Evidence to request from the seller, transport and French formalities for a purchase in Austria.
Before paying a deposit in Austria, request both registration-certificate parts, the Fahrzeug-Genehmigungsdokument, the §57a report and the draft sale agreement. A chip card alone does not bring together every required document.
The decision to secure is the combination of technical approval, Austrian deregistration and transport. France does not automatically carry out Abmeldung for you. This route therefore uses deregistration by the holder or representative, handover of annotated originals and complete delivery, without treating the Pickerl tolerance as a deadline for driving home.
This guide concerns a private buyer already resident in metropolitan France and an M1 car registered abroad. A special fiscal territory, previous French registration or unusual specification requires separate assessment.
Contents: documents · return transport · France · budget · checklist · FAQ.
Local evidence to obtain from the seller
Registration certificate: Teil I and Teil II
Request Teil I and Teil II from the seller, then compare the details with the VIN. Teil I may be a chip card; Teil II remains paper. The card alone is therefore incomplete. Arrange handover of the originals after the deregistration annotation and separately check that the holder has the right to sell. Local source.
Fahrzeug-Genehmigungsdokument approval file
The Fahrzeug-Genehmigungsdokument combines Teil II with the approval evidence used: Typenschein, individual approval, COC or database extract as applicable. Request the complete set and identify its technical basis. Austrian approval does not guarantee every French requirement; have the documents assessed before finalising the budget. Local source.
§57a inspection report and Pickerl
For an ordinary M1 car, the first test is due at three years, the next two years later, then annually. Request the dated §57a-Gutachten; the Pickerl shows the due date. Austrian tolerance is not generally recognised abroad and does not extend the French freshness requirement. Also read the recorded defects. Local source.
Abmeldung and a written mandate
The holder can use an Austrian Zulassungsstelle or give a written mandate. Deregistration is annotated on both parts; any chip card is punched and returned. Agree this procedure before departure and retain the cancelled documents: French registration does not automatically close the Austrian file. Local source.
Überstellungskennzeichen transfer plates
The administration describes Überstellungskennzeichen, limited to 21 days with Austrian insurance. They are a separate branch from a vehicle loaded onto a trailer. If considering driving, have individual issue, insurance and recognition in every country confirmed; none of those confirmations is secured by this full-transport plan. Local source.
Keep three checks separate. History checking compares the available records and their limits; HistoVec relies on the French SIV and does not reconstruct the entire foreign past. A statutory roadworthiness test examines a defined scope on a particular date. A pre-purchase inspection describes observed condition, unchecked items and repairs to price. None of these layers replaces the other two. HistoVec, inspection scope.
Arrange export and return transport
Arrange for the holder or representative to present identity, parts I and II, approval evidence and plates. Check the annotated deregistration and assemble the returned Teil I, Teil II and approval document, with the contract or invoice, §57a report and available conformity evidence.
Have the car loaded without public-road driving on its former registration. The quote should specify collection, delivery, condition records and liability. Retain Abmeldung evidence to avoid assuming automatic deregistration by France. Transfer plates are not a mandatory cost of this loaded option. Abmeldung, transfer to the EU.
| Option | Condition and action |
|---|---|
| Foreign or export plates | Driving is not the selected plan: formalities, dates, holder, insurance and transit need confirmation. |
| French CPI WW | Four months under the standard regime; does not authorise driving along this unconfirmed foreign route. |
| Professional vehicle transport | Transport does not replace the tax file or registration documents. Obtain a quote, a jointly recorded loading condition and insurance terms. |
| Validity or safety unconfirmed | A pending application is not permission to drive. Resolve the issue before driving, or arrange suitable transport. |
Prepare French tax clearance and registration
For an ordinary used EU vehicle, check both more than six months and more than 6,000 km at the relevant point of purchase: additional French VAT does not apply automatically in this branch. A two-year-old car with 4,000 km falls outside this definition. At exactly 6,000 km, have the DGFiP classify the case before payment. If the vehicle is new for VAT purposes, examine the French 20% branch separately; an advance payment of foreign tax does not by itself settle this obligation. EU VAT guidance.
