Certificate of Conformity?

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 17:22

I am researching the requirements needed for registering a UK car onto French plates. I have read that the reason the Certificate of Conformity is required is to show the Type Approval Number ("numéro de reception" ). This number is already on the UK registration document so is a certificate of conformity still needed or will the UK registration document suffice?
No point spending £140 if it is not needed.

cufc · Post by **cufc** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 17:42

In our recent experience, certificate of conformity is essential-and if the car is in a married woman's name don't forget to take her birth certificate with you as well as passport. , cert of con and import certificate to Prefecture. maybe you will avoid THREE trips.

Hymie · Post by **Hymie** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 17:46

If you want full chapter and verse go to the DRIRE offices in Perpignan ( Monday mornings only ) and they will give you a list of the documentation you need to rematriculate your car. Unfortunately for you the Certificate of Conformity is one of them and as we know logic cuts no ice with French bureaucracy £140.00 seems very expensive I have rematriculated three vehicles so far without any problems.

Regards,

Toujours a Vacances !

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 17:50

Hope it's not a Renault you're doing!!!

I tried to do my Renault Espace and, in fact, Renault Espaces for the UK market are not made by Renault they're made by Matra. And it costs more money to get the ta certificate from Matra than it does from Renault!!!

We took our car to the garage for the controle technique and he did it all for us, Kathy. Our garage is Mach et fils at Ceret. Can't recommend him highly enough - AND his secretary speaks good English!

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 17:53

Thanks for the prompt replies. As you say Hymie logic doesn't come into it. More for the paperwork mountain.
No Thumbers it is a mini we are considering purchasing. Thanks for the garage recommendation, we will need one for a CT and if he is willing to assist even better.

cufc · Post by **cufc** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 17:58

Prefecture in Perpiganan is open Monday to Friday. Just take utility bill, ID, Import Certificate from local Centre of Public Finances, driving licence, log book and completed, downloadable Demande De Cetificat D'immatriculation D'un Vehicule. Take a ticket like at the deli counter, watch for your number and go to counter. Good luck.

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 18:09

Most helpful and informative, Thanks.

mpprh · Post by **mpprh** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 18:53

The prefecture at Gard and Herault ask for a certificate of conformity issued by the French importer or manufacturer.

Now, it may well be true that strictly all EU certificates of conformity are Europe wide. It may also be true that without the French variant of the CoC, you can register the car - but do you need the hassle ? They can make life very difficult !

I last imported a car about 2 years ago, and from arriving at the front of the Prefecture queue to walking out with my new Carte Grise was under 2 hours. I had a French issued CoC !

In 1999 I had an EU CoC covering a range of VIN's . Not accepted at the Prefecture ! I then got the identical French speaking variety and the registration was straight forward.

BTW, you may still have problems if the car was originally a grey import to EU, or the specific model variant was never sold in France, or the vehicle has been modified (say to LPG).

Anyone with more recent info ?

Peter

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 19:03

Certainly if the model isn't available in France, you'll have problems.

We have a small 7.5 tonne Iveco truck that we can't use over here because over here it was called a Ford, not an Iveco. There is a garage in the department which runs the IDENTICAL vehicle but because it's badged as a Ford, no problem!

Iveco UK can't help with the problem and Iveco France don't want to help with the problem.

So the truck is waiting to make the trip back to the UK.

cufc · Post by **cufc** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 19:05

Neither my Volvo model nor my husband's Triumph bike model were ever sold in France and we had to get C oC from Volvo/Triumph France. Like mppr says, with all the right documents it should take no more than two hours at the Perpignan Prefecture to walk out with Carte Gris. This was a month ago.

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 19:09

I will get a CC in French then if I can from Mini. I can do without bureaucratic hassle.

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Tue 27 Oct 2009 19:09

Guess we were just unlucky that the truck was an Iveco then !

