Moving to France

[Cogarch]

We are contemplating moving to France this autumn which will involve an avalanche of bureaucratic provisions, amongst them making arrangements for our Model 3.

I just wondered if anyone else had embarked upon a similar exercise and can offer their experience on reregistering their Tesla in France, swapping driving licences and getting insurance over there?

As home charging may be difficult, needless to say I have plotted the location of Superchargers and will make certain to reside within 40 k of any one of them..!

 

[Sparkeur]

We are contemplating moving to France this autumn which will involve an avalanche of bureaucratic provisions

Pleased to see you aren't underestimating the challenge

I've sent you a message.

 

[HenryT]

We are contemplating moving to France this autumn which will involve an avalanche of bureaucratic provisions, amongst them making arrangements for our Model 3.

I just wondered if anyone else had embarked upon a similar exercise and can offer their experience on reregistering their Tesla in France, swapping driving licences and getting insurance over there?

As home charging may be difficult, needless to say I have plotted the location of Superchargers and will make certain to reside within 40 k of any one of them..!

If it's a permanent move, isn't there some sense in selling your RHD car before you leave and buying a LHD one in France?

(Acknowledging of course, it would make driving there a little difficult)

 

[Sparkeur]

If it's a permanent move, isn't there some sense in selling your RHD car before you leave and buying a LHD one in France?

The only problem with that is you take a hit with resale in the UK and pay more for a used or new in France.
We've driven our remaining RHD here for twelve years without any great difficulty. Tag for tolls sorts that problem and then the only issue is if you get caught behind a large truck or tractor. After a while you learn to hang back a bit. With an M3 of course, it's far easier because you just press the light-speed pedal and you're past in a flash.

 

[Cogarch]

The only problem with that is you take a hit with resale in the UK and pay more for a used or new in France.
We've driven our remaining RHD here for twelve years without any great difficulty. Tag for tolls sorts that problem and then the only issue is if you get caught behind a large truck or tractor. After a while you learn to hang back a bit. With an M3 of course, it's far easier because you just press the light-speed pedal and you're past in a flash.

Yes -- having bought my Model 3 as my "last car" and with money tight I could not stretch to the overhead involved in selling and then rebuying in France.. It is my only chance to avoid ending up as a retired Honda Jazz driver...!

 

[dan223]

While I don't know the ins and outs, I think it is probably easier to just sell your car here and buy a new one there, it may also make things much easier for you sitting on the other side of the car. If it is also a long term thing your also going to sell the car at some point, which will be very hard to do without coming back over here to do it. As far as I'm aware there are import charges etc that you may need to pay as well as probably hiked insurance costs because your driving an import (and not every insurance company will insure and import, and if it's similar to here, you are already limited to who will insure teslas).

 

[Mr H]

How to import a car to France

 

[Cogarch]

How to import a car to France

Thanks -- this one took me a bit by surprise.

"Even if you don’t have to pay VAT on your car import, you will need to visit the tax office to obtain a valid tax certificate (also known as quitus fiscal) in order to register your car in France, and, by default, obtain a French number plate. You have 15 days following the arrival of your car in France in which to make the request (ask for the form ‘modèle 1993 VT REC’). The tax authorities will ask for the following documents:"

It's not clear what happens if I miss the deadline, but it implies that there is a difference in practice between importing a car as part of a move, and (say) entering France on a 3 week driving holiday..

 

[Sparkeur]

It's not clear what happens if I miss the deadline

Nothing. It is all to do with your residency. As an EU citizen (still), when you become a resident, is a movable feast. It is not a written act it is a view taken by the French authorities based on what you are doing and what your intentions are...if you tell them. It is all to do with intent. Without realising it, you can become a resident when you step off the ferry coming over or you could become a resident in six months...or a year...or never.
For instance, when you come over first, you might be looking at a rental property for a few months with a view to searching for a house to buy. However, if you haven't made your mind up about staying (and who is to say what is in your mind) then you aren't resident and you don't need to change your registration. If on the other hand, you start immediately transferring your assets to France, buy a house, put your kids into full time education, spend more than six months of the year here etc then it's reasonable to assume you are resident for tax purposes and you need immatriculation for your Tesla. This is all pre-Brexit. After Brexit - who knows.

 

[M3noob]

We are contemplating moving to France this autumn which will involve an avalanche of bureaucratic provisions, amongst them making arrangements for our Model 3.

I just wondered if anyone else had embarked upon a similar exercise and can offer their experience on reregistering their Tesla in France, swapping driving licences and getting insurance over there?

As home charging may be difficult, needless to say I have plotted the location of Superchargers and will make certain to reside within 40 k of any one of them..!

In addition to the hereinafter cited legal and practical issues, some familiarity with the local argot is definately a massive plus.