Request the quitus after delivery: it confirms the VAT position, including when no additional VAT is payable. Your home address determines the channel. In departments 57, 59, 62 or 67, use the combined France Titres/ANTS tax clearance and registration application; elsewhere, email form 1993-PART-D-SD to the competent tax office. Prepare identity, address, invoice or contract and the foreign registration document. DGFiP instructions.
Have conformity examined before a non-refundable deposit. A complete, acceptable harmonised document may suffice; buying an additional COC is not always necessary. For an unusual specification or missing data, have the competent service establish whether manufacturer documents, a certificate, AVDT or RTI are required. Documentary rules.
For an M1 car over four years old, the acceptable roadworthiness report must be less than six months old when filing; also respect any retest requirement. A test from the EU country of previous registration may be acceptable, but periodic validity alone is insufficient. In France, a critical defect limits validity to the test day: two months to repair does not always mean two months to drive. Registration file, French roadworthiness testing.
Apply within one month of purchase through the official “Immatriculer pour la première fois un véhicule en France” service. Include, in particular, acquisition evidence, foreign registration, recent address evidence, conformity and the required tax and roadworthiness documents. This is an application deadline, with no guaranteed delivery of the certificate or permission to drive. France Titres entry point.
| Situation | Decision before commitment |
|---|---|
| Ordinary used EU vehicle | No automatic additional French VAT; tax clearance required unless an exemption is justified. Check both thresholds and the invoice before paying. |
| New for VAT purposes | The wording of the advert does not decide the tax treatment. Confirm French VAT and treatment of any foreign tax advance. |
| Complete harmonised document and compliant vehicle | Buying an additional COC is not automatically necessary. Have identity, approval and mandatory data examined. |
| Incomplete data or unusual specification | COC, certificate, AVDT and RTI are not interchangeable. Ask the manufacturer and competent service to establish the route before a deposit. |
| Special fiscal territory or earlier French registration | The ordinary outline does not determine the taxes. Identify territory and registration history; obtain a separate assessment. |
Build a budget without adding alternative plans together
An unpriced amount means an input is missing, never that it is free. Include the transport actually selected; export plates and a complete drive home are not mandatory costs of full delivery. Convert currencies only with a rate, date and fees. CarAudit references are not accepted quotations.
The malus depends, among other things, on first registration, the applicable schedule and depreciation, not simply the year of French filing. For weight, use G, not F.2; check the combined cap with CO2. An age-related regional reduction does not mean exemption from the malus. Certificate costs, official simulator, CO2, weight.
