How to insure my car if I go to live in France?

Question

I'm moving to France soon and I would like to keep my english car. Insurance companies are asking for the "bonus-malus" and I don't know the equivalent in english...so they can't tell me how much it would be...Does anybody had to insure their car in France? What do I need to do? thanks xxxx

Answer 1

I've done this twice in the last four years.

1: You can insure an English-registered car with a French insurance company if you have the intention of permanently importing the car.

2: Bonus-malus is like the "No claims bonus". Get a certificate from your current insurer and it should be accepted (GMF, who my insurance is with, definitely accept British no-claims). Basically, in France there is a 100% value to insure any given car, and you can get huge % discounts for certain things...

3: Once you have registered your car in France (good luck, hope your French is very good, btw), you then contact your insurer to tell them about the change of number plate.

I was able to insure one of my cars before it even left England and the other after it had arrived in France, so that isn't a problem either. You do need to insure the car before you try to register it, however.

Answer 2

The French insurance companies have a good thing going. If you don't have an accident over the years you can get a little financial advantage, pay a little less. It is called a bonus. A bit like brownie points.

However, the slightest accident, even if you are not responsible, makes you lose that bonus. If you are responsible you get bad points. The more of them you get, the more you pay. And it takes much longer to lose them. Many years without an accident.

To answer the bonus/malus question you have to get from your actual insurance a letter stating the accidents you had so they can see what kind of insurance risk you can be. That takes care of the bonus malus question. Then you contact a French insurance company and ask them what kind of insurance they can offer you. Shop around, the prices can vary a lot.

You will indeed have to have the car registered by the French authorities so you can have French plates - and that might be a huge hassle - the headlamps do not have to be changed but to be focused the other way, a garage can do that in half an hour.

Answer 3

Have a look at the AA web site, www.theaa.com.

You will probably have difficulty insuring a British registered car in France. The AA should be able to get you six months to a year's insurance. When you arrive in France, you must re-register your car as French asap. You will have to change the headlamps as a minimum.

I have done this in Spain and it was ridiculously complicated and expensive and I had to pay VAT on an official valuation of the car.

p.s. I think that 'bonus malus' is evidence of your no claims discount. In other words, a bonus for not being 'malus'!