Registering a vehicle imported from Switzerland in France

In 2022, more than 1 in 10 French people bought a car in Switzerland. The Swiss market has always been popular for these many used car offers at very attractive prices. It is possible to save up to 15% compared to a French vehicle. However, the process of registering a Swiss car in France is sometimes difficult for first-time buyers of imported vehicles.

What are the formalities to be done in Switzerland?

Once you have purchased the Swiss car, the seller must register the transfer with the Swiss prefecture. The Swiss registers service informs the French authorities, namely the ANTS. Once this operation has been carried out, you will have to think about repatriating your Swiss 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 Swiss 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 Switzerland?

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 Swiss vehicle.

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

Here is the list of documents to provide:

• Swiss registration certificate
• European COC certificate of conformity to be ordered on coc-europe.fr
• Purchase invoice or deed of transfer of the Swiss vehicle
• 46A clearance certificate
• 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 Switzerland in France?

The price to obtain the gray card of a Swiss 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 2023 BMW X6 M50 car imported from Switzerland is €40,000 (of which €35,000 € penalty). To register a 2023 BMW X6 45 e Hybrid car purchased from Switzerland 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 compulsory for a Swiss 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 Swiss 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.