can be changed at any NL post office that does it.

 

[recycled]

Oh btw, If your car is more than 10 years old, you can register it as a personal import and you do not need any import/export documentation, just the original reg doc from country of origin/registration and an Invoice,
Terry.

I did need an export document to take mine out. It just clears you from the dutch trafic system and the taxes. You do not need the export docs to register it with the DVAL though

 

[MrMotul]

What I meant was, register it in the UK and use it in France on your UK number plates. I very much doubt that you will be forced to take the car out of france, but if you do, just drive it back to the UK and then back to France again, keeping your ferry/train ticket with reg number for proof, and Voila, you have another six months. There are no import duties or taxes to pay because your vehicle was built within the european union. You might be asked when registering the car in the UK if the speedo reads in MPH and you have the slight problem of adjusting the headlights to dip to the left, I am not sure if the latter can still be done with strategically placed purpose made stickers but unless the DVLA need to inspect your vehicle (which I very much doubt for a ten+ year old volvo) having a KPH speedo and saying you have a MPH speedo is not actually the crime of the century, especially if the car will reside for most of its life in France,

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Terry.