Cars from France: where to look, what to check and what delivery costs
A car from France is an EU purchase: no import duty, and on top of the price you pay €208 for CSDD registration and €100–180 for the first year of OCTA — €308–388 of Latvian paperwork. France is a big market: used cars changed hands 2.717 million times in the first half of 2025 (AAA Data). A French seller has clear paperwork duties — the administrative-situation certificate from HistoVec, the sale certificate “certificat de cession” and a crossed-out “carte grise”. The road to Riga is about 2,300 km from Paris.
The short answer, in figures
€110 tax + €41.88 certificate and two plates + €19.25 unit-number check + €36.95 first test (csdd.lv).
By car, driver and insurer; band re-measured 2026-09-12.
+0.9% on the first half of the year before (AAA Data, Journal de l’Automobile, 2025-07-16).
From Paris; about 2,500 km from Lyon. Approximate road distance, rounded.
What the French used-car market looks like
In the first half of 2025 used cars changed hands 2.717 million times in France, up 0.9% on the year before (AAA Data, Journal de l’Automobile, 2025-07-16). The choice is wide and the ads are in French.
When a car is sold to a private person in France, the seller has to hand over: an administrative-situation certificate no more than 15 days old, obtained through HistoVec; a technical-inspection report no more than 6 months old if the car is over 4 years old; the sale certificate “certificat de cession” (cerfa 15776) in two copies; the registration card (“carte grise”) crossed out and marked “vendu le” with the date and time; and the “code de cession”, valid for 15 days. The seller must declare the sale within 15 days (service-public.gouv.fr). These rules cover a sale to a private person in France; how the seller proceeds with a buyer from abroad is something to ask him.
HistoVec is a state service at no charge. The seller creates the report from the state register; it holds the date of first registration, claims events (accidents), the administrative situation, the technical inspection and the specification (Caradisiac). The buyer does not open the report himself — he asks the seller for it, so ask for it before you travel.
Where to look for a car in France
Searching starts on three sites: Leboncoin.fr, LaCentrale.fr and AutoScout24.fr. We only name them — we do not rate them, and every ad gets the same checks.
| Site | What it is | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Leboncoin.fr | A general classifieds site; cars are one category | FR |
| LaCentrale.fr | A car classifieds site | FR |
| AutoScout24.fr | The French version of the European car marketplace | FR |
French words to know in ads and papers
- “carte grise” or “certificat d’immatriculation” — the registration document
- “certificat de cession” — the sale certificate; “code de cession” — the code with which the buyer completes the formalities
- “certificat de situation administrative” — a certificate on the car’s administrative status (for example, whether it is pledged)
- “contrôle technique” — the roadworthiness test; “procès-verbal” — its report
- “carnet d’entretien” — the service book; “kilométrage” — mileage
- “HistoVec” — the state service for a vehicle-history report
What to check before you buy
Ask for the HistoVec report and the administrative-situation certificate no more than 15 days old: they show the date of first registration, claims events and the administrative status. Compare the VIN in the report with the VIN on the car.
Ask for copies of the inspection report and the service book. Check the mileage and the VIN history yourself, independent of the ad. Remember that an imported car takes the Latvian test again anyway.
- The VIN in the document and in HistoVec matches the VIN on the car
- The administrative-situation certificate is no more than 15 days old
- The inspection report (if required) is no more than 6 months old
- The service book and invoices; the mileage fits the history
- The seller is the owner named on the registration card
- A written agreement: who declares the sale and when
Papers and declaring the sale in France
The seller declares the sale online within 15 days of signing the “certificat de cession” and gets a “code de cession” to give the buyer; he crosses out the registration card and writes “vendu le”, the date and the time (service-public.gouv.fr).
On the Latvian side CSDD asks for a registration document issued abroad and a copy of the certificate of conformity (COC), with the original shown (csdd.lv). The French registration card will be crossed out, so before you pay ask CSDD whether it is accepted together with a copy of the sale certificate.
Before you pay, agree in writing when the seller declares the sale, which set of papers you receive and when.
