Is it possible to register a used motorhome from another EU country in France?

May 9, 2018

Well, the short answer is “Yes”, provided it conforms to European regulations and you can comply with the French ownership criteria but for 2018 there has been a radical change to the way in which vehicles are registered here in France that we thought you should know about.

Under the old system it was possible to import a vehicle from any EU member country and as long as you had the correct paperwork, you could visit the relevant government office and register it straight away. Under the new system, you can only register a vehicle online using an automated system.

This is actually really handy and quick if you have purchased a vehicle which is already registered in France so does not affect anyone buying a used French vehicle from us. However, used vehicles which have been imported in to France (even from a neighbouring EU country such as Germany) are now subject to a special process with new rules. They cannot be registered by an individual unless that person can prove they have a personal French tax identity and are actually resident in France.

Even if you can prove you are resident, supporting paperwork must be submitted to the registration authorities for approval and they are currently quoting a four to six month delay to even respond to applications so you could wait for half a year, only to be declined registration. During that time you would not be able to drive or insure the vehicle as it will not be registered in your name.

New vehicles from within the EU are not affected as they can be registered by a government accredited dealer (which we are) directly into the online system.

It has always been a very complex and uncertain process to import vehicles from non-EU countries for use here but in previous years, we have helped our clients to import and register vehicles from other EU countries. This new system makes it too uncertain a process to get involved with so we are no longer able to offer a registration service for used import vehicles. Used vehicles with existing French registrations are unaffected.

Happily, there is a vast choice of motorhomes and campervans for sale in France and our solution for overseas buyers is totally unaffected by the new registration system (if anything it is even more streamlined now that it’s all online). Do get in touch if you’d like us to guide you through the process of buying and registering a motorhome in France.