cjm

Does this help:
https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk

If vehicle is legal to drive in France, it is legal in UK at least temporary. The insurance element in the website not applicable if car off highway. CoC required though. Always copy/scan docs like this. France requires original and doesn't send it back.

Macon Loony

I think I see where I've been going wrong. Despite telling the MOT garages that ours is a RHD I haven't made it clear that it was previously registered in UK and chassis number would give UK reg details [rather thought that was obvious but perhaps not!] Will try adding that info to our request for an MOT.

A friend has suggested that we don't reg our new car in France but simply return it to UK for a couple of weeks every 6 months. Not sure if a couple of weeks would suffice but it's worth looking into. Maybe that's how your friends avoid French registration?

Love your quotation about cats, by the way!

Im_and_Er

That makes no difference whatsoever.

As was pointed out earlier since an MOT is a pre-requisite for registering an imported car in UK it would be utterly perverse to say that you cannot take one for an MOT !

An extract from 'Matters of Testing - Issue 55 - October 2012' the DOT MOT testers newsletter (p10).

How can I test an unregistered vehicle?

You can create a new record to test vehicles with foreign plates or with no registration plates:

If foreign plates are fitted, enter the details in the Registration Mark field and change the descriptor from ‘UK Registration Mark’ to ‘Foreign Registration
Mark’, then enter the rest of the details as usual.


There, so if your MOT tester doesn't know what to do you can add to his education

Macon Loony

Thank you for the info.

I've asked 3 MOT garages in UK and each one has said it's not possible to MOT a foreign registered car so it would seem that there is a great deal of confusion out there.

Im_and_Er

You have the facts in front of you so tell them they are wrong and how you know it to be so.

AFAIK the publication referred to is automatically distributed to all MOT test stations.

cjm

Im_and_Er is talking absolute sense and has gone to the trouble to provide details to back comments.
If a garage is unable to MoT a 'foreign' plated car then no currently 'foreign' registered car could be legally switched to beon UK roads. DOH! The MoT is an independent assessment of a car and its roadworthiness at the time of testing. A garage simply has to follow the process Im_and_Er has outlined. A French CT will have the same VIN number as is plated to the car. If you have an ealier MoT on file, so much the better.
I shall mail a friend tonight to seek further comment; he is a vehicle test examiner. I shall ask what I should do to re-register our original UK reg MB 270CDi, currently on French plates with CT. OK - mail sent.

cjm

Had mail back from my MoT tester friend; he said putting foreign plated car through MoT not an issue. After, paperwork needs to be put to VOSA for new registration.

Macon Loony

I am now armed with all the detail I need to get the car MOT'd in UK and re-register it there!

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time and trouble to find and share information. Your help is much appreciated.

cjm

You're welcome. Perhaps, when you have been through the process post details so others can access via the site here. Good luck.

6monthshere6monthsthere

If i were you, would ring the nearest MOT station to Dover and ask them, they will surely deal with this on a daily basis..

I was going to bring a car back and there is a station in dover, you are also legally allowed to drive to a test.. those guys must be experts due to location

bobbi2

Garages in the UK CAN MOT a french registered car, as it is done on the chassis number, not the registration. That is fact and have been informed of this from the DVLA, MOT test centres, the Met police in the UK and various insurance companies who register RHD cars in Europe.
I agree with CJM ...Im_and_er has put some totally inaccurate information on here about this topic. In the end I went to the "powers that be", as I knew the information I was reading was quite inaccurate. I have been looking into this for a while now, and have spent hours speaking with various authorities, and KNOW i have the correct information now.. I also know that as long as my sister has the original, and correct paperwork, from both insurers here, and the DVLA in the UK she will be absolutely fine.
Thanks for all the feedback from those in the know, and has been very helpful, and quite a topic for discussion.

Im_and_Er

Please specify

Roo.

Take the number plates off and it will be MOT'd with 'None displayed' in the section for the registration number.

I do it that way all the time.

Once the car is then re-registered a new MOT will be provided with the cars new registration number on it.