CAR INSURANCE

CAR INSURANCE
Car insurance options available to those who want to drive in France including information on the green card
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CAR INSURANCE IS LEGALLY REQUIRED IN FRANCE
Car insurance is a legal requirement in France, as it is in Britain. Make no mistake about this, because not having car insurance is an offence punishable by six months in prison, and that is not the ideal way to spend your holiday or new life in France! However, although there is a lot of conflicting information out there about car insurance in France, it isn't as complicated as it may at first appear, and you can take heart from the fact that millions of Brits have already managed to sort it out satisfactorily.
Car insurance options
There are a number of options open to the British driver who wishes to drive in France. The best way forward depends very much on individual circumstances and requirements, and depends to some considerable degree on whether or not you are a resident of France, of another European Union country, or of a non EU country.
Car hire in France
If you are a short term visitor only, then you may find that a simple car hire agreement is the most straightforward solution for you. Car hire firms may offer special deals, and rates are usually competitive and reasonable. The advantage of doing this is that the car is easily available from your point of arrival in France, and can be dropped off at your point of departure, and you do not have to worry about insurance or “controle techniques” or complex registration processes! Car insurance through car hire firms in France differs as it does in the UK. It would always be best to hire the car through a reputable company, check what fully comprehensive insurance actually covers, and look into the costs of paying extra for collision damage waiver which may not be included initially.
Long-term solution for your car insurance in France
If, however, you are going to be in France for long periods of time, or on a very regular or permanent basis you will need to take the bull by the horns and finds a long term solution.
Car insurance for residents of Non European Union Countries
If you are resident of a non EU country such as Canada or the USA, you can take advantage of a great system known as the TT scheme. Citroën run one such scheme, in which you receive a car under temporary ownership at a very low price. Tax, insurance etc. is all taken care of for you, and you can use the car for a minimum of 17 days and a maximum of 180. The cars are fitted with easily recognisable plates, so you are unlikely to get any hassle from the police.
Car insurance in France using your existing car insurance company
The easiest way to insure your car in France if you are still resident in the UK, is to contact your existing car insurance company, to extend your UK policy to cover France. Usually cars are covered for third party in EU countries, but it would be advisable to increase cover to fully comprehensive. It would be well worth looking into the breakdown insurance that is offered too, as many offer an excellent package with English speaking assistance provided. Check the options on offer as some car insurance companies include everything in one package, while others offer a cheaper initial deal but leave out important cover. It would be worth making sure that the cover includes road-side assistance, replacement parts cover and providing over-night accommodation when necessary. Some will get your car back to the UK, others won’t.
Green card system
If you have a UK registered vehicle which you wish to drive in France, you may wish to take out a Green Card .This is not an insurance policy in itself, but simply an internationally recognised card which guarantees that you have suitable legal insurance from your own country. It is not, strictly necessary for EU drivers in France, but it can be a useful item should you be stopped or, involved in any accident. Your insurer in England should be able to issue this card on request, and there should be no extra cost although some agents charge a small administrative fee. This option, however, is only suitable for those who are UK residents. If you are resident in France the rules are quite different. Please note also, that this is only suitable for those who only need to drive the vehicle in France for less than 90 days per year.
Car insurance for a second car in France
One option which you may consider is that of keeping a second car in France for use when you are in the country. This is feasible, but you must understand that the legal requirement for insuring such a vehicle is different from the requirement in Britain. In the UK, once you have filled in a SORN form you can legally withdraw insurance payments until such time as you wish to re-use the car. In France, although you must notify your insurer that your car is off the road, as in the UK, you are legally bound to maintain third party insurance on the vehicle at all times. Another factor to consider is the cost of second hand cars in France... if cost is an issue, which it is for many of us! Second hand cars in France are much more expensive, as a rule, than they are in Britain, so this needs to be built in to the planning if you are considering this option.
Car insurance for French residents
If you are a permanent resident in France you are bound by French law. French law states that if you are resident in France, insurance on your vehicle is part of your "responsibilité civile". If you are a French resident, to comply fully with French law you must register and insure your vehicles within the French system, which means changing your UK plate to a French plate (Taking a car to France and registering it in France). It is possible to legally drive a UK registered vehicle which is insured with a French insurer, but the time allowed for registration is one month, or up to a maximum of three months in the case where a vehicle needs to be approved via the DRIRE. It will be necessary to go the local Hotel des Impots and ask them for a quittus fiscal certificate. The certificate is free and incorporates your authority to drive your UK vehicle on its foreign plates for a month (or however long agreed by the authorities), whilst you arrange the registration.
Car insurance for UK number plates
Many French insurance companies are not keen to offer a service of insurance for UK plated vehicles, with insurance laws tightening up on allowing agents to issue insurance certificates for foreign cars. The most helpful I have found are Frank Haloche and Claire Martinet, based in Ernee in the Mayenne department, (tel: 02 43 05 21 82, email: 4005417@agents.allianz.fr) , who speak excellent English and explain things clearly at all times. They are happy to operate at a distance, so it doesn't matter whereabouts in France you are based, everything can be done through email, telephone and post.

