Dutch version
French version
Importing a Car into France Your first step is to go to the nearest customs centre [Centre des impots]Find yours here , or in the Yellow pages under Administrations de I'economie et des finances. At the customs centre you will need four documents:
• personal identification, such as your passport or carte de sejour
• proof of residence, such as a recent utility bill
• your car's registration documents
• a copy of the bill of sale for the car, with specification of VAT paid if the car was bought new.
If the car is being imported from an EU/EEA country, there is no import duty and no VAT to be paid, and the customs centre will issue a certificate of fiscal conformity [certificat de regularite fiscale]. If the car is being imported from a country outside the EU/EEA, duty and VAT, together usually about 30% of the car's assessed value upon import, will be charged. Once payment has been made, the customs centre will issue a customs clearance certificate [certificat de dedouanement] no. 846A. Your next step initiates the administrative procedure and attends to the technical details. Two agencies are involved:
• the Prefecture for the administrative details
• the Directions Regionales de I'Industrie, de la Recherche et de I'Environnement (DRIRE), for the technical details. Locate the nearest DRIRE in the Yellow pages or here In addition to the certificate issued by the customs centre and the four documents listed above, you need:
the type approval certificate (attestation de conformite) for the make and model of car that ensures its compliance with safety regulations. Type approval requirements have been harmonised across the EU/EEA for passenger cars, but national differences remain. For makes and models of cars that are or recently have been sold in France, the certificate may not be required. But it's best to have one should it be needed. As a rule, type approval certificates are kept on file in the head offices of automakers or their principal distributors in most countries. For your Mercedes click Here
You will need to fill in two forms:
• the application form for a registration document (Demande de certificate d'immatriculation d'un vehicule) Cerfa no. 10672, available at the Prefecture or downloadable Here Deliver the filled-in form at the Prefecture to initiate the file on your registration. • the application for certification of specifications (Demande d'identification), with explanatory texts in French and in English, available from a DRIRE facility or downloadable from www.drire.gouv.fr, click on Missions, then on Vehicules, then on La reception des vehicules routiers, then in the Vehicules importes scroll list on Voiture importee, then on the dossier de demande d'identification link, and, finally, on the imprime de demande d'attestation d'identification link to print out the form. Fill in the form and take with the car to a DRIRE facility, where an inspector will verify it against the car, and against a minor fee, issue an approval. If the car is more than four years old, DRIRE will require that it be submitted to Periodic vehicle inspection (controle technique) before it is approved.
Procedures vary slightly across the country, so it's best to inquire at the Prefectures as to whether you should go to DRIRE first.
Finally, with your registration file initiated and the DRIRE approval in hand, return to the Prefecture to complete registration. You then will be given your Carte grise and can have Number plates made. INFORMATION FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS
Importing a Private Vehicle into France from Canada or the U.S.
• personal identification, such as your passport or carte de sejour
• proof of residence, such as a recent utility bill
• your car's registration documents
• a copy of the bill of sale for the car, with specification of VAT paid if the car was bought new.
If the car is being imported from an EU/EEA country, there is no import duty and no VAT to be paid, and the customs centre will issue a certificate of fiscal conformity [certificat de regularite fiscale]. If the car is being imported from a country outside the EU/EEA, duty and VAT, together usually about 30% of the car's assessed value upon import, will be charged. Once payment has been made, the customs centre will issue a customs clearance certificate [certificat de dedouanement] no. 846A.
• the Prefecture for the administrative details
• the Directions Regionales de I'Industrie, de la Recherche et de
the type approval certificate (attestation de conformite) for the make and model of car that ensures its compliance with safety regulations. Type approval requirements have been harmonised across the EU/EEA for passenger cars, but national differences remain. For makes and models of cars that are or recently have been sold in France, the certificate may not be required. But it's best to have one should it be needed. As a rule, type approval certificates are kept on file in the head offices of automakers or their principal distributors in most countries. For your Mercedes click Here
• the application form for a registration document (Demande de certificate d'immatriculation d'un vehicule) Cerfa no. 10672, available at the Prefecture or downloadable Here
Procedures vary slightly across the country, so it's best to inquire at the Prefectures as to whether you should go to DRIRE first.
Finally, with your registration file initiated and the DRIRE approval in hand, return to the Prefecture to complete registration. You then will be given your Carte grise and can have Number plates made.
Importing a Private Vehicle into France from Canada or the U.S.