| Item | Amount | Required input |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle price | Not priced | Contract price, currency and tax treatment. |
| Currency exchange and payment | Not priced | Rate, date and payment fees. |
| Local history and documents | Not priced | Local access and scope to confirm. |
| CarAudit inspection | Not priced | 289 EUR reference; location and scope to confirm. |
| Optional battery diagnostic | Not priced | 179 EUR reference; suitability and option to confirm. |
| Export formalities | Not priced | Applicable non-resident procedure and fee. |
| Export plates | Not priced | Not selected for full vehicle transport. |
| Journey and subsequent French insurance | Not priced | Vehicle, countries, dates and cover period. |
| Driving the vehicle back | Not priced | Not selected; do not add to complete delivery. |
| Lorry or trailer transport | Not priced | Loading, delivery, insurance and exclusions. |
| French VAT: fiscally new vehicle | Not priced | 20% only if new for VAT purposes. |
| Tax clearance certificate (quitus fiscal) | Not priced | No verified issue fee; separate private fees. |
| COC or certificate if needed | Not priced | Confirm need before ordering. |
| Any AVDT, RTI and testing | Not priced | Price only the necessary procedure and tests. |
| Roadworthiness test and any retest | Not priced | Check foreign report and filing dates first. |
| Certified translation if requested | Not priced | Only documents actually requested. |
| Regional registration tax | Not priced | Region, fiscal horsepower, age and applicable rules. |
| Possible CO2 malus | Not priced | First registration, CO2, depreciation and exemptions. |
| Possible weight malus | Not priced | Mass G, applicable year, reductions and combined cap. |
| Final registration fixed tax | 11 EUR | Ordinary issue; other taxes separate. |
| Delivery of final registration certificate | 2.76 EUR | Ordinary delivery; other items separate. |
| Final number plates | Not priced | Plate supplier’s quotation. |
| Optional authorised professional | Not priced | Separate professional fees from taxes passed on. |
| CPI WW if needed | Not priced | Procedure and plates; no guaranteed foreign transit. |
| Identified repairs | Not priced | Quote actual findings after inspection. |
Check the decisive points
This static checklist remains readable without JavaScript. Every row starts as “to check”. A conflict takes priority over items seen; every open point still needs resolving. Marking all documents as seen does not guarantee freedom from defects or registration.
| Evidence or decision | Action before commitment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Teil I / Teil II | Obtain both parts, not just the card. | To check |
| Genehmigungsdokument | Identify approval and useful conformity evidence. | To check |
| §57a / Pickerl | Read the report without extending French deadlines. | To check |
| Abmeldung | Mandate, annotated papers and confirmation. | To check |
| Transfer plates | Alternative unconfirmed for this route. | To check |
| Inspection | Examine defects and inspection limits. | To check |
| VAT / France | Prepare tax clearance and technical file. | To check |
| Transport / budget | Original handover and quote without duplicates. | To check |
Points remain to be checked; documents seen do not replace missing evidence.
Have the car examined before payment
Before committing, have the car examined at the seller’s premises. CarAudit offers pre-purchase inspections in countries listed on its French website. Check availability for the exact location and vehicle, then confirm access with the seller. The inspection does not automatically include transport, import formalities, customs or tax representation, or guaranteed registration in France.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Austrian chip card enough?
No: it may constitute Teil I, while Teil II remains on paper. Request both parts and the associated approval document, then check their handover after deregistration before final payment.
Does the Genehmigungsdokument always replace a COC?
It contains the approval basis presented in Austria, which can take several forms. Have its match to the vehicle and French needs examined; neither buy an additional document automatically nor assume it is sufficient.
Does Pickerl tolerance apply to French filing?
No: it does not extend the freshness required in France and is not generally recognised abroad. Obtain the dated report and check for an acceptable test less than six months old at filing where that rule applies.
Does France Titres automatically cancel Austrian registration?
No. The holder or a representative with a written mandate must arrange Abmeldung. Retain confirmation and returned papers; the new French registration is not evidence of that Austrian procedure.
Do transfer plates give twenty-one days to cross all of Europe?
The described maximum is 21 days with separate insurance. It does not confirm every country on your route. This plan selects a carrier; any driving requires territorial acceptance and the individual file to be checked.
Which missing item should delay an Austrian purchase?
A missing Teil II or approval document, or deregistration without an identified responsible person, must be resolved before the affected commitment. Also clarify any VIN discrepancy and major repairs: transport does not complete the file.
Does an Austrian export price remove the need for French tax clearance?
Not in the ordinary EU branch without a justified exemption. Check both more than six months and more than 6,000 km to classify a used vehicle for VAT. After delivery, your address determines the channel: a combined France Titres/ANTS application in 57, 59, 62 or 67; elsewhere, email form 1993-PART-D-SD to the competent tax office. The export price does not replace this classification.
Sources and limits of the guide
The shared French sources were checked on 8 September 2026; local additions were verified on 10 September 2026. The links above retain that scope: no individual vehicle, quotation or administrative application has been verified here.
