Evidence to request from the seller, transport and French formalities for a purchase in Luxembourg.
Before a deposit in Luxembourg, obtain copies of the grey and yellow registration-certificate parts, the draft invoice, roadworthiness report and available conformity evidence. Ask the seller how the official export document will reach you after the SNCA procedure.
The essential decision concerns documents: the former certificates are submitted on deregistration, and the export attestation does not permit driving. Arrange the official replacement and carrier delivery before payment, rather than relying on returning with the current papers.
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
Luxembourg sale invoice
Request the draft invoice before a deposit and retain the original at sale. It identifies the parties and vehicle; have the price and tax treatment specified, then check the last seller’s right to sell. A usable invoice supports subsequent formalities but does not replace SNCA documents. Local source.
Registration certificate: grey part 1 and yellow part 2
Read both parts, grey and yellow, before payment. They accompany permanent or export deregistration and are submitted to SNCA. Keep preparation copies, then arrange handover of the official document subsequently issued: the unchanged former certificates are not the promised file. Local source.
SNCA export attestation
The seller requests the export attestation, or the non-resident buyer requests it after deregistration with ownership evidence. Specify its recipient and delivery of the single original. The document marked “véhicule non immatriculé” supports foreign re-registration; it does not permit driving. SNCA explanation. Local source.
Luxembourg roadworthiness certificate
Request the test certificate from the seller. The described schedule for an ordinary car is at four years, six years, then annually. The report records the statutory result without validating all mechanical condition. Compare its date with French filing: a certificate still valid locally can be too old. Local source.
Luxembourg export plates
The export-plate branch provides for a seller with a Luxembourg address and a buyer without one, with its own registration and insurance. This procedure differs from the attestation received after deregistration. If considering it, have SNCA and territorial conditions confirmed; the present plan selects a carrier. 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
The sale must be declared to SNCA within five working days by the holder or owner, or a properly documented representative. Submit the signed form, both registration parts and required supporting documents; request the export attestation at the same time and specify its recipient. The declaration deadline does not guarantee document delivery.
Collect the official export original, invoice and available roadworthiness and conformity evidence. Remove the former plates and arrange storage and loading off public roads. If a retained or incomplete document causes a problem for the French file, resolve it officially; photographs are insufficient grounds to assume acceptability. Sale and deregistration, SNCA form.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Original invoice | Confirm parties, right to sell and price. | To check |
| Grey and yellow parts | Read before submission to SNCA. | To check |
| SNCA attestation | Specify recipient and delivery of original. | To check |
| Luxembourg test | Check date and French acceptability. | To check |
| Export plates | Distinguish the option from a non-driving attestation. | To check |
| Inspection | Price observed defects. | To check |
| France: tax and conformity | Establish required documents and procedures. | To check |
| Transport and budget | Confirm private storage, collection and delivery. | 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 the French buyer take both old registration parts?
They are submitted to SNCA for deregistration. Arrange handover of the official export original after this step and keep preparation copies. Do not confuse those copies with the evidence needed for the French file.
Who can request the export attestation?
The seller can request it; after deregistration, the non-resident buyer can also do so with ownership evidence. Specify the recipient and check the single original’s details before treating the file as available.
Can you drive with “véhicule non immatriculé”?
No: the export attestation supports foreign re-registration and does not permit driving. This plan uses a carrier. Export plates would require a different procedure, insurance and a confirmed route.
Is the Luxembourg annual test enough in France?
Local frequency alone does not decide. For an M1 car over four years old, check for an acceptable certificate less than six months old at French filing and any retest requirement. An older report may require another test.
Does a Luxembourg invoice remove the need for tax clearance?
No, not in the ordinary EU branch without a justified exemption. The quitus confirms the VAT position after delivery, including when no additional French tax is due; check both thresholds and the channel determined by your address.
When should a Luxembourg purchase be postponed?
If the seller cannot establish the right to sell or no one can explain handover of the SNCA document, suspend the affected payment. Also resolve any VIN or conformity discrepancy before funding transport.
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.
