Certificate of Conformity and all..............???

This is something I should have sorted before leaving England (I think) but our Acte de Vente day was brought forward and like a few things it just did not get sorted. So, can I ask for guidance on where I need to start with an english registered car with english plates which runs out of MOT, tax and insurance come the 1st of September. Is it the DVLA, manufacturer or somewhere else please? K

Manufacturer.

Firstly, it would be wise to check with your local CT station if they will accept a certificate de conformitie in english, IF you intend to source it from the UK.
Our local CT guy accepted our SAAB CdeC in english (which came with the car, luckily), but another fairly local insists on it beng in French.
Then write to them (in Uk or France) and ask for a CdeC, which you take with your other documents to get your controle technique.
I am sure then you will be able to insure the car, and reguster it afterwards.

Dont forget that you will have to change your headlights..........or will you??   Some you can convert free, others have a switch to convert them, others, you will have to buy. Try looking on leboncoin for 'phares'. What car have you got?

Good luck.

Pogo

Hi Blakevine.
It's simmo here. You will need to contact mazda uk who will give you mazda france address and possibly a contact telephone and if you are lucky a contact who speaks english.
They will send you a certificate of conformity application form to fill in. The code numbers and details you need are normally on one of the vehicles door pillers or in the engine bay area. once you have completed the form and sent it back with a fee they will send the certificate of conformity in french to you.
If you get stuck i will come round and help if you want .As regards head lights you may be very lucky and just be able to flick the adjuster catches in the engine bay area. Failing that you may have to get a set of headlights from the uk and fit them.  
Simmo in the Correze

I would have thought a set of headlights from France would be better for the correct beam setting - as suggested above www.leboncoin.fr is useful otherwise Google for 'phares pour Mazda'

Or you might be very lucky and find some at a scrap yard.

I recently had to get a Ford CoC and I had it supplied by the UK but in French and they asked for a lot less paperwork than the French side. Might be worth asking if they can give it to you in French. Prices seem to vary a lot from 0 to more than a 100.

Recent cars to have the beam angle changer; unfortunately for us, ours was not new enough. Its worth trying a breakers yard or there are some reasonable deals on e-bay too.

If you have to apply for a CoC in France, quite often the average price is around 120€, this has been the same for a Peugeot, Ford, Range Rover.... IF you can source it from the UK, usually, it is free.
We have registered a fair few cars in our time here, a) as my husband gets bored very eeasily & b) we have helped countless friends out..
You also need to get a form from the tax office declaring all the tax has been paid 'quittance de fisccal' , you need the log book , proof of address, i.e. EDF bill & your id, passport, driving license etc.  
Once you have your CoC, new CT, form from the tax office, log book, proof of address & proof of ID, you can get it registered,  I had an English CoC for my Clio & it went through fine... I think, through experience, it is your attitude (& level of French) & their 'day'! If your French isn't up to it, please take someone's who is

I hope that helps, but you can always pm me:D 

I agree with er indoors about their 'day'!
If I take a car for its CT, and the husband and wife who run it are arguing....forget it!!   

Pogo

Thank you to all who responded to my question. The Manufacturer (Mazda) in the UK are providing the Certificate of Conformity at no cost as I am the first and only owner (It would have been £85 if I was the 2nd owner.........). Now to the headlights. I have an MX5 which will be 10 years old on 1 Sept. I have looked on the likes of leboncoin etc etc but to no avail. Mazda France have quoted me (are you sitting comfortably), 440 euros EACH (incl. tax) for new headlights. I then have to have them fitted as I am not capable of such a thing. Whilst I reflect on whether to spend 880 euros on new lights in the comfort of knowing they will be "spot on", does anyone know anyone at Mazda or anyone in the motor trade who might be able to get them for me a little bit cheaper ??? (The current headlights will definitely not pass controle technique as my local garage has been in touch to check.......)
Thanks in ant. K.

Have you tried other Eu options such as Germany (site in English)
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Headlamp-Shop/MAZDA-LHD-headlamps-/_i.html?_fsub=20&_sid=48162764&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

....just a thought  

................excllnt suggestion thanks and I've just had a look but out of the 35 for sale there are none for my 2003 MX5. Although it has brought to my notice the fact that some of the lights for sale didn't include the height adjustment which the seller suggests you should "...keep from your old lights and incorporate into the new ones......" no idea if this will work between left and right-hand drive lights but it's something else I need to check.........
many thanks. K

Update! Hurrah - Certificate of Conformity arrived today (free of charge) from Mazda UK.

Still can't quite bring myself to spend 880 euros on lights and have now got a price from my old Mazda garage in UK for £570 for a set of headlights. Just awaiting another lead and then I'll have to bite the bullet.
Interesting learning curve this moving to France business!!!!
K

If you google left hand drive car sales uk a number of sites will appear. It may well be that they have some spare lights knocking about . Worth a try.

That sounds a lot. I dont know if Mazda is a lot more expensive than Ford but we got a set of headlights for the van from Ebay and it was only 180Euros for them both. They arrived DHL in 4 days from Italy.

Hi Blakevine
Its Simmo, I have also seen a web site for spares based in Spain but have never used it myself. Sod's law of course i can not find it now, does anyone else know of it?.
Simmo in the Correze.

This was who I got ours from

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/autoparts-rdc/

So here we are in October and for something which started in August I am SO pleased to say that our beautiful MX5 is now Correzienne - well - as far as she can be as I'm not going to shift the steering wheel. The Certificate of Conformity was free from Mazda UK. The headlights were 880 euros, the Controle Technique was 52 euros and the immatriculation was 186.50. The plaques were 25 euros. Still waiting for the garage bill for fitting the headlights but I'm told that might take a while. So, all in all I'm very pleased, relieved and can't wait to post a picture of her.. might need help with that. K.

If these are the ones you need, they are 329 euros plus 33 euros postage from Germany
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-MAZDA-3-5-door-hatch-2003-to-2009-LHD-european-halogen-headlamps-headlights-/400331896502?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d35a3f6b6

Thanks, Inkflo, as you can see, I got it all sorted and I'm afraid I paid through the nose for the headlights. I let my local garage sort it out with Mazda in the end; so glad I did as they initially sent him the wrong ones and he spent a day stripping down the car to fit them only to discover they were new English ones.....................so, I would have had the hastle of sending back the lights if they had been wrong. I also picked up a thread somewhere saying to be careful as they don't always come with the same headlight levelling set up. The moral of this story is that I let the "experts" sort it out but I'm having to pay for it. Thanks again.
K