Evidence to request from the seller, transport and French formalities for a purchase in Poland.
Before paying a deposit in Poland, request the plate, VIN and first-registration date to consult Historia Pojazdu, then the registration certificate, test reports and draft sale agreement. Check the right to sell and any co-owners.
The decisive point is Polish deregistration with handover of the documents needed in France. Sale abroad is a separate route from evidence of foreign registration already obtained. The selected process prepares that decision with the seller, followed by a carrier; it does not leave you to resolve a missing certificate after delivery.
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
Historia Pojazdu and the CEP register
Use the three identifiers supplied by the seller to consult Historia Pojazdu and compare the result with papers and invoices. CEP records include tests, statuses, Polish owners and mileage collected since 2014. The PDF remains informational, not an official certificate; foreign risk information depends on available data. Local source.
Dowód rejestracyjny and deregistration decision
For deregistration for another EU state, arrange handover of the decision and invalidated dowód rejestracyjny. The original must reach the buyer with a sale document linking the parties and VIN. It forms part of the French registration file but does not preserve a Polish right to drive. Local source.
Historic karta pojazdu
The historic karta pojazdu and control sticker have not been issued since 4 September 2022. Ask which documents were actually issued and retain the old card if it exists. Its absence does not automatically establish irregularity; this card never replaces the registration certificate. Local source.
Wyrejestrowanie for a sale abroad
The ministry distinguishes a vehicle already registered abroad from one sold abroad. Seller or buyer may request deregistration; here, arrange the process with the seller at the last-registration office. Wait for the decision before the selected collection: notification of sale is not a deregistration decision. Ministry routes. Local source.
Temporary export registration: pozwolenie czasowe
For temporary export registration without Polish residence, the office for the place of purchase or handover is competent. The basic period does not exceed 30 days. This possibility creates neither an insurance policy nor an authorised international route; the present plan uses a carrier after deregistration, with any driving checked separately. 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
Designate the seller or representative who will submit the file to the last-registration office, with any required co-owner consent. Prepare the application, identity, payment and evidence of the reason; add required Polish translations for foreign-language documents, without assuming a copy is sufficient everywhere.
Receive the wyrejestrowanie decision, invalidated certificate, contract or invoice and test report. Load without public-road use on the old registration and retain collection condition, delivery evidence and the carrier’s liability terms. Do not artificially recreate a karta no longer issued or budget for temporary plates as a requirement of this plan. Deregistration, sale abroad.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Historia Pojazdu | Compare the three identifiers and chronology. | To check |
| Invalidated dowód | Arrange the original and decision. | To check |
| Old karta | Retain if issued, without a universal requirement. | To check |
| Wyrejestrowanie | Establish sale evidence and co-owner requirements. | To check |
| Temporary permit | Separate option, not presumed for this journey. | To check |
| Inspection and dated test | Read limits and required freshness. | To check |
| French tax and conformity | Prepare tax clearance and technical route. | To check |
| Transport and budget | Confirm quote and original 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
Is the Historia Pojazdu PDF an official certificate?
No, it is informational. Request the plate, VIN and first-registration date from the seller, then compare the result with originals. Mileage records and foreign risks have limited scope; absence of a flag does not guarantee the car.
Is French registration always needed before Polish deregistration?
No: the ministry also distinguishes a vehicle sold abroad. Prepare deregistration on that ground and the required evidence with the competent office; do not confuse this route with French registration already completed.
Does a missing karta pojazdu automatically block purchase?
No, its issue ended on 4 September 2022. Establish which papers were actually issued and retain an available old card. The registration certificate and acquisition documents still need to be obtained for the file.
Can you drive with the invalidated dowód?
Invalidation does not preserve the former permission to drive. This route selects a lorry; temporary registration is another procedure, with insurance and recognition of the route to confirm before driving.
Is a test shown in CEP enough for France?
Request the available dated report, then examine acceptability and age on the filing date. For an M1 car over four years old, the French less-than-six-month requirement cannot be established by a displayed status alone.
When should payment in Poland be suspended?
If a co-owner has not given required consent, the certificate is missing or Historia Pojazdu contradicts the papers without explanation, suspend the commitment. Have the point resolved before requesting deregistration or delivery.
Does a Polish sale for export remove the need for 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, request the quitus through the channel linked to your French address; the contract’s price or destination 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.
