Reader question: How can I import a car from the UK to France?
Brexit has made it incredibly difficult to import cars from the UK into France. We take a look at why.
I want to import a car from the UK to France but it seems like the process is quite complicated ever since Brexit. What steps do I need to take?
Importing a car from the UK to France has never been straightforward, but Brexit has certainly made things harder.
Multiple dedicated car trading websites insist that only third-party professional exporters or people working in customs are capable of doing so successfully.
We will do our best to explain why.
What is the process?
The main difficulty is reaching the relevant customs officials to get the necessary authorisation to import a car in the first place.
On the British side, you will need to declare that you are exporting via National Export System. To do this, you must get an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number - but you can only obtain such a number if you are only moving goods for personal use (i.e. if you are simply bringing a car for yourself).
You will also need access to the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) platform - again this is only possible for traders. If you fail to declare your export officially, border officials may block you from entering France with the vehicle.
On the French side, you will ultimately need a 846A certificate to be able to drive your imported car legally - or to eventually sell it in France. Obtaining such a certificate is no easy feat. You will need to present the following documents to French customs officials after entering France:
- A UK car registration certificate;
- A receipt for the car, if you purchased it in the UK;
- A certificate of conformity from the original seller attesting whether or not the car was mostly designed or manufactured in Europe (this can reduce the amount of payable customs fees).
To obtain the 846A certificate, you will need also to pay VAT and customs charges unless you meet the following criteria:
- You have been living outside of the EU for more than one year and are moving to live in France;
- You own the vehicle and have used it for at least six months;
- You have listed the vehicle in the inventaire de vos biens (you have an insurance document proving that the vehicle belongs to you);
- It is a personal vehicle rather than commercial utility one;
- You have paid the required tax on the vehicle in the UK.
If you don't meet the above conditions, then you will have to pay the the tax and charges.
You will generally have to pay 10 percent of the value of the car as a customs charge, although this can vary. You will also need to pay a flat 20 percent VAT charge on the imported vehicle. In other words, unless you can get an exemption, it is very expensive to import a vehicle from the UK into France.
Our advice?
Don't import a car from the UK to France. Not only is it expensive, but unless you are running an import/export business, it is also pretty much impossible.
You are best off selling your vehicle in the UK and using public transport in France - or using the funds from the sale to buy a car on this side of the channel.
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I want to import a car from the UK to France but it seems like the process is quite complicated ever since Brexit. What steps do I need to take?
Importing a car from the UK to France has never been straightforward, but Brexit has certainly made things harder.
Multiple dedicated car trading websites insist that only third-party professional exporters or people working in customs are capable of doing so successfully.
We will do our best to explain why.
What is the process?
The main difficulty is reaching the relevant customs officials to get the necessary authorisation to import a car in the first place.
On the British side, you will need to declare that you are exporting via National Export System. To do this, you must get an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number - but you can only obtain such a number if you are only moving goods for personal use (i.e. if you are simply bringing a car for yourself).
You will also need access to the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) platform - again this is only possible for traders. If you fail to declare your export officially, border officials may block you from entering France with the vehicle.
On the French side, you will ultimately need a 846A certificate to be able to drive your imported car legally - or to eventually sell it in France. Obtaining such a certificate is no easy feat. You will need to present the following documents to French customs officials after entering France:
- A UK car registration certificate;
- A receipt for the car, if you purchased it in the UK;
- A certificate of conformity from the original seller attesting whether or not the car was mostly designed or manufactured in Europe (this can reduce the amount of payable customs fees).
To obtain the 846A certificate, you will need also to pay VAT and customs charges unless you meet the following criteria:
- You have been living outside of the EU for more than one year and are moving to live in France;
- You own the vehicle and have used it for at least six months;
- You have listed the vehicle in the inventaire de vos biens (you have an insurance document proving that the vehicle belongs to you);
- It is a personal vehicle rather than commercial utility one;
- You have paid the required tax on the vehicle in the UK.
If you don't meet the above conditions, then you will have to pay the the tax and charges.
You will generally have to pay 10 percent of the value of the car as a customs charge, although this can vary. You will also need to pay a flat 20 percent VAT charge on the imported vehicle. In other words, unless you can get an exemption, it is very expensive to import a vehicle from the UK into France.
Our advice?
Don't import a car from the UK to France. Not only is it expensive, but unless you are running an import/export business, it is also pretty much impossible.
You are best off selling your vehicle in the UK and using public transport in France - or using the funds from the sale to buy a car on this side of the channel.
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