They were bloody unhelpful to say the least!!

pfrancis · Post by **pfrancis** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 10:19

Kathy,
I suggest you get to the prefecture not long before they close, say 25/30 mins. This seems to help as they are forced to complete the job before heading home. I registered a german manufactured car and the certificate of conformity was in German. The person typing asked me some questions as her German was lacking, I offered a friendly Gallic shrug and her colleaque helped her shortcut some of the fields on her computer. 16.59 and one Carte Gris.

I'm not sure how anyone can justify a large fee to send you a certificate of conformity? A UK Renault dealer sent me one for another car free of charge. Perhaps I was just lucky?

If you have all your paperwork in order then I think arriving at Prefecture late may help.

Paul.

collioure_bee · Post by **collioure_bee** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 10:23

Reading between the lines, does that mean it might be worth trying to get a certificate of conformity from the UK?

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 10:31

Renault in France charge 125€ and Matra charge 145€, so probably, Bee, yes.

pfrancis · Post by **pfrancis** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 10:36

I can only base this on my own experiences. I requested a cc from the UK dealer that supplied the Renault and no hassle or charges. That said, I can understand them applying a fee fo perhaps 20-25 quid but not 100+ which is not on.

I think UK is best bet for cc's.

Paul.

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 11:12

Nice to see a clean "stick to the point" thread!
Shows that when it's a matter of serious interest to everyone
we all club together!

I can't help with this one though as it's outside my personal experience.
Never had to move any car from/to the UK from/to France - and the car we
moved from Switzerland to France back in 94 was subject to the old procedure with
all that involved concerning the "Service des Mines"
My company did most of the paper work on that anyway as it was
a "company paid" move.

cufc · Post by **cufc** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 11:22

Depends on the make of car. Volvo charge and won't do it from UK. A friend got his Peugeot one in England free but they said they were going to charge some time in the future. Check before leaving, I'd say.

Hymie · Post by **Hymie** » Wed 28 Oct 2009 15:49

Hi again,
I said I had rematriculated three vehicles without problems. The first and third ones were Lexus with an EU Cert issued by Lexus UK at no charge. and the other was a motorhome and I sourced the Cert from the manufacturer in Germany, again at no charge. If you go to the Sous Prefecture in Ceret it is quieter and they were very quick in dealing with me although I do agree it is better if you go not long before they close. By the way if you are using Ceret you have to go to the tax office in Ceret first with all your documents and pay the registration tax before you go top the Sous Prefecture My reccomendation is that you source the C of C in the UK. Good luck

Tom,

Toujours a Vacances !

Neil & Gina Watson · Post by **Neil & Gina Watson** » Thu 29 Oct 2009 10:20

Hello Kathy,
I don't know if I am missing something here but why not just buy a French car? If your proposed mini is a U.K. right hand drive you will have to change the headlights for starters. You will also be sat at the wrong side of the car at car park ticket machines and also motorway toll booths. Why have the hassle?

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:43

Number of reasons really. I prefer to drive a RHD car, a major factor is that they are considerably cheaper in the UK. Hubby has a contact for headlights and I have a telepeage for the motorways . The car park is a pain but only usually use them when I have a passenger.

collioure_bee · Post by **collioure_bee** » Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:08

pfrancis, you are a diamond, (whether you are a part of a clique or not - mischevious titter).

On your information I have just phoned Renault UK and they will do me a certificate of conformity free, within two weeks. They were very, very helpful, just needing a couple of things, copy of passport, proof of residence, and ownership of car. They said it was free if you had a UK registered vehicle but it would cost sixty quid if it was foriegn registered.

Thank you for saving me money! I can soon have my 66 plate (albeit a small 66 nowadays!) - ooh and drive it in UK without paying tax lol.

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:16

Get him a pint in CB. I hope my experience will be the same.

collioure_bee · Post by **collioure_bee** » Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:42

PINT??? Have you seen the prices in Collioure? lol. He is welcome to one when he comes down here.

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