As a result of Brexit, the rules on the importation of a vehicle to France from the UK have changed, but not that you will notice too much.

Importing a vehicle from the UK into France has never been a cheap or painless process, even whilst the UK was a member of the EU.

Although no customs procedures were necessary, there are registration taxes to pay and it was also necessary to obtain VAT tax clearance from the local tax office.

With the UK now out of the EU, what has changed is the need to obtain customs clearance, but that is done in lieu of the VAT clearance that was previously carried out.

In most cases that should be no more than a formality, as no customs duties are payable, provided:

• You have owned the vehicle for at least 6 months;
  
• All duties and taxes have already been paid and;
• You are importing the vehicle within twelve months of becoming resident in France.

You will need to complete two copies of Déclaration d'entrée en France en franchise de biens personnels en provenance de pays tiers à l'Union Européenne, which you should present to local customs officials. There is not a great deal on the form to complete. It is a form used for both vehicles and other personal possessions. 

Together with the form, you will also need to provide:

• Proof of former residence in your home country,
  
• Proof of your new residence in France,
  
• The registration certificate of the vehicle and the purchase invoice.

You will be issued with a Certificate 846A, which you use for registering your vehicle in France. You must do so within 4 months of obtaining the certificate.

The 846A certificate is used in lieu of the tax certificate (quitus fiscal) that needs to be provided by those vehicle owners importing a vehicle from within the EU.