Does anyone have any experience exporting a car from Switzerland to France?
I would like to export a used car from Switzerland (canton Zurich) to France. The car is being bought from a dealer and therefore doesn't have any plates on it.
A quick search for 'export plates' turns up this guidance on the Zurich website, but the fine print seems to explain that these plates are forbidden for residents of France, Norway and Sweden.
There are plenty of Swiss vehicles in France, so there must surely be a way (and hopefully one that is cheaper than a trailer for a vehicle which is in good running condition).
Presumably that means that the Swiss person is insured for the car. That doesn't really help me when I need to run the car around in France between the controle technique, prefecture, etc, etc....
If the car has Swiss plates it's insured for anyone to drive, book the CT so it's done at the time of delivery, it's about 30 minutes. Do you actually have to take the car to the prefecture?
Thanks for this clarification (my German isn't so good). Having confirmed that I'm not an asylum seeker, it looks like I can apply for export plates myself. In which case, the process seems relatively straight-forward!
I think only the paperwork has to go to the prefecture, so you're right -- it's really about driving to the CT (and then home again, to tuck the car up until the French numberplates arrive).
The only other people who can potentially get involved are the DRIRE, but if I have an EU Certificate of Conformity, hopefully I can avoid a visit to that particular bunch of bureaucrats.
You may be forbidden to re-enter with the Exportschilder (I would expect that to be the case). After all export is a one-way business. So do read the fineprint or ask explicitly.
I would expect for the plates to be visibly different as they're essentially throwaways. However this is just a guess, I trust others on here can provide reliable facts.
I am unfamiliar with the Swiss side of export, but I have imported my cars into France (from the UK) and I can tell you you will need:
Certificate of Conformity (make sure you get it from the seller, as it can cost between 100 and 200 euro to get it from the manufacturer... sometimes it is free). Controle Technique (you don't even need to pass, but as it is a new car, it will be quick and painless) Go to your local tax office. If your car is older than 6 months and has more than 6000 km when you buy it, you can get a 'Quitus Fiscale', meaning that you do not have to pay tax on the car (you even get the form for free), otherwise it will get a bit costly. You will need proof of purchase, ID, proof of address and original registration document. For old second hand cars they tend to not care about the proof of purchase. Fill in the 'Carte Grise' request form and sign it: https://www.formulaires.modernisatio...cerfa_13750.do Then go to the prefecture with all the above documents (and in addition: original car registration, proof of address less than 6 months old, ID/Passport) and a french cheque book - in some prefectures you can pay cash/card, but most expect a good old French cheque.