However, even the most helpful firms have to ask you to change the registration to a French one, as soon as possible. It used to be that you could insure a British plated vehicle for up to a year, occasionally longer in certain circumstances, but now by law up to six months is allowed for non-residents, with many agents now asking that the French registration is completed much sooner, within three months in certain cases. Your insurance ticket must be displayed in the front windscreen of the car. You should also ask for a "European Accident Statement" form so that should you be unlucky enough to be involved in an accident you can take all the details for your insurer in the proper manner.
Car insurance and tax in France
There is another reason too, for changing to a French plate as soon as possible. If you have a UK plated vehicle which is based in France, yet you make trips to the UK in that vehicle, you can run into the problem of tax. In France there is no system of tax discs as there is in the UK. This means that unless you continue to pay to maintain a UK tax disc, when you enter the UK you are immediately driving illegally. A fully French registered vehicle in England does not face this problem, as the differences in the systems are recognised and accepted.
UK tax disc requirements
Watch out too for the UK legal requirement that when your tax disc expires, you must either renew it, file a Statutory Off Road Notification or file a declaration that the vehicle has been scrapped or exported. If you do not do any of these things you have commited a summary offense and there can be unpleasant consequences. So you must not neglect your UK responsibilities, even if you are complying with the French requirements. In practical terms this means that you once you have insured your car in France and then registered it in France, you must terminate your liability to a UK tax disc by making the statutory declaration, in this case, that your car has been exported.
French car insurance
French car insurance is similar to, but different from the British system in certain ways. It is basically three tier, with the minimum legal requirement being third party insurance (au tiers) only. Remember this is essential on all vehicles even if off road. The next level is third party, fire and theft, (au tiers illimité, or au tiers complet) and the third is the fully comprehensive, (tous risques). After this, bespoke packages can be created to suit, with your agent adding cover as required. Generally the cost is considerably less than the cost of similar insurance in the UK. Your no claims can usually be carried over from your British insurance, but you will need to supply... guess what... lots of paperwork! Your insurer will send you a ticket to place on the windscreen to show that the insurance is in place. He will also send you an accident form (constat amiable), which you should carry in your vehicle at all times.
Driving licences for French residents
And something else to bear in mind is that if you are now a French resident insuring with a French insurer, you may have to get an International driving licence or a French driving licence. It may sound simple but it isn't necessarily so. You have to be resident in France six months before you can apply to change your licence. The form to be filled in is obtainable from the Sous-Prefecture or similar office, and you also need two passport photos, proof of identity (passport) and proof of domicile (EDF or FranceTelecom bill, or better still, a French medical card obtained from a doctor).
UK driving licences for French residents
However, to avoid having to apply for an International driving licence or French one, it is now possible if you are a French resident, to keep your UK driving licence until it's date of expiry, but you must be aware of a few things. Firstly, this used to be a problem and still is with some French insurers, as many wouldn't accept a UK driving licence. As this is now EU law however, this shouldn't be a problem for much longer. Secondly, you must still have a UK address for your UK driving licence, even if it is your previous UK address. Thirdly, you will still need to follow French law regarding driving licences, eg: age restrictions, validity of licences, medical checks. And finally, if you incur penalty points or road traffic offenses on your licence in France, you will need to change to a French licence. This is more likely to occur if stopped in person by the police.
How to get French car insurance
Apart from those mentioned earlier who also deal with UK plated vehicles, there are insurance (assurance) agents in every town... probably several of them. If your French is good enough you could try the straightforward "walk in" approach and see what services they can offer you. (Learning to speak French - Misadventures in a Foreign Tongue). If your French is shaky, however, the tried and tested "word of mouth" system is useful. Talk to other ex-pats in your area, find out what companies they use and what services are offered.
French car insurance companies AXA and AGF
Failing this, there are two large car insurance companies which are well versed in dealing with British drivers who need to insure vehicles in France. These are AXA and AGF. AXA have UK agents, and both companies have many English speaking staff (although not necessarily in every office). You do not, of course, need to insure with a local agent as everything is done by post, so you can use an English speaking agent from the other end if the country if you can't find one locally. Shop around until you find the package... and the agent... that suits you.
Final car insurance advice
Insurance is one of those things in life which can seem an expensive hassle until you need it. Then it magically becomes the wisest and best thing you ever did!

