Import a car from Germany to France: the complete 2026 guide

1. Check whether the deal stacks up BEFORE you buy

The classic mistake is to compare the price on the German advert with the French price. The right comparison is this: the final cost of the car once registered in France against the price of an equivalent vehicle already road legal in France.

The landed cost in France adds together the purchase price, any VAT, the malus CO₂ (France's CO₂ emissions tax), the malus au poids (France's vehicle weight tax), transport, transit plates, the certificate of conformity (COC) and the carte grise (the French vehicle registration document). Our calculator produces that total in one minute and returns a GO / NO-GO verdict.

• Purchase price of the vehicle
• VAT (depending on new or used status, see below)
• Malus CO₂ plus malus au poids
• Transport and delivery plus transit plates
• Certificate of conformity (COC)
• Carte grise (regional tax based on fiscal horsepower)

2. VAT: new or used?

For tax purposes a vehicle counts as "new" if it is less than 6 months old OR has covered less than 6,000 km. VAT is then due in France (20%), even if you already paid it in Germany (in which case the German VAT is recoverable).

Beyond that point (more than 6 months old AND more than 6,000 km) the vehicle counts as "used": no French VAT is payable on import.

3. The CO₂ tax and the weight tax

The malus CO₂ is based on homologated emissions (WLTP) and climbs quickly on powerful cars. The malus au poids targets heavy vehicles. An age related allowance reduces both taxes on used vehicles.

These scales are revised every year: use the calculator to get the exact amount that applies to your vehicle and to its date of first registration.

4. The paperwork, in the right order

Once the car has been bought and shipped, the order of the steps matters: a delay on the quitus fiscal (the French tax clearance certificate) can block everything that follows.

• Quitus fiscal from the SIE (the local business tax office), to be requested promptly after the car arrives
• Certificate of conformity (COC) from the manufacturer, or an RTI (individual type approval) through the DREAL (the regional environment and transport authority) if no COC is available
• French contrôle technique (the French roadworthiness test) if the vehicle is more than 4 years old
• Carte grise application on the ANTS (the French national vehicle registration agency) for permanent plates

5. How long does it take, and what does it cost?

Allow 2 to 5 weeks as a rule, depending on transport and on how quickly the administration responds. On the budget side, beyond the purchase price, plan for transport, the COC, the carte grise, transit plates and, where applicable, the penalty taxes.

The only reliable way to know whether a deal is a good one is to work out the landed cost in France and compare it with a realistic resale price. That is exactly what DCZ IMPORTS does.