Have you found the car of your dreams at an advantageous price outside our borders? Before you start buying a car abroad, it is better to know the steps to take. Explanations.
Buying a vehicle abroad: new or used?
Buying a car abroad implies that you have thoroughly researched the condition of the car and the reputation of the seller. After this step, it is important to know if it is a new or used vehicle . The answer may seem obvious, but here too, you need to be well informed. To be considered used, a car must be registered for more than 6 months and have covered more than 6000 kilometres . Otherwise, it is a new vehicle.
If the steps are substantially identical whether it is a new or used vehicle, there are differences concerning VAT:
- New : VAT must be paid in the buyer’s country at the current rate (19.6% in France). The invoice paid to the seller is therefore exclusive of tax. You have a period of 15 days to pay the VAT to the tax office on which you depend .
- Used : the vehicle is paid for at the time of purchase abroad, all taxes included (TTC). The VAT on a used foreign car is therefore considered to have already been paid by the tax authorities. You therefore do not have to pay VAT in France.
Repatriation and insurance: what coverage?
In many cases, the vehicle has been removed from the files of its country of origin and can therefore no longer be driven legally since it is not registered.
If you bought your vehicle in Belgium or Germany, it is possible to obtain temporary plates and temporary car insurance valid up to the border. This allows you to be covered for a day, three days, a week or even a month depending on your needs.
If the vehicle has not been deregistered before the sale, the future owner can ask the seller to delay the deregistration until the return to France.
Once in France, the purchaser must request a provisional registration certificate from the prefecture of his choice. He will then obtain a provisional registration in the form CPI-WW valid for 1 month.
Whether it is the journey between the place of purchase and the border and then once in France, the vehicle must be insured . The vehicle may have retained the original license plates, be equipped with transit numbers or in CPI-WW. The insurer can issue a cover note, equivalent to a certificate of insurance.
This document proves the existence of a guarantee in the event of an accident and is in principle valid for the time that the final insurance contract is drawn up and signed.
What are the administrative formalities to be completed?
Registration must be done maximum one month after the purchase of your vehicle abroad . You must provide:
- a valid proof of identity ;
- proof of residence ;
- the registration application certificate ;
- proof of sale ;
- the old vehicle registration certificate ;
- a tax clearance ;
- the certificate of conformity or the identification certificate .
You can give power of attorney to your agent to carry out the registration formalities for your vehicle on your behalf. In this case, you must provide him with Cerfa N°13757 * 02.
