Importing a GS to France

Sleeptalk2020

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Does anyone have any experience of importing vehicles to France since 1/1/2021?

We're emigrating in a few weeks and I want to import and reregister my GS over there, and any tips would be very much appreciated!

Customs?

Does the headlight need to be changed or is it 'adjustable' for mainland EU setup?

Anything else?!

Many thanks in advance
 
If you are on facebook or have access to it, join 'Registering Vehicles in France'
For not much money there are several 'Garagistes' who will sort the paperwork side out...it could be a bit complicated pre Brexit, no doubt a nightmare now.
 
Does the headlight need to be changed or is it 'adjustable' for mainland EU setup?

If you specify which GS model/year you have, it would be easier.
I can tell you that for the older ones (I have a 2007 GSA) no, it cannot be switched from side to side. Don't know about more recent models.
Funnily enough, my old Boxercup had an adjustable left/right headlight.
 
If you specify which GS model/year you have, it would be easier.
I can tell you that for the older ones (I have a 2007 GSA) no, it cannot be switched from side to side. Don't know about more recent models.
Funnily enough, my old Boxercup had an adjustable left/right headlight.

Thanks - it's a 2016 R1200GS Triple Black
 
Read this: importing-a-uk-vehicle

If you bought it new, get the dealer to supply a CoC for free if you don't have it. Its supposed to be part of the vehicle docs but the UK has always been niggardly with them.
 
Very well worth going through a professional to register it, as you won't be 'in the system' for a while, unless you already have a tax number. As recommended above there are some very good professionals on the 'registering vehicles in France' FB group. It's not too expensive either. Just watch out for 'The Mountford', a woman you never, ever, want to cross, or admit to that you have ever, even thought, about bending the rules..... Don't be tempted to go to some other Carte Gris sites as they charge you the earth and often don't deliver. Stick to the ones on the FB group.

If the bike hasn't been in your possession for six months, I would question if it's worth bringing it. Import and VAT will likely make it worth selling in the UK and buying in France, despite the high prices here.

If you decide to bring it, get everything in order before you leave. A CoC from BMW UK and your logbook, in your correct name and which matches exactly your UK address. I got questioned because my address had my shortened christian name on it.... A 'proper' sales receipt as well, they don't understand a hand written receipt from the bloke you bought it from.The French can be incredibly anal when it comes to paperwork and they love paperwork.

Good luck with it all, where are you moving to?
 
It is dead easy to register a recent vehicle. I registered my first BMWs in 2004, a couple of R1100S's. And the latest BMW was a R1250RS last November.
Things not to do: Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you need to contact BMW France. Don't go to a French BMW dealer. Both of these options will cost you unnecessary money and delay stuff. Don't listen to other Brits who tell you that you need a CT (MOT) for your bike as there is no such thing here and the CT stations know nothing about bikes. You will not need a CofC from anywhere as there will be an EU approval number on your V5. You do not need to wait to be in the system, anyone in the system can do the import, I did my GFs Monster 821 on my Ants account in March this year.
 
It is dead easy to register a recent vehicle. I registered my first BMWs in 2004, a couple of R1100S's. And the latest BMW was a R1250RS last November.
Things not to do: Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you need to contact BMW France. Don't go to a French BMW dealer. Both of these options will cost you unnecessary money and delay stuff. Don't listen to other Brits who tell you that you need a CT (MOT) for your bike as there is no such thing here and the CT stations know nothing about bikes. You will not need a CofC from anywhere as there will be an EU approval number on your V5. You do not need to wait to be in the system, anyone in the system can do the import, I did my GFs Monster 821 on my Ants account in March this year.

Sorry but your comment about V5s isn't correct.

Not all V5s carry the number you refer to and even if it does then the French authorities can (and do) reject the application as they haven't got a CoC. To quote a file on the FB group Registering Vehicles in France....

'You may have heard that if you have a Euro number by section K on your V5C it is not necessary to have a c of c. In truth the presence of this number alone, whilst being good enough for a CT, it is only part of the information required by the authorities (See highlighted part above). DVLA do not always include the other requirements so if your V5c is rejected, don’t argue, go & slap the silly sod who gave you the duff advice. Also, don’t try to cut corners by using a supplier of “independent” c of cs.'

The French authorities can be easy going and very helpful (usually when they can see you are armed to the teeth with paperwork). But they can also be incredibly pedantic, so it is always better to give them everything they could possibly want. Even then they can claim they never received it, or it was a copy rather than an original, or they don't like the shade of white on the CoC.
 
We always used to run vehicles on UK plates. All admin in the UK, much simpler. Never had a problem.
 
