Can British classic car be registered in France?

Reader Question: I own a classic British car but recently moved to France to live here full-time. How do I register my car as a classic vehicle? 

As you have moved permanently to France and do not simply have a second-home for occasional visits, you need to ensure the vehicle is re-registered here. 

This should be done within one month of moving to France or you risk a €135 fine, and re-registration of cars usually requires obtaining a certificate of conformity or attestation from the manufacturer, among several other documents.

Classic cars registered as such in France have several benefits including exemption from certain emission-limit restrictions applicable in Zones à Faibles Émissions, as well as less frequent contrôle technique roadworthiness tests (or exemption from these if they were produced before 1960).

Drawbacks of such registration include not being able to use the vehicle for any ‘commercial’ purposes, including driving to work or renting the vehicle out.

Generally, for a classic car to be registered as such it must be at least 30 years old, of a make and model no longer produced, and not have any modifications to its engine, chassis, or to improve technical performance.

However, certain foreign cars may still be considered ‘classic’ even if they do not fit with French standards.

Contacted by The Connexion, the vice president of the FFVE French classic cars federation, Pascal Rouselle, said a British vehicle can be immediately registered as a voiture de collection if it was previously correctly registered in the UK, and the driver fulfills certain conditions. 

These include:

• Obtaining a customs declaration for the importation of the vehicle (846 A)

• Proof of address in France

• Attestation of the vehicle’s eligibility as a voiture de collection from the FFVE, which you can apply for at plateforme.ffve.org

• A contrôle technique from a French garage

Once in place, applicants can directly apply for the car to be registered as a classic car through the ANTS website.

Further information and help with the process can be obtained from the FFVE.

Importing the vehicle

Vehicles imported from outside the EU, UK, even if produced at a time the country was part of the bloc, require declaration with the Douanes (customs) to obtain a customs certificate ‘846A’.

Owners of ‘standard’ vehicles need to pay 20% VAT after importing the vehicle, plus a potential further 10-22% of import duties if the car was manufactured outside of the UK or EU. 

However, classic cars are usually exempt from customs duties and can benefit from VAT reduced to 5.5%.

VAT and duties are also waived altogether if you import the car at the same time as you move to France permanently and you include the vehicle on an inventory of items you are bringing with you (although in your specific case it may be too late for this).