Other articles which may be of interest:

French Connections
Introduction to France
Life in France

** Please note that the above article was updated in October 2010 **
About the author
Joanna Simm moved to the Languedoc area of south-west France in October 2004 having found her property through French Property Links.

your questions...
1. A visitor to the site is looking for a car to buy in south-west France (added 12/2/09)...
Hello - our daughter is now working and living in south-west France. After her green card ran out on the UK car (which has now been officially scrapped in France ) she finally found and bought an expensive second-hand Clio which was going great until an accident caused by a third party wrote it off. Now we need to find her a suitable car again with a smaller than hoped insurance settlement on the Clio. Can anyone help direct us to a decent left-hand registered car in this area around 2002-2009 plate - something like a Renault? Many thanks.

2. A question about keeping a car off-road in France (added 13/8/09)...
Hi there - because of the recession I have to return to New Zealand for 2/3 years. I have have had a French car for about 4 years. I attempted to sell it to the Ford dealer from whom I bought it, and even though the car is 10 years old, and has never gone wrong, they said they could scrap it for me! My problem is, that I have to pay the AXA insurance - which I understand is "obligatoire" - and I don't have the money to do this. I simply want to leave the car in my garage until I return but without paying the insurance - how can I do this? Thank you.
Our reply...
Thanks for contacting us. I'm afraid that you do have to pay some insurance if you own the vehicle, even if it is kept in the garage and not used. But if you inform the insurers that it is off the road the insurance is usually not too expensive.
3. A question about scrapping a car in France (added 13/8/09)...
I've read your webpage with great interest. We have an old UK registered car in France and don't think it will last much longer. Can we scrap it in France? And what is the procedure?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I have checked with my colleague Joanna in France to see if she knows anything about the scrapping procedure, and she has the following to say:
"We have been trying to scrap an old car for months at our local scrapyard... no success to date so we are still paying insurance on a wreck that hasn't moved for two years! So guess what... it isn't simple... is anything here?


Firstly, you need all the paperwork before they will scrap it. That means carte grise, insurance docs, your passport etc... bill of sale and so on. The problem we are having is that it is a vicious circle... we bought it and found it didn't have an MOT... neither the seller (English) nor we knew at the time that the seller has to MOT it before sale. Hence, when it broke down (immediately!), we couldn't register it in our name because it had no MOT... and we couldn't get an MOT because we couldn't afford the parts needed (try a whole new car!) to fix it. No way it can be scrapped because we aren't officially the owners, as we haven't been able to transfer it officially. We actually went to scrap it with the old owners, but they are no longer officially the owners either... get the picture? And yet, all of us are apparently owners enough to have to pay insurance for the car... which is now residing in a field being a home for squirrels etc. Oh what fun.
So, my advice is...
If it is at all possible to avoid scrapping it in France, please do! Maybe if you have all the paperwork etc you will be ok... though I'm not sure you will get the same scrap value here as in the UK. This you should check out. Also, as you have a UK registered car, this will almost certainly allow them to come up with some complications here in France."
I hope this has been of use. I guess the first place to go is your local scrapyard, see what they say and then go from there. Good luck with it all!
An update from a visitor to the site (added 20/1/10)...
A visitor to our site has kindly forwarded an account of his experience with scrapping his car:
I went through the same process with my old car two years ago and was about to give up when there was a knock at the door. A young local man had noticed the car slowly declining outside my house and wondered if I wanted to sell it for the parts as he had a small business selling car parts. I told him that it was not for sale, but he could have it free of charge as long as it never came back. He was delighted and returned the next day with his father and an old tractor. His father thanked me and gave me a bottle of home-made spirit for my kindness. I have never seen or heard of the car since.

*** See "Your Comments" section No. 5 for further information on scrapping cars ***
4. A question about cancelling car insurance (added 15/10/09)...
Hi - was wondering if you could help me out with the situation at hand, with regards to a car I purchased in France. I bought the car in France over one year ago now and moved to the UK where I now reside. About seven months ago my French car broke down about three weeks after being here and it was a huge amount of money to fix so I didn't bother. The car was then towed away which I have got proof of from RACV that it got towed back to my home and they suggested I sold it for scrap metal. But I don't have a document to say that. I signed the persons document and we made agreement that he had full ownership and both signed the A4 piece of paper which we both signed on the 12th of April.

