motorhomeninja Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 We own a tiny house in the Mayenne region of France. We don't stay more than six months a year in France. Does anyone know the legalities of buying a LHD motorhome in France, registering and insuring it to the French property address etc and using it in Europe and the UK. Can we avoid the DVLA and use a French MOT? Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports This may be of some use Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorhomeninja Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Looks like that's a no then! Thanks, Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 why are you worried about registering it here..pretty straightforward except for the DVLA element but that manageable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 If you need to avoid acquiring residency status in your French home, perhaps for personal tax reasons, then that could be an obstacle to operating your vehicle based in France, but there's a fair chance that the French equivalent of HMRC and DVLA aren't terribly synchronised, in which case you should be able to register and insure in France as if you are resident in France. You would be free to bring it to UK as often and for as long as you like - and although in theory you should import and register it in UK if you stay longer than 6 months I doubt there is any checking process if you overrun. The French are notoriously difficult about importing non-EU vehicles into France, so buying in UK and then taking a MH to France and registering it could be a nightmare, especially for an American RV, but buying a MH in France (or maybe in Germany, where there will be more choice) and then registering it in France should be easy enough. I have no idea whether operating a vehicle based in France (regisration, MOT and insurance) is more or less costly than in UKbut it would be worth researching that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 We have bought 3 motorhomes whilst living in France. It costs about 280 euro to register, no road tax, CT (equivalent of UK MOT) was 55 euro every 2 years, insurance is about the same as UK and can be done with the same company that you insure your house with. I can't see a problem unless someone complains in the UK then they would have to prove how many days you are here. Now the hard part, if you decide to bring it back to uk and re-register it, which we did with our present motorhome when we moved back to UK, we needed to provide the certificate of conformity from the manufacturers and order an overlay for the dashboard to change from km to miles, change the headlights and provide a letter from the garage to say these had been done, then advised HMRC that the vehicle was in the UK, then registered at NOVA and paid £100, sent mot certificate, NOVA certificate and import documents and COC to DVLA together with road tax amount and we received our registration within a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 motorhomeninja - 2015-07-14 3:56 PM We own a tiny house in the Mayenne region of France. We don't stay more than six months a year in France. Does anyone know the legalities of buying a LHD motorhome in France, registering and insuring it to the French property address etc and using it in Europe and the UK. Can we avoid the DVLA and use a French MOT? Graham As others have said, if you have an address in France, you can do as you propose and buy in France (in which case it will automatically be registered in France), and insure in France (as it would be registered to a French address, it would have to be insured in France). The controle technique (French MoT) will have to be carried out in France, as such tests are only legally valid if carried out in the vehicle's country of registration. In principle the system is the same as in UK although the agencies are not exact equivalents, their names translate differently, and of course they work in French! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Brian, If you are going to re-register a vehicle in France you must be able to have it CTd as the CT is one of the documents required for re-registration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I am fairly sure the system is the same in Spain where we basically keep our UK reg motorhome. The rules of more than 6 months apply, but are virtually impossible to Police. When not in use we are stored in a warehouse and we do take regular trips back to the UK, round Spain and France. Also no problem with buying either UK or any country vehicle, but if you buy a Spanish van, then you are really restricted if you want to bolt on bits, or add towbars etc, as, in Spain it is a difficult and quite costly process. The bottom line, I feel is that it is probably your onus to prove you weren't in whichever country of registration, for less than 6 months, should the unlikely need arise. That said, you must, of course have motoring legality, (tax and insurance and MOT) in the country of registration. We return each year to UK for the MOT, and our insurance allows 365 days of travelling, so UK registration is not really a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Randonneur - 2015-07-15 8:39 AM Brian, If you are going to re-register a vehicle in France you must be able to have it CTd as the CT is one of the documents required for re-registration. However, the OP said he would buy the van in France, so re-registration would not arise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombies Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 When I lived in france and had a camping car my insurance covered I think 30 days abroad use, you would have to ask insurance companies there. I know if you register one here Saga (im not old enough) cover 365 days abroad. If you buy one in France you will be liable to a fee based on its CV rating, I think my 8cv transit was 140 euros, my subau Impreza was 400 euros to put the Carte gris (V5) in my name (this was 2008), you will need to have insurance to do so as well as the actual carte gris (with Vendu written across it) along with a sales invoice and forms filled in (certificate immatricullation & cession), also passport, edf bill, a CT (MOT) no more than 6 months old so at least 18 months left on it. You used to have new plates made up for the department number but that might not be the case now. Buying one here and registering one there is a hell of a lot harder than registering one here, so think carefully if you go down this route. edit : oh, and you're supposed to pay by cheque or bank transfer if over 1000 euros. I deposited about 4k once and had to fill forms in and prove where it came from, its not the done thing to pay by cash. I also had a uk reg'd car insured for 5 years in france along with a CT every 2 years, I know this might not be the done thing but my insurance company were ok with it t the time. You can CT (controle technique) a UK regd vehicle while you register it. Registering one there can be a nightmare, you need all sorts of papers (from the chassis maker and living area) you will need several trips to the department office (forgot the name), they will inspect it, suggest changes (in my case) before allowing you to register it. I have know people to go to Paris and Agen to have them inspected. Sorry to babble on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Brian, sorry about that.I misread the OP post, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 No need to apologise - I had a feeling you may have missed that bit! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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