Registering a vehicle imported from Germany in France

In 2022, more than 4 out of 10 French people bought a car in Germany. The German market has always been popular for these many used car offers at very attractive prices. It is possible to save up to 25% compared to a French vehicle. However, the process of registering a German car in France is sometimes difficult for first-time buyers of imported vehicles.

What are the formalities to do in Germany?

Once you have purchased the German car, the seller must register the transfer with the German prefecture. The German registry service informs the French authorities, namely the ANTS. Once this operation has been carried out, you will have to think about repatriating your German vehicle to France. To do this, it is necessary to apply for a temporary CPI WW valid for 4 months.

You also have the option of bringing the vehicle back to France with German transit plates. These are more expensive than the French provisional registration certificate WW.

What are the formalities to be done in France for a car imported from Germany?

As with the purchase of a French vehicle, you have 1 month to apply for a registration document for your imported car. Otherwise, you risk a PV of 135 €. To avoid this situation, the temporary CPI WW remains the alternative solution. The WW offers you the possibility of driving with your vehicle for 4 months while waiting to receive your definitive French registration document.

Since November 2017, requests for gray cards have been made on the ANTS state website. Many authorized sites also offer you the possibility of doing the process at home, such as www.CarteGrise-Guichet.fr

CarteGrise-Guichet supports you in your administrative procedures for applying for a French registration document to register your German vehicle.

What documents are needed to apply for a German vehicle registration document?

Here is the list of documents to provide:

• German registration certificate
• European COC certificate of conformity to be ordered on coc-europe.fr
• Purchase invoice or deed of transfer of the German vehicle
• Tax certificate or tax clearance to claim from the tax department
• Driver's license
• Application for registration certificate
• CT less than 6 months old
• Insurance certificate

What is the cost to register a car imported from Germany in France?

The price for obtaining the gray card of a German vehicle depends on several parameters

• Vehicle date
• Vehicle category
• Fiscal horsepower of the vehicle
• Vehicle Co2 rate
• Vehicle fuel type

The cost to register a 2022 BMW X5 M50 car imported from Germany is €18,000 (of which €15,000 € penalty). To register a 2022 BMW X5 45 e Hybrid car purchased from Germany is 13.76 €

To this, it will be necessary to add the price of the WW, the price of the CT and the certificate of conformity.

Is the certificate of conformity mandatory for a German car?

Yes, the manufacturer's COC or certificate of conformity is mandatory to apply for a gray card. The ANTS uses the certificate of conformity for you to edit the gray card because on the German gray card, there are not all the characteristics of the vehicle.

The certificate of conformity can be issued free of charge by the initial importer of the vehicle. It will therefore be necessary to contact the first importer to request the free certificate of conformity.