The car is most likely scrap metal as it was undriveable and could not be taken back to French soil. Now my French insurance company is saying they won't cancel the insurance policy. They are expecting me to pay for a car I don't have anymore. Which I think is outrageous seeing as I don't even live there anymore and will not be returning. I've sent them proof of the sale and the towing and how it was bought.

Can't they just track the numberplate and see where it was last and they will find out it's no longer in France and insured. And if the car is not in France why would I need to pay for it? Can you explain what I can do?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I have been in touch with my colleague who lives in France who says that this sort of thing is so typical. She says French insurance companies won't cancel policies unless you can provide buckets of paperwork.

You don't say exactly what is needed by the insurance company to cancel your policy with them, but I assume it is the details of the scrappage. Could you not contact the person who took it off your hands and get this from them? Or get a bill of sale sorted between you if this is needed?

Or what about just cancelling further payments from your bank? That would be the easiest option if you are paying on a montly basis. Although if you have paid in full and are seeking a refund from the insurance company, this obviously won't apply.

I'm afraid that is all the advice we can offer from here, but wish you luck in sorting it all out.
5. A question about leaving a car in France (added 12/11/09)...
Hello... I have just been reading about having an UK car in France, thanks for all your info. So... just to check with you, if I don't want to register it in France and I can get my insurance company to say that 90 days in France is acceptable, is that it? Ideally I would like to leave the car here in France from March to September, but think that sounds too long. Do you know any loopholes which can let me leave the car here for longer than 90 days?


Any advice gratefully accepted!
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I have checked with my colleague in France and understand that if you want to have your car in France for longer than your UK insurance company will accept, then your only option really is to insure the car through a French insurance company, maybe trying AXA or AGF. She mentions one she knows of in her neck of the woods who is Philippe Nelkin, AVIVA , Mirepoix (09). If he might be of use, his telephone number is 0561681685 and he apparently speaks good English.
I'm sorry we cannot be of more help.
6. A question about insuring a car in the UK for French residents (added 22/7/10)...
We are British with our main residence in France. We have a second home in the UK that we visit three or four times a year. A family member has recently given us his car to use as a runabout when we return. We are finding it impossible to obtain insurance for the car as we are no longer classed as British residents. I have made numerous calls to insurance companies without success. Do you know of any way I can insure the car? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I have been in contact with my colleague in France who wonders whether you have just checked UK insurance companies. Have you tried French insurance companies too? She says it may be possible to insure the car with a French company, to be used for short term use in the UK. (She has a British registered scooter which she has insured with a French company, which is currently in the UK. The French company are aware of this and the insurance cover is valid for the UK.) Other than perhaps this also being possible for UK registered cars, I am unsure how your problem can be resolved. I'm sorry to not be able to help you further, but would be very interested to hear from you should you find a solution.
Update...
What a rigmarole trying to sort this out but we eventually did. Our French insurers gave us the expected Gallic shrug.
I was determined to find something but the non-resident factor kept blocking any chance. I searched ex-pat chat rooms and came across many similar incidences but one in particular mentioned an insurance company run by a Dutch man who was fluent in English and French and very knowledgeable. So I thought him worth contacting.
In a nutshell he said that there should be no reason if you are a UK home owner to be refused insurance - non-residents are considered high risk hence the exorbitant insurance rates for temp car insurance (£25 a day for just one driver). He advised that we contact two insurance companies who are prepared to consider unusual requests, namely SAGA & NFU. I phoned what would be our local NFU branch in Lancashire and spoke to a nice young man. He checked with their HO and bish bash bosh - fully comprehensive insurance arranged for us at a rate we would have paid if we were resident in the UK.

The very nice Dutch man is at Schreinemachers based in the Gers & can be found at http://www.insurance.fr/index.html for those who may find themselves in a similar situation.
7. A question about re-insuring a car in France, once insurance has lapsed (added 22/7/10)...
Hi, I moved to France and brought my UK insured car with me in December 2009. I have had the car off the road in France for the last six months and so I cancelled my UK insurance policy in January. Now I want to use the car again and I have just applied for a carte grise and have got a provisional certificate. I now want to get French insurance but have been told that I can't get the car insured as I don't have continuous insurance cover since January 2010. Can you help with how I can get the car insured? I didn't think I needed insurance as the car was off the road (as is the case in England) but now it seems that I may have had the car here illegally even though we haven't driven it since January.
Joanna Simm, author of the above article replies...
Yes, it is illegal not to insure your car in France, insurance is necessary even if the car hasn't been used. I do have a good insurance firm though who will insure a UK registered car for up to a year before it gets a carte grise, so you could try them, explaining your situation. If they can't help, I am sure they could tell you what to do. Their details are as follows:
Claire Martinet or Frank Haloche

