vehicle registration
France
New vehicles: The garage where you buy a new car will take care of the formalities.
Used vehicles
For imported and used vehicles, and lost or stolen registration cards - this link will help you sort out registration and importation procedures: Registration of vehicles in France.
You should receive a part of the certificat d'immatriculation or "carte grise" (registration document) from the previous owner with the date of the sale and the previous owners signature. With this you may drive the car for one month, during which time you have to register the car at the local administrative office (préfecture or sous-préfecture) and get a new carte grise in your name.
The office for the Pays de Gex is the Sous-Préfecture de Gex, 26 rue Charles Harent, Gex - Tel : +33 450 41 51 51.
The website (in French only) lists the documents you need to bring - click on Votre vehicle, then immatriculation : liste des documents à founir.
When you get to the Sous-Préfecture you will need to take a number - be prepared to wait.
Inspection
Your car is required to pass inspection (Contrôle Technique) at regular intervals, depending on the age of the car. The easiest way to do this is to make an appointment with your repair shop - they will take your car to a special garage where the inspection will be done, and make any adjustments needed in order to pass inspection.
You can also take it directly to a Contrôle Technique garage yourself. The procedure takes around half an hour. However, if repairs need to be made you will have to take it to a garage, have the repair done, then take it back to the Contrôle Technique garage again to pass. When it passes they place a sticker on the windshield with the date of the next inspection.
License Plates
You will need to show your car registration (carte grise) in order to have your license plates (plaquettes) made. They can be made in a repair shop like Feu Vert in Ferney-Voltaire or Point S in St. Genis-Pouilly (ZA de l'Allondon), or shops where they make keys. They cost approximately 20€.
New vehicles: The garage where you buy a new car will take care of the formalities.
Used vehicles
For imported and used vehicles, and lost or stolen registration cards - this link will help you sort out registration and importation procedures: Registration of vehicles in France.
You should receive a part of the certificat d'immatriculation or "carte grise" (registration document) from the previous owner with the date of the sale and the previous owners signature. With this you may drive the car for one month, during which time you have to register the car at the local administrative office (préfecture or sous-préfecture) and get a new carte grise in your name.
The office for the Pays de Gex is the Sous-Préfecture de Gex, 26 rue Charles Harent, Gex - Tel : +33 450 41 51 51.
The website (in French only) lists the documents you need to bring - click on Votre vehicle, then immatriculation : liste des documents à founir.
When you get to the Sous-Préfecture you will need to take a number - be prepared to wait.
Inspection
Your car is required to pass inspection (Contrôle Technique) at regular intervals, depending on the age of the car. The easiest way to do this is to make an appointment with your repair shop - they will take your car to a special garage where the inspection will be done, and make any adjustments needed in order to pass inspection.
You can also take it directly to a Contrôle Technique garage yourself. The procedure takes around half an hour. However, if repairs need to be made you will have to take it to a garage, have the repair done, then take it back to the Contrôle Technique garage again to pass. When it passes they place a sticker on the windshield with the date of the next inspection.
License Plates
You will need to show your car registration (carte grise) in order to have your license plates (plaquettes) made. They can be made in a repair shop like Feu Vert in Ferney-Voltaire or Point S in St. Genis-Pouilly (ZA de l'Allondon), or shops where they make keys. They cost approximately 20€.
Switzerland
New vehicles: The garage where you buy a new car will take care of the formalities.
For all transactions, these links will help you sort out the procedures:
New vehicles: The garage where you buy a new car will take care of the formalities.
For all transactions, these links will help you sort out the procedures:
- Registration of vehicles in Switzerland
- Services des Automobiles, Geneva - this is the official site for Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 388 30 30. All paperwork is done at this office.
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