UK "reality" TV is filled with the sagas of clueless British that don't have, err, a clue in how to communicate their desire to have their septic tank emptied, etc.

 

[Sparkeur]

some familiarity with the local argot is definately a massive plus.

Very true. Less so if one is moving to Dordogneshire, as one is probably surrounded by half of the English garden counties anyway. However, inhabiting a petite charantaise longère at the end of a hardly used chemin in a lieu dit, will be a lonely life without any French language.

 

[GreenT]

Exactly WHERE here are you looking at moving to?

 

[Cogarch]

Exactly WHERE here are you looking at moving to?

We’re currently on a research trip. I’d prefer Poitou Charentes, Mrs Cogarch thinks that’s too hot and prefers Normandy. Smart money is somewhere in the Loir (not Loire!) valley...

 

[GreenT]

Too hot? No. Paris is HOT now but humidity is low. Cote D'Azur is hot(ish) but humidity is awful.
The closer you are to Ile-de-France, the worse the red tape.
Can you even move your car between England and France and keep the warranty intact?
I know you cannot between USA and Europe. Part of the reason I sold mine.
If you can move anywhere in France I'd pick a location about 1(one)km from a service center. Lyon, Aix, etc.

 

[Cogarch]

Can you even move your car between England and France and keep the warranty intact?
I know you cannot between USA and Europe. Part of the reason I sold mine..

That certainly gave me pause!

The warranty states:

"This New Vehicle Limited Warranty applies to vehicles sold by Tesla in your specific Warranty Region. For purposes of this New Vehicle Limited Warranty, your Tesla specific Warranty Region is defined as the region that your vehicle is first registered in, provided that you return to your specific Warranty Region in order to receive warranty service. Any subsequent purchasers or transferees must return to your specific Warranty Region in order to obtain warranty service regardless of the country in which such purchaser or transferee may have purchased the vehicle."

That would explain why your car was not transferable, as the USA and Europe are separate Warranty Regions.

At the time of purchase my car was purchased in the Europe Warranty Region, based at

Tesla Motors Netherlands B.V.,
Burgemeester Stramanweg 122, 1101 EN
Amsterdam, Netherlands​

and even now, after Brexit, there seems to be no separate region for the UK. The question is whether the UK will become a separate region, and if so whether that will affect my warranty. Definitely a point to clarify - thanks.

 

[rlasry1]

Hi all. I am also contemplating a move to France with our RHD model 3.
My question is regarding car insurance, should we keep our car. Is it significantly more expensive for imports/RHD cars? Or aligned to the local LHD?
Thanks.

 

[Watts_Up]

Driving a RHD in a LHD country must be cool !!!

You should install a camera on the left side of the windshield and a display in front of your steering wheel
otherwise you will never be able to pass a car or a truck.

Could you keep your UK plates, may be you need to go back every six month or every year?
Otherwise try to find how you car get an European plate for your car.
Everything might be more complicated because of Brexit.

You could sale your car, there is not too much depreciation for Tesla because the demand is great,
but you just pay a lot of sales taxes that you will have to pay again with a new car.

If you get a government discount, you might need to keep the car for two years I believe?
But France also offer a government discount.

The Full Safe Driving also cannot be transfer and you will have to buy it again and it increased a lot recently.

 

[Sparkeur]

We have a RHD Discovery which has been insured here since 2012 - no problems with assurance (no more expensive than LHD) or Control technique but we did have to change the lights to a Euro standard. While the UK lights were OK for trips to France from time to time, once the car was registered with French plates (immatriculation), they were not acceptable for the CT. Not sure how that works with Tesla lights though. As far as having a 'British' Tesla permanently in France, I can't see any technical reason why not.

 

[rlasry1]

We have a RHD Discovery which has been insured here since 2012 - no problems with assurance (no more expensive than LHD) or Control technique but we did have to change the lights to a Euro standard. While the UK lights were OK for trips to France from time to time, once the car was registered with French plates (immatriculation), they were not acceptable for the CT. Not sure how that works with Tesla lights though. As far as having a 'British' Tesla permanently in France, I can't see any technical reason why not.

Cool thanks.
And (aware this is VERY variable according to personal circumstances) what kind of yearly insurance bill do you look at?
I did a quick simulation on Assurland earlier today (with the same data as my current UK insurance (£800 a year), except the no claims bonus which I assume would not travel across borders) and I got something like €4000 for comprehensive and 10000 km a year.

 

[Sparkeur]

With obvious variations for NCB location etc...the Discovery fully comp is 495€ and the Model 3 is 550€ both up to 25,000km per annum.

PS - sometimes a proven NCB will give you some discount when you arrive - I got one.