Controle Technique and Car Insurance

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Polly and Steve
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Controle Technique and Car Insurance

Post by Polly and Steve »

Sorry folks, this is the thinly disguised old chestnut of re-registering UK cars in France, but not exactly! Technically we don't have to re-register my 1995 VW Golf at the moment because although she remains smugly in the P-O, we are still rooted in the UK and only spend short spells in Ceret and just tootle about locally for a couple of weeks at a time. The car is still registered under our UK address and has fully comp insurance through Norwich Union which allows for 90 days driving in France, both of these things valid until the end of August 2008. The UK MOT, however, is up at the end of May and my query is would we be able to take the car for its controle technique at a local centre to save me having to do a day trip to Dover (the headlights have already been converted properly to comply) and having obtained the French version, could we then insure the car with a French company? It's a great car with low mileage but my hesitation about going down the full re-registering route is partly to do with the fact that once we settle full-time in Ceret in about a year's time we will buy a 'proper' French car and partly to do with the age of the car - it's going to be a complicated and lengthy process because I'll have to apply through DRIRE in Perpignan for a certificate of conformity. (I've tried talking to VW here in the UK and in France and they just say that the car was manufactured before these certificates were available - not very helpful!) So, it's just to see if we can tide ourselves over legally for another year before we bring the dear old girl back here to sell (but sshhh, don't let her know!) - any comments very welcome please.
ruby
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Post by ruby »

some people do insure their uk cars with french insurer s,but i was told that this would become invalid if you do need to claim, and the insurers that will touch uk cars are becoming harder to find. With regards to registering vehicles in France,its not as complicated as it seems as long as you get up to date info on whats needed. I registered an old van here not long ago it was made in 1987 and i got the Certificate de Conformite from the french manufacturers even though it was english. Hope this is of some help.
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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

Mind the new tougher rules from 01Jan2008!
Some points: http://www.french-news.com/content/view ... 3/lang,en/
In French: http://www.paruvendu.fr/I/Controle-tech ... lus-severe

Plenty of other references on Google. Presumably registering an old car now in France would entail a contrôle technique under the stricter rules??

Can't find an official "Govt" page on this issue!
DavidB
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Post by DavidB »

Polly and Steve,
If you requested a Control Technique for your car, you would probably get one OK, although I doubt if it would be recognized by the UK authorities (DVLC?) as being valid there.
I'm surprised that you can't get a Certificate of Homologation for the car, I got one OK for my 1978 MGB when I registered it in France in 1993. I contacted the Rover Cocessionnaires in Paris, and they were quite helpful.
Regarding French insurance, you should be able to get cover here, although it may be on condition that you get it registered in France within a certain time.
I suggest you try a couple of insurance companies and see what they say.
There's no easy way round the system, except for those people who decide to drive their UK-registered cars around here without tax, insurance or Control Technique...which I personally don't support.

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john
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Post by john »

I'd agree with what David says,Polly.Our daughter (who is in car insurance in the UK) assures me that a French CT will NOT do in lieu of a Brit MOT in the view of UK insurance companies.

As you say,basically you have 2 choices:

1, Drive the car up to Dover,get it MOT'd ,taxed and insured there.

2, Get it put on Fr 66 plates,and thereby "export it" to France. For this you'll need to see the DVLA anyway to get a certificate of export.

Certainly there's no problem getting a CT done on a GB reg car in France.Basically you have to do it,as you cannot obtain F plates without having had a CT!

Bearing in mind whar Roger says above,I'd say your best option would be take the Golf back to GB,sell it there,and then use the cash to buy a LHD one here.
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