Bringing your car from UK to France
Vehicle import rules — the 846A, French registration and the contrôle technique
Written and maintained by the UK→France route team — the coordinators and crews who run the UK→France corridor every week. Regulatory detail on this page describes French and EU rules as we understand them at the review date above; confirm anything you intend to rely on with the French douanes, service-public.fr, HMRC and the French consular network, because these rules change and we are movers, not advisers.
How long do you have to register a UK car in France?
One month. Once you settle in France and make it your main residence, service-public.fr says your car must be registered in France within one month of settling. Because a UK car is now a non-EU import, registration needs the customs certificate 846A. If you have owned and used the car for at least six months, it can enter free of duty and VAT under the transfer-of-residence relief.
The transfer-of-residence conditions are the same as for your other belongings: at least six months' ownership and use before the move, a normal residence outside the EU for at least 12 months, and no sale, loan or hire of the car within 12 months of import. Utility vehicles are excluded. The relief is claimed with the douane, which then issues the 846A.
Visitors who remain UK-resident can drive their UK-plated car in France without registering it. The obligation starts when France becomes your home.
What documents do you need to register a UK car in France?
You need the UK registration document (V5C) or other proof of ownership, proof of your French address, the Cerfa 13750 application, the 846A customs certificate, a certificate of conformity or equivalent technical approval, and a valid contrôle technique if the car is more than four years old. Applications go online through ANTS, and service-public.fr lists the full set.
The 846A replaces the "quitus fiscal" that EU-registered cars need; for a car coming from the UK, it is the customs certificate that matters.
For older or modified vehicles you may also need a collection-vehicle certificate (for qualifying classic cars) or an individual approval from the regional authority (DREAL) for non-standard vehicles.
How does French registration work, step by step?
Claim the transfer-of-residence relief with the douane to obtain the 846A, have a contrôle technique done if the car needs one, gather the documents, then apply online through ANTS. You receive a provisional registration certificate that lets you drive while the carte grise is produced, and you fit French plates when the registration number is issued.
The customs step and the contrôle technique can run in parallel; the ANTS application is usually the slowest part, and an incomplete file is what slows it most.
Your UK MOT does not transfer. The contrôle technique must be recent and carried out in France or another EU country.
Which cars need extra steps?
Classic cars, modified cars, higher-emission or heavy cars, and right-hand-drive cars each carry an extra consideration. Classics may qualify for collection registration; modified cars may need individual approval; some cars attract the CO2 or weight malus on first French registration; right-hand-drive cars need their headlights adjusted. None of these blocks registration if planned for.
Collection vehicles: qualifying classic cars can be registered on the collection track with lighter contrôle technique requirements. Significant modifications can disqualify a car.
Modified vehicles (kit cars, heavily modified production cars): may need individual approval before registration.
Malus: first French registration can trigger the CO2 malus and the weight-based malus. For used imports the amount is reduced according to the car's age, and it falls to zero for cars first registered abroad before 2015.
Electric vehicles: standard registration; UK-spec EVs work on French charging networks, with adapter cables for some chargers.
Right-hand drive: does not block registration; headlight beams must be adjusted for driving on the right.
Driving licence: separate from the car. UK licences issued before 2021 are generally recognised until they expire or another trigger applies; licences issued from 2021 must be exchanged for a French one.