I registered my old R1100GS last week. It is finally on French plates. My wife is now an expert and has done all my bikes and cars. She has also done it for a few friends.
For the Certificate of Conformity ( which you 100% need) I tried the original dealer, BMW UK and the local French dealer. All told me the same, sell the bike and buy a new one. Instead I contacted BMW Paris who supplied CoC within days.
There is no need for a Control Technic for bikes so nothing to woory about lights etc
The bill of sale can be very simple as it won't be checked. You could always create a new one if you have misplaced the original.
My wife has just confirmed that she would be willing to do it for you if you want. She is easily bribed with alcohol.
Some may argue over the various requirements but we have successfully registered 4 cars and 4 bikes of various ages of our own and additional ones for friends.
 
Sorry but your comment about V5s isn't correct.

Not all V5s carry the number you refer to and even if it does then the French authorities can (and do) reject the application as they haven't got a CoC. To quote a file on the FB group Registering Vehicles in France....

'You may have heard that if you have a Euro number by section K on your V5C it is not necessary to have a c of c. In truth the presence of this number alone, whilst being good enough for a CT, it is only part of the information required by the authorities (See highlighted part above). DVLA do not always include the other requirements so if your V5c is rejected, don’t argue, go & slap the silly sod who gave you the duff advice. Also, don’t try to cut corners by using a supplier of “independent” c of cs.'

The French authorities can be easy going and very helpful (usually when they can see you are armed to the teeth with paperwork). But they can also be incredibly pedantic, so it is always better to give them everything they could possibly want. Even then they can claim they never received it, or it was a copy rather than an original, or they don't like the shade of white on the CoC.

Only going by my experience. Do it on ANTs all BMWs later than 2014 have the EU approval number and it just goes very smoothly. You don't need to be armed with any paperwork as you just scan and send what is required.

Never believe what I read on forums written by people who talk crap, two examples: 1. You need a CofC for an older vehicle in French - no you don't it can be in any language. 2. You need to take your bike for a CT to check that it conforms. The chap who was told this by a whole forum full of Brit bikers in France even phoned a CT centre and insisted that they give him an appointment. I stepped in and helped him register his K1600GTL with the type approval number on his V5.
 
We always used to run vehicles on UK plates. All admin in the UK, much simpler. Never had a problem.

Yes there used to be loads of Brits here who were happy to ride around completely illegally and most of them were not insured either. Everyone of them had a story of why they were legal when they knew the truth.
 
Very well worth going through a professional to register it, as you won't be 'in the system' for a while, unless you already have a tax number. As recommended above there are some very good professionals on the 'registering vehicles in France' FB group. It's not too expensive either. Just watch out for 'The Mountford', a woman you never, ever, want to cross, or admit to that you have ever, even thought, about bending the rules..... Don't be tempted to go to some other Carte Gris sites as they charge you the earth and often don't deliver. Stick to the ones on the FB group.

If the bike hasn't been in your possession for six months, I would question if it's worth bringing it. Import and VAT will likely make it worth selling in the UK and buying in France, despite the high prices here.

If you decide to bring it, get everything in order before you leave. A CoC from BMW UK and your logbook, in your correct name and which matches exactly your UK address. I got questioned because my address had my shortened christian name on it.... A 'proper' sales receipt as well, they don't understand a hand written receipt from the bloke you bought it from.The French can be incredibly anal when it comes to paperwork and they love paperwork.

Good luck with it all, where are you moving to?

Hey - many thanks for that info - we've moved to Lyon.
 
I registered my old R1100GS last week. It is finally on French plates. My wife is now an expert and has done all my bikes and cars. She has also done it for a few friends.
For the Certificate of Conformity ( which you 100% need) I tried the original dealer, BMW UK and the local French dealer. All told me the same, sell the bike and buy a new one. Instead I contacted BMW Paris who supplied CoC within days.
There is no need for a Control Technic for bikes so nothing to woory about lights etc
The bill of sale can be very simple as it won't be checked. You could always create a new one if you have misplaced the original.
My wife has just confirmed that she would be willing to do it for you if you want. She is easily bribed with alcohol.
Some may argue over the various requirements but we have successfully registered 4 cars and 4 bikes of various ages of our own and additional ones for friends.

It would be great to have a chat - whilst my wife is French, she's lived out of France for 25 years, so any support would be amazing (and rewarded!) Please DM me and we can chat offline. Thanks!
 
I have got the instrument console from my 2013 gs with the kph speedo (it was a Spanish import) available for a very reasonable £400. A new one is in excess of £800. I needed an mph version in order to obtain a UK registration.
 
I have got the instrument console from my 2013 gs with the kph speedo (it was a Spanish import) available for a very reasonable £400. A new one is in excess of £800. I needed an mph version in order to obtain a UK registration.

Does the speedo not have both mph and kph on it and therefore legal in the UK?

As long as the bike can display kph, there's no need to change anything, especially as there's no MOT here for bikes..... For the time being.
 
Yes there used to be loads of Brits here who were happy to ride around completely illegally and most of them were not insured either. Everyone of them had a story of why they were legal when they knew the truth.
30 years always insured never a problem.
 


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