Agent General
37 Rue Amiral Courbet
53500 ERNEE
Email: 4005417@agents.allianz.fr

Please say that Joanna Simm recommended them if you don't mind... goodwill is all! They are very good and they speak excellent English too... especially Claire.
8. A question about short term car insurance (added 23/11/10)...
I just purchased a car in the UK with intentions of sending it back home to the USA, but before I do that, I would like to use it in Nice, France for a short period (30 to 60 days) before I ship it over. I'm an American resident, with a American driving licence. Can I possibly get a short term insurance for this matter? The car has UK plates. My wife is a French resident, so would it be easier to do it through her? Would it be easier to keep the car registered in the UK under the seller's name and insure it there, and bring it here for 30 days as a tourist?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. If you now own the car I would think you will need insurance in your name, but you could try UK insurance companies who may cover you for 30-60 days in France. Perhaps you could also try the insurers mentioned above who are based in France.
9. A question about French car insurance and cars not in France (added 28/12/10)...
Hello, please could you help disentangle our problem. We have a house in France which we regard as home. Currently we have to be in the north-east of Germany for work but we visit our house regularly, on average once every two months. The longest period of absence since we came here in November 2008 has been two months five days. I have spent 100 or so days living there in the last twelve months.

We also have a car, which is registered in France and insured with Credit Mutuel, in both cases against our French address. When we came here, we wrote to Credit Mutuel, explaining our new situation. We had no reply. We are now trying to establish that our motor insurance is still valid. Credit Mutuel are not replying, denying receipt of faxes and generally being unhelpful. Language is not an issue because our French neighbour has drafted the letters and conducted the telephone calls. He speaks fluent English.

Looking at Wikipedia, it seems that each insurance contract includes a Carte Verte. Thus it is valid in each Carte Verte country, EU included. There is a provision that if the car is out of France for three months or more, then it must be insured in the country where it is. We have always used the car for our visits to France, public transport is difficult at both ends. Therefore it has not been out of France at any time for more than two months five days. So I think we are covered.

I and particularly my husband, who has wound himself up into a sleepless state over this matter, would be very grateful for your help asap. If you haven't time yourself, could you recommend an insurance agent?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. As mentioned previously in this article, perhaps you could try the following agents:


Claire Martinet or Frank Haloche
Agent General
37 Rue Amiral Courbet
53500 ERNEE

Tel: 02 43 05 21 82
Email: 4005417@agents.allianz.fr

They speak excellent English and explain things clearly at all times and are very helpful. They are happy to operate at a distance, so it doesn't matter whereabouts in France you are based, everything can be done through email, telephone and post.
10. A question about insuring an unused car (added 4/3/11)...
Hi - I have insured my Range Rover with AXA for the last four years, fully comprehensive. Unfortunately it has developed a piston problem and I am unable to drive it until I get a new engine sent over and refitted. I shall not be doing this until the summer, five to six months after my fully comp. insurance is renewed in March. I wish to down grade the insurance to 3rd party, but should it include fire and theft as it is outside?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I'm afraid I cannot answer your question except to say it is entirely up to you. If you are at all uneasy about leaving your car outside without being covered for fire and theft, it is probably best to take the extra insurance cover, if for nothing but peace of mind. I don't think you have to take this cover by law, 3rd party should be fine, but it would perhaps be best to check with AXA about this.
11. A question about car insurance for 13 months (added 4/3/11)...
I wonder if you can help me please. I am travelling by car to France on 19th February for a stay of 13 months and I'm finding the question of getting insurance and European breakdown cover very difficult. My current insurer will only insure me for a short time (with RAC European breakdown cover), but I thought I would just be able to get French insurance a couple of weeks into my stay, which is not the case wkithout registering the car in France. I have just found out about a UK insurer (Andrew Copeland Insurance Ltd) who will insure the car for 12 months - 11 months in France and 28 days in the UK. I don't think the 28 days have to be consecutive, but will ring them before the weekend to ask if this is correct and if it gets around having to register the car in France and the 6 months in 12 on UK plates rule. The car is 13 years old, value £500 and Copelands will only insure 3rd party, fire and theft, no breakdown cover. I hadn't heard of this company before, but they are registered on the FSA website for dealing with insurance products.

Do you think this policy would deal with the problem of registration and the 6 month rule? I don't really want to register if I don't have to as I'm planning on living in two different departments during my visit, and if I return to the UK I would then have to re-register it there. I have a UK property which is, and will remain, my permanent home, albeit I am currently trying to rent it out. Do you know if I will have to become a French resident during the 12 month period, even with a permanent UK home and making a couple of trips back to the UK?

