French Import

[Satsuma]

Hello
i didn't know where quite to post this..
I am interested in a car, its a bit rare and it's in france. it has a current Carte Grise and runs on french plates.
What i need to know is: how and to what level do i need to import it? the french plates quite suit it. do i need to change them for uk plates? assuming it passes a uk m.o.t what more do i need to do? how much will it cost? and how much aggravation is it?
thanks.

[Ozzie Osmond]

I've not done this myself but I think it's as simple as driving the car to UK and registering with DVLA. I believe you will have to declare the import to customs on the way in so they can confirm there's no duty or VAT to pay (or otherwise). Paperwork should include an invoice, the registration document, a certificate of conformity and if there's a French equivalent MoT certificate in existence it would be a good idea to have that too. You will need a certificate confirming the car's been adapted for UK use (i.e. headlamps changed)and may need a UK MOT before you can register. You'll also need to get your head around insurance.

No, you can't (legally) leave the car on its French plates.

[Rostfritt]

Check on the direct.gov website. It depends on the age of the vehicle how it works. But generally you MOT it here, insure it on the chassis no, then go to a DVLA office to register it. It costs £55 plus road tax. As you say it looks better on French plates I can assume it is an older car, which might make things easier.

Not sure what needs to be done on the French end, probably just mark as permanently exported on the log book, carte grise is not relevant in the UK but increase the likelihood of it passing the MOT. You will probably have to change the headlights or put beam deflectors on them, maybe change which side the rear fog light is on if it needs one.