Reviewed 9 October 2026. Scope: permanent passenger-car imports from China. Commercial distribution, personal imports and special relief must be assessed under their own rules.
France requires a Chinese vehicle import to complete customs formalities, technical conformity and registration. Purchase incentives add a separate eligibility assessment. This guide concerns ordinary imports into metropolitan France; it does not apply mainland tax examples to overseas territories or treat a relocation concession as a commercial exemption.
Background: establish conformity before purchasing
The French government’s vehicle-import guidance, verified in September 2026, requires conformity with road-safety and construction rules. For a non-EU vehicle, it identifies a European-type conformity or identification document, or an individual approval route where the relevant evidence is absent.
Request the manufacturer’s European approval number and a CoC matched to the selected VIN and variant. If the car is a domestic-market version without that evidence, send its specification to the competent DREAL, DRIEAT or other responsible service for an assessment. The availability of a similar car in France is not proof of approval for the purchased vehicle.
A useful pre-purchase file identifies model, original grade, propulsion system, seats, mass, production date, charging interfaces and prior registration. Have the specialist determine the evidence, test work and possible modifications before the exporter reserves stock.
Customs policy: ordinary duty, additional measures and 20% VAT
French Customs’ general vehicle-import table shows ordinary car duty of 10% for a non-preferential origin and VAT of 20% on the applicable base, including duty and relevant additional costs. Its general table does not remove producer-specific EU countervailing duty from a covered China-origin BEV.
The EU measure covers specified new battery-electric passenger vehicles and identifies individual producer rates and invoice conditions. Have the agent inspect the current tariff, producer additional code and required declaration. A Chinese distributor’s invoice without the prescribed producer evidence may not support the rate quoted in an informal offer.
For a range-extended or hybrid vehicle, classify the actual architecture against the measure’s legal definition. An engine’s presence should not be used as a shortcut to assuming exclusion. The customs agent should document the tariff treatment for the exact product and declaration date.
Ask for a cost sheet showing value, freight and insurance, ordinary duty, any additional duty, VAT and service costs. Keep the customs calculation distinct from registration charges and any environmental-tax assessment. Do not rely on an “all-in” amount that conceals which duties it includes.
The 846 A certificate and why a quitus fiscal is different
After the relevant clearance, French Customs supplies declaration/payment evidence and the 846 A clearance certificate used for registration. Keep it with the VIN-specific ownership file. The government separately identifies a quitus fiscal for vehicles bought in another EU member state; that is not a reason to replace the non-EU customs evidence for a direct China shipment.
If a vehicle is routed through another EU country, establish where customs clearance takes place and which evidence the French registration application will require. Resolve this with the customs agent and registration specialist before shipping. A transport stop in an EU port alone does not transform the vehicle into an intra-EU retail purchase.
Prepare the invoice, transport record, manufacturer identifiers and ownership documents in a consistent chain. Ask the agent to confirm originals, translations and any authority required for a representative. Retain the assessed declaration and receipts, rather than requesting the registration certificate only when handover is imminent.
RTI and registration: plan the sequence and responsibilities
Where the required conformity or identification evidence is missing, the government describes réception à titre isolé, or RTI, through the competent technical service. The procedure should be assessed for the actual new or used vehicle. An export inspection in China documents condition; it does not replace a French approval decision.
Have the assessor identify the required manufacturer records, tests and modifications. Lighting, glazing, restraints, tyres and electrical safety evidence should be addressed within that scope. Agree who performs any work, who supplies test results and who handles a repeat appointment. Avoid scheduling customer handover before approval is complete.
Registration is managed through the French registration system. Obtain the current new- or used-import checklist from France Titres/ANTS or the authorised professional. Assemble applicant identity and address, ownership evidence, customs documentation, conformity or RTI result, insurance and any applicable roadworthiness evidence. A previously registered car may follow a different route from unregistered factory stock.
For movement before registration, confirm the lawful insurance and plate or transporter arrangements. A customs release does not permit the buyer to drive an unregistered car from the terminal using an expired overseas plate.
2026 purchase support: assess the model, not just its powertrain
The government’s 2026 continuation announcement identifies environmental-score eligibility, a vehicle mass below 2,400 kg and a purchase price below €47,000 excluding options for the relevant household support. It does not promise support for every battery-electric vehicle imported from China.
Use the official eligible-vehicle lists for the exact version and the current programme’s applicant conditions. The environmental assessment considers the production and supply chain rather than only tailpipe emissions. A zero-emission drivetrain therefore does not establish an eligible score.
Separate a normal commercial purchase from household purchase support, leasing schemes and fleet-tax treatment. Ask the French adviser to identify any registration or environmental charges for the exact car and registration date. Keep unconfirmed support out of the base project budget; show it only in a documented eligible scenario.
Continue planning your China EV import
Return to the country import-guide directory to keep the destination rules beside your vehicle shortlist. For a France enquiry, compare available model families and record the exact factory steering layout, powertrain, charging interface and approval evidence before choosing a grade.
Comparing destinations? Read the separate guides for Netherlands, Norway. Their tax and registration rules apply to those markets and must not be carried over to France.
Use our China import service overview to define who handles sourcing and documents, and the EV charging checks to prepare the operating specification. Send that specification with the destination and quantity in your enquiry.
Charging, local service and a concrete export request
Check the actual AC and DC equipment and charging protocol before agreeing the configuration. Obtain a recorded charging test and determine what cables are supplied. Establish local service, diagnostics, spare-parts availability and warranty responsibility. A European brand network need not service every independently imported domestic-market vehicle under warranty.
Use the original grade and allocated VINs in the order, with a requirement to review substitutions. For a fleet, validate one representative specification and its evidence before repeating the order. Connected applications, navigation, emergency functions and assistance services also need a local-function assessment.
Request a France EV sourcing quotation →. Send the model, quantity, destination and your French conformity or RTI plan. Auto From China can prepare the stock specification, inspection record and an itemised shipping scope for the document requirements your local specialist identifies.
Official references
- Service Public: imported-vehicle conformity and registration obligations, September 2026
- French Customs: non-EU purchase, duty, VAT and 846 A
- European Commission: BEV duty scope and invoice conditions
- Environment ministry: vehicle approval
- France Titres/ANTS: first French registration
- Government: continuation of support in 2026
- Government: model eligibility and production lists
Apply the legislation and tariff measure effective on the declaration or registration date, as relevant. The review date records our source check; older procedural manuals remain identified as such.