One further question - do you know of any companies that I could contact re: European breakdown cover who would provide just that for the year?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. As mentioned previously, I would suggest you contact the insurer's, Frank Haloche or Claire Martinet, based in Ernee in the Mayenne department, (tel: 02 43 05 21 82, email: 4005417@agents.allianz.fr), who speak excellent English and explain things clearly at all times.

They might be able to help with both insurance and breakdown cover, or if not, may well be able to explain the options you have and point you in the right direction. Being French and based in France, they will know what rules and regulations you must abide by.
12. A question about insuring a car for visitors (added 4/3/11)...
We own three cars all fully comp. insured via AXA. We want to be able to allow a British visitors use of a car whilst they are here on holiday. Given that they are legally qualified drivers, ie: insured and fully licensed at home in England, do they have full cover here when driving our car? Thank you in anticipation.
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I would suggest you contact AXA and ask them, and also get your visitors to check with their insurance companies in the UK, as this will vary with each company.

If they do not provide this cover, you could check with the insurers mentioned above, as they seem to be able to help with most things.
13. A question about purchasing a car in Spain and importing it to France (added 14/4/11)...
Do you have any advice in terms of temporary insurance plans for the following situation? My fiance and I are now residing in Toulouse for work. We have found several vehicles in the Barcelona area that we are interested in purchasing. We are intending to rent a car and drive to Barcelona on the weekend in order to see the vehicles and most likely purchase one of them. We would then like to immediately drive it back to France with the intention of registering it as a French vehicle. Do you know if we need to have insurance from the time we purchase the vehicle until the time we are back in Toulouse? If so, do you know of any insurance company that offers temporary insurance, without knowing the exact vehicle information?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I would think you would need insurance from the point of owning the vehicle, so would suggest you contact the agents mentioned above, who might well be able to provide you with cover.
14. A question about car tax in France (added 14/4/11)...
Is there annual car tax in France? I have two cars both registered in France with a Certificate d' Immatriculation and both insured. But I don't have car tax or have I paid it when I registered the cars? And if so is this a once off payment?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. Car tax is currently not paid annually in France as it is in the UK. There is a charge/tax which you will have paid when you first registered your cars, and this works in lieu of an annual tax. This would have been a one-off payment, with no further tax due on your cars.
15. A question about buying a car with a US driving licence (added 14/4/11)...
I would like to know if I can buy a car in France, and register and insure it as well? I am French citizen (and U.S. citizen) but I would like to use my U.S. driving licence (as a visitor). Is that possible or legal (to avoid taking the French driving exams)?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I understand that US citizens who are French residents are required to apply for a French driving licence if they want to buy, register and insure a car in France and/or after one year from the date of their first Carte de Séjour.

What exams you would need to take depends on where in the US your driving licence was issued ie: whether you have to do both the driving test and the written exam or just written exam.

However, as I am not an expert in these matters, I would suggest you contact your local Préfecture de Police, Préfecture, Sous Préfecture or French embassy/consulate, who would be able to give you accurate advice.
16. A question about car insurance and an MOT (added 20/5/11)...
We have recently insured a UK car in France via a company recommended to us in Nice who are happy to insure UK plate cars. Do we need an MOT and if so, apart from the Insurance document what else would we need to get this?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I would suggest you check with your insurance company as to what you need, though I would assume a current MOT/Côntrole Technique is required. Our article "Taking a car to France and registering it in France" (http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/essential/registering-car-france.html) writes about what you need to do to get a Côntrole Technique, though this does seem to depend on where you get this done. It might be easier to check with the garage concerned.
17. A question about cheaper car insurance (added 8/12/11)...
Hi - I have a LHD French registered and insured car. I am insured with Groupama but it seems very expensive (over 350 Euros for basic cover with less than 8000 kilometre "milage" per year). Does anyone know of cheaper options? Also is it possible to get an English version of the form one uses in case of accident? Any help would be appreciated.
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. You may like to try the following agents, previously mentioned in this article, for your car insurance:


They speak excellent English and explain things clearly at all times and are very helpful. They are happy to operate at a distance, so it doesn't matter whereabouts in France you are based, everything can be done through email, telephone and post.

