These procedures apply to vehicles aged 30 years or over on the 1st January of the year in which the application is being made.

Firstly, as with newer cars, the headlights have to be changed to either vertical or left dipping. It is possible that Lucas sealed beam units (700 type, etc.) as fitted to many British cars, will not be accepted even if they do dip correctly, so it's best to obtain a pair of headlights with halogen bulbs. Such headlights are available from classic car parts specialists as well as from ebay.

Note 09/12/17: The club has heard from two different sources that, as from May 2018 when the new French CT regulations come into force, headlight beam converters will be acceptable on RHD headlights for CT purposes. The beam converters have to be the optical type - black stick on tape will not be acceptable. Our sources are French CT examiners who have attended courses on the new regulations. We are trying to get this confirmed - watch this space!

If your car has a rear foglamp this should be on the left.
At some point in the process you will need French insurance. This can be obtained using the vehicle's foreign registration number but check the validity period for such insurance - this may be limited and your insurer may require that you submit details of the French registration within a number of weeks.

If you are able to obtain a European Certificate of Conformity for your vehicle, proceed as described on the "Newer Cars" page. However in view of the age of your vehicle it is unlikely that you will have one. In which case either use the Alternative Method described at the bottom of the page, or proceed as follows:
Note: wherever possible supply photocopies of documents rather than the originals - with one exception (see below) photocopies are acceptable)
Step 1: Tax Exemption Certificate Obtain a Tax Exemption Certificate (“quitus fiscal” cerfa 10668) from your local Hôtel des Impôts. You should take the following with you:

  1. Your present registration document (e. g. V5)
  2. Utility bill confirming your French address
  3. Bill of Sale, giving date of purchase and amount (be prepared to convert non euro amounts to euros)
  4. Proof of your identity, usually passport but U. K. driving licences have been accepted
  5. If you have imported the vehicle from a non EU country, French Customs form. 

You will also need provide the approximate mileage of the vehicle.

There is no charge for the certificate and it should be available on demand. The tax office in Ruffec also supplied one of our members with an additional photocopy of the “quitus” at no extra charge                                                                                      

More information on the quitus fiscal is available on the French government website: www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F179


Step 2: FFVE Attestation de Datation Instead of a Certificate of Conformity (see above and Newer Vehicles page) obtain an Attestation de Datation from the Fédération Français Des Véhicule D' Époque (FFVE). Details can be found at http://ffve.org/Procedure_obtention_attestation_carte_grise.​ From this website download the form "Formulaire demande attestation remplissable" together with the completion guide "Notice pour remplir la demande Attestation FFVE juillet 2017".   Please note that along with the completed form, you need to send them:

  1. The Tax Exemption Certificate obtained in Step A above or customs clearance form if vehicle imported from outside the EU.
  2. Photos of the front and rear of the vehicle (3/4 view) plus the interior (3 photos total)
  3. Photo of the chassis number
  4. Photo of the engine number
  5. Copy of the present registration document (V5 in the case of the UK)
  6. Copy of bill of sale – at least something from the "foreign" owner to say they have sold you the vehicle
  7. Cheque for €60 payable to FFVE
  8. Four "letter" value postage stamps.
 
Send the complete dossier to FFVE at the address given on page 3 of the application form. Think about the benefits of sending the envelope recommandé – using registering letters is more common in France than in the UK, especially to official bodies.
​ 
Step 3: Contrôle Technique Once you have received the Attestation de Datation from the FFVE (this can take 5 weeks) obtain a Contrôle Technique. These tests are normally carried out by appointment. As well as the Attestation de Datation don’t forget to take the vehicles present registration certificate (V5 for UK). Assuming the car passes, you will be issued with a windscreen sticker recording the current registration – there is no need to change this once you get the French registration – wait until the next test is due. Make sure the CT certificate is marked “Vehicle de Collection”- this means that you will only have to get the vehicle tested every five years.
 
One of our members reports that the Autosur chain has links with FFVE and that this could be helpful.

Step 4: Carte Grise You can now proceed to the Préfecture or a Sub-Préfecture (e. g. Cognac or Confolens) in your Département. to obtain the all important Carte Grise. At some Préfectures (e. g. Limoges) be prepared for a long wait. In advance it is helpful to download form cerfa 13750\*03 from the website https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R13567. Take the completed form with you, along with:

  1. Your passport
  2. Utility bill confirming your French address (photocopy)
  3. Present registration document (e. g. V5) (photocopy)
  4. The Contrôle Technique certificate (photocopy)
  5. The original Attestation de Datation from the FFVE. This will be retained by the licensing authority so you might want to take a copy or a scan before you visit.
  6. Tax Exemption Certificate (“quitus fiscal” cerfa 10668). This may not be required.
It cannot be guaranteed that they will not demand additional documentation but the above should suffice.
 
Make sure you ask for the Carte Grise to be marked “Vehicle de Collection.”- this enables you to fit the old black number plates.
 
You then have to pay the fee, usually at the cashier’s desk. The fee for an 1800cc car should be in the region of €150. The fee is made up of:

  1. A tax calculated from the “fiscal horsepower” of your vehicle The rate charged per fiscal horse varies between regions (e. g. less in Corsica and zero in Mayotte, but it’s a very long way...)
  2. CO2 tax
  3. Other taxes
You should then receive your Carte Grise by registered post within three weeks or so but it can be quicker.
 
If you have insured your car in France under its foreign registration don't forget to send a copy of the Carte Grise to your insurers so that they can reissue the documents reflecting the new number. The Carte Grise will also enable you to obtain number plates - suppliers are often found near Préfectures or online. The plates should be riveted on - rivet kits available from most number plate shops.
 
We hope this helps – please let us know if your own experience is different from the procedure outlined above!
Alternative Method (as used by one of our members)

Take your car to Bérigaud Véhicules Anciens at St. Junien (for contact details see "Providers" - click "More") and ask them to do everything for you.

Initially they will get you to fill in the FFVE form and leave them with a cheque payable to FFVE. They will take copies of the V5, your passport, etc. When they have received the FFVE attestation leave the car with them and let them get it tested and apply for the carte grise. They will quote for just this service - or you may wish to get some work done on the car at the same time, in which case they will add their charges (quite reasonable) to their bill. They are extremely familiar with FFVE procedures and appear to have very good relations with a local CT station and with the Sub-Préfecture.