Bringing your car from UK to France
Vehicle import rules — registration, MOT, contrôle technique
Overview — what changes when you import
When you become resident in France, your UK-registered vehicle needs to be re-registered on French plates within a defined window (commonly within 6 months of establishing residence, sometimes longer with documented reason). The car keeps its physical form but switches paperwork — UK V5 to French carte grise, UK plates to French plates, UK MOT to French contrôle technique.
You can drive your UK-plated car in France while you are still UK-resident; the question only arises once you become French-resident. Visitors with UK plates have no immatriculation requirement.
Documents needed for import
For the immatriculation française you need: UK V5/V5C (logbook); proof of ownership (sale receipt or original-purchase invoice for vehicles bought new); proof of identity and proof of address in France; evidence of the vehicle's arrival in France (the moving lorry's manifest, ferry/tunnel receipt, or similar); customs import declaration (DAU - Document Administratif Unique, filed by your customs broker); a recent French contrôle technique (less than 6 months old at time of registration).
For older or modified vehicles you may also need: certificat de conformité européenne (European certificate of conformity, available from the manufacturer or specialist registration agencies for some makes); homologation certificate for non-standard vehicles; voiture de collection certificate for vehicles over 30 years old that qualify.
The registration process
The registration is filed online through the ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés) system. The process: declare the vehicle import to the customs (douanes); take it for a fresh contrôle technique at a French CT centre; gather the documentation; submit the immatriculation application on ANTS; receive the new carte grise (vehicle registration document); have French plates made and fitted.
Lead time: 4-8 weeks typically from start to plates fitted, depending on documentation completeness. The customs side and the contrôle technique can be done in parallel; the ANTS application is the bottleneck.
Specialist cases
Vehicles older than 30 years: voiture de collection registration available with relaxed contrôle technique (every 5 years instead of every 2). Original-condition requirement; significant modifications disqualify.
Modified vehicles (kit cars, heavily modified production cars): may need French homologation work before registration. Specialist registration agencies handle this.
High-emissions vehicles: may attract a malus écologique (ecological surcharge) on registration — this is a one-time tax based on CO2 output, can be substantial for older diesels or large-engine cars.
EV vehicles: standard registration; UK-spec EVs work fine on French infrastructure with adapter cables for some chargers.
Right-hand-drive vs left-hand-drive: UK RHD cars can be registered in France without conversion. The position of the steering does not block registration. Headlight beam adjustment required for RHD use on right-side roads.