You could also ask them about an English version of the accident form.
18. A question about keeping a second car in France (added 8/12/11)...
Hi, I have been reading all of your advice on car insurance with interest! We are in the process of buying a holiday home in France and would like to keep a car there for use when the house is occupied. Due to the cost of buying second hand cars in France, it is our intention to bring a car over from the UK. What should we do about insurance? Can we insure it via a UK insurer (in which case can we keep the British plates and do we need to keep paying annual road tax in the UK?) or must we use a French insurer (in which case I am assuming that we must convert the car to french number plates?)

Does anyone have any advice?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. With regards to keeping a car in France, I understand some UK companies will insure such a car in this situation with UK plates, but usually only for a period of 90 days. Also I think you would have to keep your UK tax up-to-date to satisfy their criteria. Certainly if you ever returned to the UK with the car you would be driving illegally without the tax disc.

French companies may insure the vehicle with UK plates, but most now want you to register for French plates if the car is staying in France. I would suggest you contact the following agents, previously mentioned, who may well be able to help with insurance, or at least point you in the right direction:
19. A question about period of car insurance (added 8/12/11)...
Hi - when I renewed my insurance the new contract stated insurance from Feb 2011 to Nov 2011. I asked why it only ran for nine months at the time and got no response. Stupidly I didn't pursue it and now AXA are wanting me to renew now. I am arguing that I thought it was for one year but they insist I pay now even though it shouldn't be renewed until end of Jan 2012. Also I paid 800 Euros for this and the contract showed only 600 Euros. I have emailed them a number of times and they just ignore my questions. Surely insurance should run for a year? The previous one did. Can you help?
Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links replies...
Thanks for contacting us. Car insurance can be taken out for any amount of time, but I have always understood most car insurance policies to run from year to year ie: on a yearly basis. But as I do not know the ins and outs of your insurance, I think the only thing you can do in this case is get an answer from your insurers. If they don't respond to your emails, ring them.

You may also wish to contact the following agents who are mentioned many times in this article, who may be able to help:

steps should be taken:

1. Obtain the CoC (Certificate of Conformity) for your car by applying to the British manufacturer / importer. I thought the French dealership for my Honda would have helped, but no, I had to apply to England for it. (Honda didn't charge for this.) Since it's valid across Europe, it's probably best to get the CoC before you come to France.

2. Get the "Quitus Fiscale" for your vehicle. For this, take all your car documents to the nearest Centre d'Impots including Registration Certificate, receipt and any other documents you have. Also take your passport(s) and a couple of utility bills for your French address. There's no charge for the QF.

3. If your car is over four years old, it needs a Controle Technique (like an MOT) from a garage advertising this service. Note that British MOT certificates aren't valid in France for the Immatriculation. Even if the car doesn't need a CT, you'd better change the headlights to ones that dip to the right. This will probably be the most expensive part of the business.

4. Armed with the Certificat de Conformite, Quitus Fiscale, plus all the above documents (don't forget the passports), go to your local Prefecture to obtain the Certificat d'Immatriculation. This currently costs 155 Euros.

5. Assuming you are a Brit who is now permanently resident in France, you will also need an International driving licence. Your British driving licence is valid only for driving. The French insurers won't do anything for you if you only have a British licence. To get an International driving licence, as mentioned above, you have to be resident in France for six months before you can apply to change your licence. The form to be filled in is obtainable from the Sous-Prefecture or similar office, and you also need two passport photos, proof of identity (passport) and proof of domicile (EDF or FranceTelecom bill, or better still, a French medical card obtained from a doctor). You should initially get the equivalent of a provisional driving licence, which the insurers will accept.

6. Take all the documents plus your new licence to a French insurer's office and get your car insured.

And a few more things to add:

a) Going to a Sous-Prefecture to get the Immatriculation means a wait of up to two weeks, whereas if you go to the main Prefecture in the department's principal city you will get the certificate immediately.

b) I was also advised that if you're desperate for insurance (e.g. if your UK insurance has run out or is invalid because you don't have a UK address any more) you can apply to the embassy in Paris for a temporary driving permit.

c) Many places advertise insurance (in France) given on your UK registered car, but I have also seen a few people's accounts of their experiences that have shown that such insurance is actually not strictly legal, and worthless! My advice is this, if you are having to wait for the six months till you can get insurance here, keep up your UK road tax and insurance, but tell the insurers that you are temporarily staying with a relative in England, and are on an extended house hunting holiday in France. Give the relative's address to the insurers and your insurance will still be valid. We have done just this, and encountered no problems.
2. A visitor to the site comments on AXA insurance (added 28/7/10)...
I have read some of your comments with regard to French car insurance with interest. I would advise anyone reading this that they should not under any circumstances insure anything with AXA, or do so at their peril.

I have been trying to cancel my AXA car insurance via their agent M. Malchirant in Lodeve for about five years now with no luck, he always manages to find a loophole.

