Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » I'm returning to the UK from France and plan to buy a car in Britain - can I put my French address on the registration forms?

I'm returning to the UK from France and plan to buy a car in Britain - can I put my French address on the registration forms?

I live in France and am returning to the UK next April. I wish to buy a RHD car from the UK (from a main dealer) in early February and drive it to France to use for my return. Can you please advise what the requirements are for the Registration document to be sent to the DVLA? Can the garage put my foreign address on, or the UK address I will be living at after April? Also how do I complete the part as the new owner? Hope you can help.

Asked on 3 December 2017 by James D

Answered by Honest John
If buying in the UK to ultimately use in the UK, then you need to register the car to a UK address and also use that UK address for your insurance. It doesn't matter that this address will not be your final UK address so, in the meantime, use the address of a co-operative relative or friend. Then, when you finally settle at an address in the UK, transfer the keepership address and insurance address to your own UK address. Begs the question, do you have a UK or a French licence? And, if a UK licence, what address is that registered to.
Similar questions
Should the Crit'Air disc be attached to the bottom front offside of the windscreen on UKregistered cars?
We are driving to Disneyland Paris in November, the car will stay parked at Disney. Apart from the usual (UK badge, headlamp deflectors, hi-vis vest, bulbs, triangle do we need anything else?
You recently answered a question about driving in France. I gather for driving on French motorways you can buy a pass in advance which at toll booths lets you drive straight through the same lane as lorries,...