Evidence to request from the seller, transport and French formalities for a purchase in Italy.
Before paying a deposit in Italy, request the Documento Unico or former registration documents, a recent PRA visura, the Italian roadworthiness test report and the draft sale agreement. Compare the seller, VIN, registered charges and documents to be handed over after export.
The decisive question is whether the vehicle can be deregistered before departure. An administrative restriction may block this step even if you plan to use a lorry. The selected route has the registered seller arrange deregistration through STA, followed by full delivery to France.
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
Documento Unico and former registration papers
Establish with the seller whether the file contains a Documento Unico or the former ownership certificate and circulation document. After deregistration, the DU carries the export annotation. Agree handover of this original with the purchase deed: not all former papers remain intact, and the export DU does not authorise driving. Local source.
PRA visura and chronological extract
Request a visura for the position recorded at PRA and an estratto cronologico for historical holders, dates and charges. Foreign applicants without a digital identity can use PRA offices. Compare the information with the plate, VIN and seller; this register describes neither mechanical condition nor every accident. Local source.
Checking registered restrictions and charges
The ACI service flags vincoli e gravami free of charge using the plate, vehicle type and holder’s tax code, with compatible authentication. Have the result obtained, then seek details through a visura if a restriction appears. An indicator lifts neither seizure nor financing: require the necessary evidence before payment and deregistration. Local source.
Revisione and the official roadworthiness-test search
Collect the dated report and compare it with the seller against the official search for roadworthiness tests after 1 June 2018. The portal has a CAPTCHA; no vehicle was queried for this guide. Deregistration requires a valid revisione (Italian roadworthiness test), without the former Italian six-month limit removed in 2020; French freshness is checked separately. ACI deregistration conditions. Local source.
Export deregistration before departure
Radiazione per esportazione removes the vehicle from ANV and PRA before physical export. The registered holder may apply through STA; an unregistered owner must provide a valid original acquisition document. Agree that the registered seller carries out this procedure and resolves blocking charges before collection. A carrier does not remove the deregistration requirement. 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
Record who will arrange deregistration and which documents will be handed over. The STA file includes the application, the applicant’s identity and tax code, required registration documents and plates. A fermo must be lifted; other charges may require consent. An unregistered buyer is not automatically required to complete a domestic transfer if their valid title enables the described procedure.
Collect the annotated DU without driving entitlement, deed or invoice, Italian roadworthiness test report and available conformity evidence. Load after deregistration without driving the vehicle on public roads, with a quote and condition record. Foglio di via and temporary plates remain a separate option not confirmed for this route. ACI export.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| DU / former papers | Identify the format and expected export DU. | To check |
| PRA visura | Obtain recent position and useful history. | To check |
| Vincoli e gravami | Document releases or required consent. | To check |
| Revisione | Separate Italian validity and French freshness. | To check |
| Radiazione | Confirm completion before loading. | To check |
| Inspection | Read observations, limits and repairs. | To check |
| French VAT and conformity | Clarify the branches before a deposit. | To check |
| Transport and originals | Condition, liability and document handover. | 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
Does a PRA visura guarantee the car’s condition?
No. It reports the recorded position, while the chronological extract details administrative history. Request recent evidence and a separate physical inspection; an unremarkable register does not guarantee fault-free mechanical condition.
Can a French buyer without Italian digital identity obtain PRA information?
PRA offices provide a route for foreign applicants without digital identity. Arrange the request before payment; unavailable online access is not evidence that registered charges cannot be checked.
Does a lorry remove the need for radiazione?
No. Export deregistration precedes physical departure; the registered seller carries it out in the selected route. Wait for confirmation and the annotated DU before collection, and resolve restrictions that could block the procedure.
Must the Italian roadworthiness test be less than six months old for export?
The former Italian limit was removed in 2020; the Italian roadworthiness test must be valid under ACI conditions. For France, separately check the less-than-six-month filing requirement where applicable to the M1 car concerned.
Does the export DU allow you to drive home?
No: the annotated document is not permission to drive. The present plan uses a carrier. Another solution would require a foglio di via, plates, insurance and territorial conditions confirmed in advance.
When should payment in Italy be suspended?
If a charge remains without evidence of release or required consent, or handover of the export DU is unresolved, suspend the commitment. Also check EU tax treatment and French conformity before proceeding.
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.
