Arranging car insurance as an American in France: everything you need to know

When it comes to driving in France, Americans have two advantages: they can drive with an American driver’s licence and they do not have to switch to the other side of the road.

However, that is about where the simplicity ends. Entering French roads in a French car can be complicated, especially without a French licence. That is particularly true for obtaining car insurance.

Beth Palaske, who moved to France from the US in 2025, remembered going to various car insurance offices in person, without much luck. Ms Palaske, a resident of Pyrénées-Orientales, was driving with a US licence at the time and was looking to get French insurance so she could buy a new car.

“It was really hard to get anybody to actually talk to me,” she told The Connexion.

Local offices wanted her tax number – which she did not have yet – and did not seem very keen to take on an American client. In the end, Ms Palaske opted for Fab French Insurance, an insurance broker for the English-speaking community in France. From there, the process of getting signed up for car insurance took just a few days, she said.

However, from getting documents translated to a different policy for past claims, there were many steps along the way that were different from the US.

Angélique Moore, an insurance agent with BH Assurances – one of the biggest Allianz bilingual insurance agencies in France – said Americans in France need to work with someone who takes the time to review their documents, and can negotiate recognition of their driving experience.

“An American arriving in France has a particular kind of profile: proof of no-claim that needs translating, a driving history that isn’t automatically recognised, a residency status that will change over time,” Ms Moore told The Connexion.

Her company BH Assurances works specifically with expats to understand their situation and advise them on the best insurance. She provided advice regarding car insurance for Americans based on Allianz France policies.

Getting together the documents

The good news is that drivers with non-EU licences can still buy French cars and obtain French car insurance. However, Ms Moore said that those who have been French tax residents for more than one year will need to present a French driver’s licence.

Keep in mind that after one year of driving with your US driver’s licence, you need to obtain a French one. Otherwise, your insurance could be cancelled. If your licence came from a state with a reciprocal agreement with France – check here for more information – you can simply exchange it. If your licence’s state is not on the list, you must pass the full French test.

The documents required for Allianz France are quite straightforward: a valid driver’s licence, an insurance claims history report (or a copy of your current insurance policy or certificate from the insurer), a copy of your passport and a copy of your valid residence permit.

Ms Palaske said that her insurer looked at any claims, not just explicit motor vehicle accidents. For that reason, a claim made after her dog ate the roof lining of her car led to the insurer deciding she had technically only gone two years without a claim, despite no accidents on her record.

Ms Palaske also noted that it was important for Americans in France to keep their US insurance, because the French company asked about this.

“That was one of the first questions they had: ‘do you have insurance right now?’” she said.

Documents you send must be translated, but these translations do not need to be official, Ms Moore said of Allianz France. Ms Palaske also said she did not need to provide an official translation or apostilled documents for the insurance process.

Some Americans might be concerned that their US driving history will not be recognised, thus qualifying them as a less-experienced driver who must pay higher premiums. If you cannot provide your US driver’s history, Ms Moore said you do not need to worry about this as long as you can show another document as proof: a copy of a previous insurance policy; a certificate proving you were insured at some point; or a letter from an employer confirming you had a company car.

You should also collect relevant vehicle details. Ms Moore said that in Allianz France’s case they do not require you to have the car’s registration document (carte grise) but it is a good addition. Furthermore, for a car worth more than €100,000 an anti-fraud check, a simple declaration form, is required.

You may be able to get your insurance set up in as little as 24 hours if using BH Assurances, Ms Moore said.

While there are some additional steps to take in France, getting car insurance is not always difficult. Rich Kagan, who moved to France in 2024, said: “Honestly, I felt like the car buying experience was more challenging than getting insurance because I shopped rates.”

It was important to him to have an English-speaking insurer, and therefore went with MMA. He brought his vehicle identification number to his representative and the process took around 30 minutes, Mr Kagan told The Connexion.

Securing the right price

There are three types of auto insurance in France, Ms Moore said.

Third-party liability only covers damage to others. Third-party fire and theft covers damage to others as well as, you guessed it, fire and theft.

Comprehensive coverage includes the prior two, as well as damage to your car no matter whether you are at fault or not.

Premiums rose to an average of €1,124 for a fully comprehensive policy in 2025, according to a recent barometer by the online comparison site Lesfurets.com. The average for a third-party policy was €636.

“Your nationality will never affect your premium,” Ms Moore said.

However, American drivers should watch out for the following errors. Not going to an insurance company geared for expats, not requesting proof of your insurance history and waiting until you have your carte grise before insuring the car can all cost you time, Ms Moore said. Something that will cost you money is paying a third party to get the relevant documents for your insurance, when you can easily obtain them yourself by calling the relevant offices.

When you do obtain a French driver’s licence, your insurance policy and premium will not change. However, you must update the company about the change of documents.

Ms Moore advised Americans to work with an insurance agency that has a real relationship with them and can better help them if the time ever comes to file a claim.

“Online, you become a policy number in an automated system,” she said. “Working with an agency is a real comfort, especially when you're still finding your way through French administrative processes.”

Beyond the insurance process, one thing that both Ms Palaske and Mr Kagan flagged as surprising for Americans, is the way you purchase a car. In France, it is common to pay the hefty vehicle price before you have signed a contract. You may only receive the car months later, once all of those administrative processes are completed.

Still, Ms Palaske said once the car was ready it was a quick and easy process to leave the shop with it.

“That part went really smoothly,” she said. “Just getting the insurance and getting your driver's licence is a process.”