I have registered two GB cars onto French plates, and it was a nightmare on both occasions. The first time took six months of toing and froing, and the second (by which time I foolishly thought I knew the game) it took a mere four months between telling the DVLA the car had been exported, and getting my French plates. It is an utter nightmare.

Whilst technically you do have six months to run around in your British car whilst you do this, in reality you don't. Once you tell the DVLA the car is exported - which you need to do before you begin the french registration process - the car is well-nigh uninsurable. And few insurance companies - except specialist ones who charge accordingly - only allow you to keep a British insured car abroad for a maximum of three months.

I speak from bitter experience. These comments confirm my experience

http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/e...ar-france.html
http://normandy.frenchestateagents.c...car-in-france/

I mean, it might be easy for French people to do this. The message from the faces behind the glass screen at my local Sous Prefecture is that I might as well have been trying to import cocaine.


A

It is easy to get French car insurance on a car with a British plate. Family members have done this several times during the change over.

I gave my registration document to the French authorities who notified the British the car had been exported and was under French registration now.

Do you, Andrew, speak French or did you at the time of change over ???

It is possible, but rare, to meet somebody in these government offices that doesn't like to deal with the English but who has an immediate sea change if you attempt to speak to them in their own language !!!

The longest registration process I've had over here was attempting to get a plate for a 1962 moped.
From 1962 up to 2011 no plate was necessary. From 2011 it was required.
The Carte Grise was free and took 10 weeks to get.

All other English to French changes have been quick and easy.

I've changed cars and motorbikes. ( plus a caravan. ) You must have a very difficult Prefecture where you are.

All you do is obtain a list of the documents you require from your local Mairie and off you go.

Here below is a copy from that first link you gave.

It does not correspond to what you have been saying. Please have another read through it.


A personal experiencs

The time scale we were told when we first came to France of one year is quite different from what we are now being told, although there are still many different responses given from agents asked to insure British vehicles, even now. And in practice, we have had a UK registered van insured here for six years, having had no problems with insurance cover or when checked by gendarmes etc.
How to re-register a car in France with French plates

Doing anything in France is an exercise in paperwork, so the first thing you need to know is exactly what paperwork you have to assemble with regard to registering a car. You can obtain a list from the local offices of DRIRE (Direction Régionale de l'Industrie, de la Recherche et de l'Environnement), or perhaps as we did, from our insurers. Others have once more found the Mairie to be extremely helpful as regards this too, but it is of course, dependant on the individuals concerned. The steps described below are subject to regional and temporal differences, but provide a description of a likely sequence of events in the registering of a car in France! (See also the feedback in our "Your Comments" section below, where many give their personal experiences.)
1. Registering a car in France - the English bit!

This is the easy bit, as you can do this in English. We were told to notify the DVLA that we were permanently exporting our vehicle to France, and obtained from them a certificate of export, or V561. However, it seems that now all you need do is, before handing over the V5C at the Prefecture, tear off the export section from the V5C and send it off to DVLA. Even this is not strictly necessary though as the French authorities are legally obliged to inform DVLA that a vehicle has been registered in their territory within two months of the event which will prompt DVLA to officially record the vehicle as exported. Note that this is the only notification which will, as neither an export certificate nor the tear off from the V5C are proof of anything

Have to agree with Colvert on this,
I have registered three cars here and the longest one took was 4 weeks start to finish.
Get ALL the paper work in order and copy every thing and there is not a problem.


Regarding the insurance I cant understand how many English people insist on driving English plated cars over here when they are permanently living here.

I would like to see how there Insurance French or English stands up in the event of an accident.

When I was doing my transfers I was regulary asked by my French Insurance Company how the transfer was going, And to let them know asap when it was completed.

I've also previously had no problems registering my uk cars (took a couple of weeks). However I'm now going through the process with my 75 and have hit an obstacle as they have asked for a CoC. Can anyone tell me where I can obtain this document? Usually I contact the manufacturer and pay a fee for it, but clearly this is not an option with Rover. Any advice gratefully received.

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The number they require is already on your registration document.

I paid for a CoC on my first plate change but found out later it wasn't necessary. I already had the number on my existing documents.--:duh:

I explained this to the folk at the Prefecture as they didn't know this themselves.---:eek:



PS. It is an option with the Rover BUT it is not necessary. There is a company in Britain that will give you the correct CoC for lots of money.--:eek:

Avoid them like the plague----------:D:D:D

John.

My wife keeps bumping into things with her Brit reg car but has been paid out every time.-----------:laughing2::laughing2::laughing2:

Brilliant. Thanks very much. My sous prefecture are also unaware of this, but they're very helpful, so I'm sure they'll accept it once it's been pointed out. Thanks again

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I dont think I will comment on that;)

Rhd / lhd
 

We drive all the time with a RHD car in Germany, without any problems. Just get a suction rear-view mirror and place it slightly left, but still below the other mirror, to cover the blind spot, on your left. Driving on to motorways can be a problem for some, but we don't have any problems. Occasionally, I use the remote to move the mirror out, when using a slip-road.