What to take from the French seller
- The crossed-out registration card (“carte grise”) marked “vendu le”
- The sale certificate “certificat de cession” (cerfa 15776) and the “code de cession”
- An administrative-situation certificate no more than 15 days old
- The original certificate of conformity (COC) — CSDD requires it
- A sale-purchase contract with the VIN, price and both parties’ details
- The inspection report, if there is one
- The service book and invoices
Delivery to Riga
It is about 2,300 km from Paris to Riga and about 2,500 km from Lyon. Ask the carrier for a delivery date in writing.
This page states no transport price for the French route — there is no verified published price list. Take two or three quotes from carriers that insure the load and sign a contract, and put the figures into the import cost calculator.
Costs and registration in Latvia
There is no import duty on a car already in free circulation in the EU. CSDD fees, taxes and OCTA are payable; Latvian VAT applies only to a “new” car (up to 6 months or up to 6,000 km; VAT act, Article 1, point 9(a)). An ordinary used car leaves €208 at CSDD and €100–180 of OCTA, €308–388 together.
Show an imported car to CSDD for the unit-number comparison within five days of bringing it in. The operation tax depends on CO₂ and age — use the calculator or the tax guide.
CSDD registration · Import costs from any country · Vehicle tax 2026
Cars from Europe in the AutoPase showroom
Cars from Europe with a price for Latvia: see the available cars. In the AutoPase showroom delivery is included in the car’s final price (from Austria €600, from other countries €800).
Application for car search and delivery
If no suitable car is available yet, AutoPase accepts an application for car search and delivery: the history and the mileage are checked before the purchase, and delivery takes up to 14 days. What the service includes and what it does not is on the service page.
AutoPase does not give its own commercial warranty on the car. The consumer’s statutory rights against the seller remain.
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Search abroadFrequently asked questions
Is there customs duty on a car from France?
There is no import duty on a car already in free circulation in the EU. CSDD fees, taxes and OCTA are payable; Latvian VAT applies only to a “new” car (up to 6 months or up to 6,000 km). An ordinary used car leaves €208 at CSDD and €100–180 of OCTA.
What is HistoVec and how do I get it?
HistoVec is the French state service for a vehicle-history report, at no charge. The seller creates the report, so the buyer asks the seller for it. It holds the date of first registration, claims events, the administrative status and the technical inspection (Caradisiac).
Which papers must I get from a French seller?
The crossed-out registration card (“carte grise”) marked “vendu le”, the sale certificate “certificat de cession” (cerfa 15776), an administrative-situation certificate no more than 15 days old and the “code de cession”; and an inspection report if one is required (service-public.gouv.fr). In Latvia you also need the COC.
What does it cost to bring a car from France to Latvia?
The Latvian paperwork is €308–388. This page states no transport price for the French route: take two or three quotes from carriers that insure the load and put the figures into the import cost calculator.
Where to go next
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Sources
Prices and rates checked on 17 October 2026. Sources:
- Journal de l’Automobile (AAA Data) — French used-car transactions in the first half of 2025: 2.717 million, +0.9% (2025-07-16). (2026-10-17)
- service-public.gouv.fr — vendre ou donner son véhicule — The seller’s papers: the administrative-situation certificate (under 15 days old, via HistoVec), the technical inspection (under 6 months), cerfa 15776, the crossed-out “carte grise”, the cession code, declaring the sale within 15 days. (2026-10-17)
- Caradisiac — HistoVec — What a HistoVec report holds (first registration, claims, administrative status, technical inspection, specification), that it is a state service at no charge, and that the buyer asks the seller for the report. (2026-10-17)
- CSDD — The list of documents first registration in Latvia needs, including the COC and the foreign registration document. (2026-10-17)
- Pievienotās vērtības nodokļa likums (likumi.lv) — Article 1, point 9(a): a new land vehicle is one used for under six months or driven under 6,000 km. (2026-10-17)
- CSDD — The CSDD price list: registration certificate and two plates, unit-number comparison; the natural-resources tax and the test fee come from the code module. (2026-10-17)
