Importing a car from an EU country: all the documents to gather

To register in France a used car bought in another EU country, you must scan on the ANTS website the original registration certificate, the tax clearance certificate (quitus fiscal), proof of a roadworthiness test, a technical conformity document, as well as the sale documents and your personal supporting documents. The seller provides the sale documents and the original certificate, the manufacturer the conformity document, and the tax authority the quitus.

The list of documents

According to Service-Public.fr, for a vehicle previously registered in a European Union country, you must provide a digital copy (photo or scan) of the following documents.

The foreign registration certificate

This is the original registration certificate, "without special mention", or an official document proving ownership of the vehicle. If the registration certificate was kept by the administrative authorities of the foreign country, provide instead an official document saying so, or a valid international certificate for motor vehicles issued by those authorities. Ask the seller for it before paying. Some countries require the vehicle to be deregistered or the plates to be returned before leaving their territory, which must be settled before departure.

The invoice or transfer certificate

You need the transfer certificate or the invoice issued by the seller, as well as form cerfa no. 15776 (declaration of transfer), completed and signed by the former and the new owner (each co-owner must sign). If you have lost the signed form, you will have to contact the seller to redo it. For the tax clearance certificate, the purchase invoice is used when you buy from a garage or a company, and the transfer certificate when you buy from a private individual.

The technical conformity document

One of the following:

• the European certificate of conformity (COC), issued by the manufacturer (it may be issued in digital form);
• the identification certificate of the vehicle to the Community type, issued by the manufacturer or its representative in France or by the Dreal;
• if you have a definitive EU-harmonised registration certificate (CIEU), a technical data verification certificate issued by the Dreal;
• in all other cases, an individual type approval (RTI) issued by the Dreal.

The COC is a document, in force in the EU since 2009, proving that European standards were respected when the vehicle was built. It only covers vehicles under 3.5 tonnes whose first registration is after 1996, and not old or collector vehicles, modified vehicles or prototypes.

The tax clearance certificate (quitus fiscal)

This is the certificate attesting that the vehicle is in order for VAT. It must be provided, unless the registration application bears a waiver mention granted by the tax authorities. The procedure and the documents it requires are detailed below.

Proof of roadworthiness test

It is required unless the vehicle is exempt. For a passenger car more than 4 years old, the test must be less than 6 months old on the date of the application; if a retest was prescribed, the 2-month period to carry it out must not be exceeded, otherwise a new test is needed. It must have been carried out in France or in an EU country if the vehicle was registered there. See reading a roadworthiness test report.

Your personal documents and the form

• proof of address less than 6 months old (for co-holders, the one whose address will appear on the certificate);
• form cerfa no. 13750;
• if you are doing the procedure for someone else, a signed power of attorney and that person's ID;
• the holder's identity (surname, first names, sex, date and place of birth, phone, email address), and a declaration on your honour that the applicant has vehicle insurance and a driving licence for the vehicle's category.

You do not need to attach a copy of the driving licence, but it may be requested during processing.