Last year my new insurer (Allianz) personally sent the cancellation notice via recorded delivery as the French law decrees, but for whatever reason AXA refused to accept it and I ended up paying for two insurance policies for the same car, total cost over 900 Euros.

Again this year my new insurer has sent to Malchirant via recorded delivery notice of cancellation, guess what was delivered this morning, correct, another demand for AXA insurance.

My new insurer was horrified that AXA forced me to pay by threatening me with the French equivalent of the bailiffs, and he is in the process of trying to get me reimbursed with last years payment, but I am not holding my breath.

I would also dispute that French car insurance is cheaper, last year my elderly Clio, fully comp, with me having 40 years no claims cost over 500 Euros, a similar cover in the UK would be around £140.

Talking to a number of ex-pats in this area, if any one has trouble with a claim, the name AXA always seems to be in the same sentence, and there seems to be a growing number of cases where AXA is refusing to pay out. I hope it is nothing to do with us being foreigners and not knowing the laws, but it does make you wonder.

Once again I urge your readers not to go anywhere near AXA, apart from anything else, it must be the most expensive company in France.
3. A different experience with AXA insurance (added 6/12/10)...
I would like to give my experience of AXA in Tarn et Garonne (82) which is contradictory to your other comments, though expensive (600+ Euros for three-year old Clio). We have had the misfortune of two accidents in the last twelve years. The first one was a total write off and we had a tussle with the "expert" (individual insurance assessor) but our local AXA agent was very helpful and managed to half the difference between the expert valuation and the replacement value (as stated by L'Argus!). We did not lose our 50% No Claims.

The second accident was not so severe and because it occurred more than three years from the first one, there was no loss of No Claims bonus.

I am sure this is all up to the local agent. You could try the bank for insurance. Their attitude is "we charge everybody the same (ie millionaires and poor alike!)". Their quote against AXA's was 400 Euros. Though have you ever dealt with French banks... paperwork by the bucketful and their maths is not too good! Keep trying, it's all a matter of personal choice.
4. Further advice about car insurance and immatriculation in France (added 4/1/11)...
Hi - regarding your articles on car insurance in France, many people are complaining of the high cost. Admittedly, French car insurance is higher than the UK by probably 30% but the No Claims allowance is generally lower with a maximum of 50% initially. If anyone has problems acquiring good insurance rates it is worth trying the comparison search engine, Assurland which I regularly use. I have good insurance with Amaguiz, a subsidary of Groupama, but be sure to get all your facts correct and do everything via the internet otherwise they are a pain to deal with by telephone and never call you back. They operate solely by the internet and e-mail. I have not had any claims luckily so far so I cannot comment on that aspect. Good luck.

Also I believe Amaguiz will insure a UK registered car whilst it is in the process of immatriculation onto French registration plates. We have immatriculated 2 LHD EEU produced cars and a motorcycle, all without any real problems to date. We are now about to immatriculate a non EEU, Japanese UK grey import 4x4 which may prove "challenging".
5. A visitor to the site comments on scrapping cars in France (added 15/4/11)...
I have to date scrapped around 20+ UK registered cars in France. And not once have I been asked for any sort of paperwork. In fact the chap at our local scrapyard said something very French when I proffered the V5 for my first car. The same is to be found with French cars. We have needed to hand over the Carte Gris but no passports or anything else. Re: the three copies of the paperwork you would normally use to sell a car (one copy to you the seller and two copies for the buyer), they will also keep one copy and the third copy is for the Prefecture. The procedure is as simple as that. And I assure you I barely speak any French at all.

In fact we have now resorted to actually stripping cars ourselves and recycling the plastics etc. in the local dechetterie. The car bodies will be cut up and sold to the scrapyard and the rest we will be taking back to the UK for disposal. Why? If we sell the cars as a whole we will receive around 40-50 Euros per car (without tyres which are hard to dipose of). If we strip the car we get around 80-90 Euros per tonne for the body. We then get for the gearboxes and engines something around £160 to £180 per tonne (more if aluminium on them) and around £130 per tonne for the axles etc. A van will cost us around £250 to the UK and we will take back say 2.5 tonnes at a time. And copper/batteries are also at a much higher price in the UK than France.

So I believe it is easy to scrap your cars in France. Not very profitable, but certainly easy and if anyone wants to have any scrap moved we do it for free! And yes we are registered and do pay taxes. We also cover 53/49/44/35/72/61/14/50 but not everywhere in these departments. But quite regularly we will travel up to 100-125 kilometres, because we get to see the country we now live in as much as anything.