French vehicle tests.

[Squiffy]

I deliberately posted this on this thread as it seems most folk watch this space,. My brother who is 80years old but not senile by any means had moved to France at the age of 79, but although he has moved to a village full of expats nobody can tell him how to go about getting a French equivalent of our MoT. He is now according to my sister panicking a bit as the British MoT has expired and so has his insurance. He wants to be able to use the van to travel around France and visit the UK but is at a loss to know what to do, I know some of you here actually live in France and I would appreciate any assistance in this matter. Phil

 

[wildebus]

I don't (and never will!) but from readings from another forum I use, I believe he will need a Certificate of Conformity and no noticable mods to the vehicle from when it was first supplied to pass the CT (European MOTs, especially those in France, Spain and Italy, are a total nightmare compared to the UK ones from all I have read)

 

[Millie Master]

OK Phil, having lived there I have jumped through the French registration hoop several times over the years and to be honest it can be a right royal PITA !!!

I attach a link toone of the many ex-pat websites which I always found to be amongst the best https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/importing-a-uk-vehicle-and-registering-it-in-france/

The whole process can be more than somewhat long winded which is why one hell of a lot of ex-pats appear not to bother and carry on using their vehicles with UK plates and no insurance or VED paid, of course they risk the entire book being thrown at them if ever caught!!

The French equivalent to the MOT is the CT (Contrôle Technique), these can be found throughout France in most large villages and all towns, they are not garages and are not allowed (by law) to be associated with any garage and the tests on cars are carried out every 2nd year, but on vans it is every year.

The attached link will give him all he needs to know, but I am sorry to say that it would appear he is already outside the time limit and as such his continued use of his car is likely to be illegal I am sorry to say.

The overall cost of the whole process adds up to quite a bit, but it has to be done.

Good luck.

Phil

 

[Squiffy]

OK Phil, having lived there I have jumped through the French registration hoop several times over the years and to be honest it can be a right royal PITA !!!

I attach a link toone of the many ex-pat websites which I always found to be amongst the best https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/importing-a-uk-vehicle-and-registering-it-in-france/

The whole process can be more than somewhat long winded which is why one hell of a lot of ex-pats appear not to bother and carry on using their vehicles with UK plates and no insurance or VED paid, of course they risk the entire book being thrown at them if ever caught!!

The French equivalent to the MOT is the CT (Contrôle Technique), these can be found throughout France in most large villages and all towns, they are not garages and are not allowed (by law) to be associated with any garage and the tests on cars are carried out every 2nd year, but on vans it is every year.

The attached link will give him all he needs to know, but I am sorry to say that it would appear he is already outside the time limit and as such his continued use of his car is likely to be illegal I am sorry to say.

The overall cost of the whole process adds up to quite a bit, but it has to be done.

Good luck.

Phil

Many thanks for that info Phil, I will send your info on to him, I'm sure he will be very grateful for this

 

[RV2MAX]

Some seem to come to the conclusion that they sell the vehicle in UK and replace with one in France.

 

[Millie Master]

Some seem to come to the conclusion that they sell the vehicle in UK and replace with one in France.

In all my years living over there I only knew a very limited Brit. ex-pats who actually bought new French cars and most certainly not one who bought a 2nd hand French LHD car, the reasons being that: -
a. French garages by nature never discount new cars.
b. French 2nd hand cars simply don't depreciate anywhere near as fast as they do in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland & Denmark.

I have several friends over there who have lived there for 10, 15 & 20 or more years who own LHD vehicles but they always buy them manily from either Holland or Spain. One of them runs a very successful building/renovation company in the Dordogne and all his vehicles (trucks, vans & cars) are bought in Holland.

Phil

 

[RV2MAX]

@Millie Master totally agree