Foreign and imported vehicles

The quitus fiscal is a tax clearance certificate issued by the French tax office for vehicles bought in another EU country. It confirms that VAT has been properly accounted for — either paid in France on a new vehicle, or already settled in the country of purchase for a used one. You cannot register an EU import in France without it. You can request it yourself from your local tax office, or we can obtain it for you as part of your registration file.

The core file includes: the complete foreign registration certificate (in countries like Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands it comes in several parts — you need all of them), the purchase invoice or signed sales agreement, the quitus fiscal, the European Certificate of Conformity (COC) or an equivalent approval document, a contrôle technique less than 6 months old if the vehicle is over 4 years, plus your ID, French driving licence, proof of a French address less than 6 months old and proof of insurance. If gathering everything takes time, a temporary WW registration lets you drive and insure the car legally in the meantime.

In most cases, yes. The COC proves the vehicle meets European type-approval standards. If it is missing, a manufacturer attestation or — for a classic vehicle — an FFVE attestation may sometimes replace it. Without proof of conformity, final French registration is blocked.

WW plates let you drive legally in France while you assemble the file for permanent registration of an imported vehicle. They are useful for insurance, the roadworthiness test and driving home. Validity is limited: you must then obtain the final French carte grise.

Outside the EU (including the UK after Brexit), the file is stricter: customs clearance certificate 846A, proof of conformity, possible individual approval, roadworthiness test, plus ID, French address and insurance. Costs and timelines are often higher than for EU imports. We will list the exact documents for your country of origin and vehicle age.

It depends on how complete the file is (quitus, COC, roadworthiness test, any translation). Once the file is validated and processed, a CPI can be available quickly, and the final carte grise usually arrives by post within a few business days. Tax or approval steps beforehand can extend the calendar before submission.

Yes, through an accredited professional such as Office Carte Grise. You upload scans or photos of your documents; we check the file and submit the application to the registration system. For complex cases (non-EU, classics, missing COC), personal guidance helps avoid rejections.