Importing a Chinese-built passenger car into France requires the EU unified framework and three steps: customs clearance, conformity and registration. For imports from a non-EU country such as China, French Customs levies a standard 10% duty, calculated on the CIF value plus related costs, and import VAT is 20%, charged on the value, duty and additional costs. On conformity, the vehicle must hold EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) or a manufacturer's Certificate of Conformity (CoC). Where these are absent, an individual approval — Réception à Titre Isolé (RTI) — must be obtained from the DREAL or DRIEAT, which may involve laboratory testing and modifications. A non-EU direct import yields the customs 846A clearance certificate, while an EU purchase produces a quitus fiscal; final registration is handled through the ANTS online portal. Since 2025 France also applies its CO₂- and weight-based malus écologique penalty to imported used cars, materially raising the cost of high-emission models. New cars remain subject to the EU countervailing duty on Chinese BEVs. We advise assembling the VIN, invoice and conformity documents early. EZ Auto Global provides China export preparation, export documentation, CIF quotations and French clearance and registration support.
| Import duty & taxes | For imports from a non-EU country such as China, French Customs levies a standard 10% duty, calculated on the CIF value plus related costs, and import VAT is 20%, charged on the value, duty and additional costs. Since 2025 France has extended its CO₂- and weight-based malus écologique penalty to imported used cars; new BEVs also bear the EU countervailing duty. |
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| Authority & certification | The vehicle must hold EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) or a manufacturer's Certificate of Conformity (CoC); where these are absent, an individual approval — Réception à Titre Isolé (RTI) — must be obtained from the DREAL or DRIEAT, possibly involving laboratory testing and modifications. |
| Required documents | A non-EU direct import yields the customs 846A clearance certificate, while an EU purchase produces a quitus fiscal; final registration is handled through the ANTS online portal. We advise assembling the VIN, invoice and conformity documents early. |
| Steering | Left-hand drive (LHD); drives on the right. |
Figures indicative. France follows the EU unified framework: a standard 10% duty (on CIF) plus 20% import VAT on cars from China; since 2025 the malus écologique covers imported used cars; EU WVTA or an individual approval (RTI) from DREAL/DRIEAT is required; a non-EU import yields the customs 846A certificate, an EU purchase gives a quitus fiscal, and registration goes through the ANTS portal; new BEVs also bear the EU countervailing duty. Sources: French Customs (Douanes, douane.gouv.fr); EU Taxation and Customs Union (taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu). Last reviewed 2026-10.
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EZ Auto's team has 15–20 years of experience in China's car export business, working from our base in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. We are not a European company and do not claim a local European office: we serve European importers directly from China, with the same order-based, document-complete model we use in every market. Vehicles reach Europe either by sea from Chinese ports to major European gateways such as Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona and Gdańsk, or overland on the China–Europe rail service through terminals such as Małaszewicze. We do not rely on transshipment shortcuts; every car is sourced directly in China, inspected before payment, and shipped with full export documents. A typical order runs in seven steps: you confirm the model, specification and quantity; we source and verify availability in China; you approve the unit and we sign the contract; inspection takes place before payment; export clearance and booking are arranged in China; the vehicle leaves a Chinese port or rail terminal and we send you the shipping documents; you clear customs on arrival with your local broker. Payment terms, delivery windows and inspection scope are agreed in the contract for each order. Our role ends at the port of entry; import clearance, national approval and inland delivery are handled locally, with our document support throughout.
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