Be Aware: New Road Sign

A new French road sign, already evident on some parts of France’s motorway network, is being rolled out to the whole of France. Following an official decree published on August 24, 2020, the new sign indicates that a lane has been reserved for carpooling, as well as certain categories of vehicle, including buses, cabs and […]

The cost of a ‘carte grise’ for a car imported from the UK 

by Gerald Humphreys Depending on the nature of your vehicle, you will have to pay several taxes to register your UK car. • The regional tax: its amount is obtained by multiplying the rate of the tax per horsepower applicable in your region of residence. However, you will benefit from a partial or full exemption […]

Expansion of France’s low-emission zones

Environment minister Christophe Béchu has announced that there will be a major expansion of the zones à faibles émissions, known as ZFE, that will see certain types of vehicle banned from town and city centres by 2025. These zones already exist in 11 French cities but by the end of 2025, they will be compulsory for […]

Exchanging your UK driving licence

by Gerald Humphreys On Monday 28 June 2021 the French and British authorities reached an agreement on the continuity of mutual recognition of valid driving licences which were issued prior to 1 January 2021.  So no need to exchange a British licence for a French one.  Similarly French drivers living in the U.K. with a […]

Procedures for importing and registering a UK vehicle in France

You now need to know about customs fees, supporting documents, reception procedure and registration. Customs fees represent 10% of the value of your car, 0% for classic cars over 30 years old. VAT remains at 20%, 5.5% for classic cars over 30 years old, but when importing a vehicle it is now calculated on the […]

Registering Your Car in France

by Gerald Humphreys After the importing of your UK registered car, you are allowed one month to get the “carte grise” (French logbook) in your name, as there is the possibility of a fixed fine of 135 € if you don’t. If you are importing a used car from the UK, whether you bought it […]