# Non-resident motorcycle registration. Is it possible for US citizen, non-resident of France, to buy, register and insure a motorcycle in France?



## jackronner

Sorry, I know this forum is for expats, but thought you might've tried this before becoming residents.

My retirement plan is to buy the bike, in my name, and store it in France between yearly summer tours throughout Europe, all less than three months' duration. I've an old French friend whose address I can use strictly for administrative purposes for registration and insurance and such. Anyone know the name of the agency for vehicle registration - my friend lives in the 19th arrondissement in Paris if that helps. I'd like to get this squared away for my June trip this year. I speak fluent, intelligible, French so I could deal with officials on the phone or online. My driving/insurance records on a motorcycle license is, and has been for years, clean of accidents and violations.

Merci!


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## BraveHorse

You can register a vehicle under your name in France, but you will need a real address, a place you can prove it's real with something like an utility bill less than 3 months old.


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## jackronner

BraveHorse said:


> You can register a vehicle under your name in France, but you will need a real address, a place you can prove it's real with something like an utility bill less than 3 months old.


Thanks, BraveHorse. I'm aware of the types of documents needed for proof of residence, but I could only offer those relating to my California home. Again, I'm not going to misrepresent my my non-resident status, but I can use my French friend's Paris address as a "contact" only. Will insuring the bike also be OK with just the US residence docs?BTW, <snip>


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## boilerman

So long as its not a beemer🤣 only joking, I used to take my bikes over on a trailer, the roads in France are the best roads ever to ride on. Good luck and "flies on your teeth"


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## ARPC

No, you need an address in your own name in France to register it in France. In this circumstance you need a friend with an address in France (or somewhere in geographical Europe) to own it for you on paper.

Over a few years I did this similar system with a camping van, which I had registered to my sister in the UK, and which I used for 3 month stays in France, until I established residency and could register it myself. An option that exists is bringing a registered American one over, and keeping it for one year under green card insurance. I never got my head around that system, and it seemed limited to one year anyway.


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## jackronner

ARPC said:


> No, you need an address in your own name in France to register it in France. In this circumstance you need a friend with an address in France (or somewhere in geographical Europe) to own it for you on paper.


ARPC, I was afraid of that. When you say "own", for future reference, would renting qualify, and would I have to apply for a residency permit for some duration or other? I don't want to fake anything, since I just might join your ranks for a while in the future, and don't want to mess with the government. I have some other options I can explore, bike-wise. Thanks again.


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## ARPC

You could certainly be renting a house or apartment in France and use that rental contract or utility bill as your proof of address and register your bike there. I’m a renter and I don’t recall them asking after my residency status when I registered the van here. But I’m not sure if you could do that without a 
tax number? Maybe? That’s definitely a question for this forum, as plenty of American people own property in Europe that they use only in the terms of their 90/180 Schengen allowed stays, and I imagine they must own cars they keep there too? 

I run in a slightly more judicially….adventurous we could say, circle than some, and every foreigner friend I have in Europe has passed a period of time driving a car registered in the name of a friend. It is not illegal to drive someone else’s vehicle, and all the better if you add your name to their insurance as a driver (which is not difficult). 

I’m confident there is a solution for you on this humble French countryside motorcycle retirement dream.


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## BraveHorse

I can confirm you don't need a residency permit to rent a house or an apartment in France. It is police work to check visas, real estate agents and landlords don't care about that. But it cannot be an hotel room, nor an airbnb rental, it needs to be a proper, normal housing. If you can afford it, getting an address is easy.


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## SPGW

Agreed, there must be a solution. I confirm from a recent vehicle registration (following import) in Fr that residency status was not a factor. Proof of ID and an address in France are:









Immatriculation - Accueil


Bienvenue sur le site immatriculation de l'Agence nationale des titres sécurisés.




immatriculation.ants.gouv.fr





In the OPs case, I would try the "hébergé par un tiers" (put up by a 3rd party) route which might be better than having someone else become the legal owner of the bike (registered in their name):









Carte grise : comment justifier de son domicile en France ?


Pour établir votre carte grise (désormais appelée certificat d'immatriculation), vous devrez justifier de votre domicile. Les documents le justifiant diffèrent selon votre situation.




www.service-public.fr





It's not illegal to live in someone else's property and not be a renter or live there full time (eg the friend's address in Paris, if (s)he is willing to provide the required docs).


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## ARPC

B


BraveHorse said:


> I can confirm you don't need a residency permit to rent a house or an apartment in France. It is police work to check visas, real estate agents and landlords don't care about that. But it cannot be an hotel room, nor an airbnb rental, it needs to be a proper, normal housing. If you can afford it, getting an address is easy.


But could you then register a vehicle at that address? I didn’t tried to own a car before I had a resident permit, although I don’t recall that I had to show anything more than my Justification of domicile when I eventually bought a car and transferred the grey card. Could he rent an apartment, buy a bike, and register it at his French address with no residence permit? It sounds like yes, I just don’t recall ever doing it or knowing anyone who did.


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## Bevdeforges

From what I have heard, the key thing is that they need an address where you can be held responsible for anything sent to that address. If you get "flashed" by a traffic camera (for speeding usually) they will send the notice to the address to which your vehicle is registered. If it's a short term rental or an AirBnB that sort of mail won't get forwarded, and you'll wind up "ignoring" the violation. Not sure if that's the logic involved, but it makes sense - and (in the French manner) you'll ultimately get into more trouble by "ignoring" a violation (between mounting fines and the possibility of trouble with your insurer on renewal) than by not having the appropriate proof of residence.


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