Green plates

Applicable à
General

The Installation service is available with any requests and queries concerning:

This service is available by appointment only. Requests for information or appointments should be submitted using the Service Portal (please follow the relevant link above).

Members of the personnel taking up residence in France must complete the formalities for the registration of their vehicle in France as soon as they receive their special residence permit.

Members of the personnel who meet the conditions of award outlined below enjoy exemption from customs duty and/or tax on new and second-hand vehicles. 
The vehicles benefiting from this exemption are registered in the special 431 Kxxxx or 431 CDxxxx series, commonly referred to as “green plates”.

Only private passenger vehicles and two-wheelers can be registered in the special series. Therefore, the following vehicles are excluded:

  • motorhomes, utility or similar type, modifiable or mixed (Multivan©, Caravelle©),
  • vans,
  • trailers, and
  • caravans.

1. Conditions of award

Green-plate registration is limited to vehicles belonging to members of the personnel who hold a special residence permit (AT-, FI- or CD-series) issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter MAE). The EF attestation de fonction is reserved for members of personnel domiciled in Switzerland and does not permit the registration of a vehicle in France.

These special permits are issued according to the conditions of award given in the French cards procedure. A delivery period of 8 weeks is necessary and any request not received by the MAE within 3 months following taking up appointment or the removal of the member of the personnel will be definitively rejected.

2. Entitlements associated with green-plate vehicle registration

Beneficiaries of green-plate vehicle registration have the following entitlements:

  • exemption from the payment of VAT and/or import duties,
  • issue of the vehicle registration certificate free of charge,
  • exemption from the French contrôle technique (statutory periodic vehicle test). 

Nevertheless, owners of vehicles registered in the special series are still under the obligation to keep their vehicle in good running order and a satisfactory state of repair.

N.B. In some cases, the taxes and duties payable will have to be settled at the French customs office when the vehicle is sold (see details in paragraph 4 of the procedure and in the notes from the French customs below).

The following table shows the number of vehicles that may be registered on green plates, together with the permitted frequency of replacement, depending on the type of French card held:

  Holders of an AT- or FI- series French card Holders of a CD-series diplomatic French card
Number of vehicles 1 vehicle

if unmarried, widowed or divorced, or if the spouse/partner does not hold a spouse/partner diplomatic card 
(e.g. because the person has French nationality, holds a special card as a member of the CERN personnel or holds a carte de séjour issued by the Préfecture):

1 vehicle

in all other cases:

2 vehicles

Permitted frequency of replacement A period of two years must elapse before a vehicle bought tax free and registered in a special series may be replaced.
This period runs from the date on which the customs authorities (Direction générale des Douanes et Droits indirects, hereinafter referred to as "DGDDI") authorised the registration. 
This period does not apply, however, in the event of theft or force majeure, duly reported and identified as such.

3. Driving the vehicle

Vehicles registered with green plates may be driven only by the member of the personnel or by family members holding the same valid French card (AT-, FI- or CD-series). In particular, French citizens and holders of a carte de séjour issued by the Préfecture or of an Attestation de fonctions issued (FR-, AR- or CR-series) by the MAE are not authorised to drive vehicles registered on green plates.

Procédure

1. Application for green-plate vehicle registration (K or CD)

The application for green-plate registration cannot be initiated until the initial special residence permit (French card) has been received.

1.1 Putting together an application file

The application can only be made via the request Car VAT exclusion request (K or CD series)​​. The member of the personnel must submit the necessary documents, as listed below, in a single application file:

  New vehicle bought in the EU New vehicle bought outside the EU Second-hand vehicle Private vehicle 
(already belonging to the member of the personnel upon arrival)
Copy of the special residence permit YES
valid for at least three months
Proof of place of residence YES
valid for the last six months
MAE Form 1 "Certificat d'exonération de la TVA et/ou des droits d'accise (en français seulement)" - must be completed electronically (WORD format). YES NO
MAE Form 2 "Demande d’immatriculation d’un véhicule automobile (en français seulement) - must be completed electronically (WORD format). YES
Copy of the insurance certificate (carte verte) issued by an approved French or European insurance company, specifying the owner’s address in France. YES 
Insurance cover valid for at least three months
Original registration certificate YES, if the vehicle is registered YES
Original invoice in the name of the beneficiary, in French or English* YES YES, if purchased at a dealership YES, if import
Certificate of transfer of title (Certificat de cession) / deed of sale (certificat de vente) (Cerfa No. 15776*01) NO YES, if purchased from a private individual YES
Cancellation of the previous registration (K or CD series or if registered in a country other than France) YES, except in the case of first-time registrations.
Compliance certificate (certificat de conformité - original only) YES
Original documents to be returned Add a French prepaid registered envelope

* The invoice must include the tax-free price and the intra-community VAT number where applicable.

N.B. All the documents (certificates, invoice, forms...) must mention the same address in France.

You are advise to read the Information Memorandum, to submit the request "Car VAT exclusion request (K or CD series)" via the Service Portal and then to follow the instructions provided. All necessary forms (form 1 and form 2 in French only) are also available in this application.

N.B. Green plates can be produced free of charge by the CERN workshop. These plates will not be set by CERN but will have to be set by an authorized person, for insurance reasons.

After checking the documents, the CERN Mobility Centre will invite the member of the personnel to come and sign them. By signing the forms, the applicant undertakes to comply with all the obligations specified therein, in particular those regarding administrative and customs clearance in the event of the export, destruction, sale or theft of the vehicle.
The CERN Mobility Centre then sends the application form to the MAE, which forwards it to the DGDDI and then to the Préfecture de police in Paris.

N.B. In the case of vehicles from a country that is not a member of the European Union, arriving in France with a transit document, the applicant must present Form 2, validated by the DGDDI, in order to obtain authorisation to take delivery of the vehicle without paying taxes. The applicant must remember to ask the seller to specify the vehicle’s fiscal status (i.e. whether or not duties and taxes have been paid) at the time of placing the order, as it takes around two months to receive the validated form.

1.2 Temporary certificate of registration (Certificat provisoire d'immatriculation - CPI) or temporary WW plates

If necessary, the owner can obtain a temporary certificate of registration (Certificat provisoire d'immatriculation - CPI), which is valid for three months. The CPI allows the vehicle to be driven on French territory only until the definitive registration is complete. 
The CERN Mobility Centre sends the request to the Préfecture de police in Paris by post, as soon as it receives the MAE’s acknowledgement of receipt of the application file. The Préfecture de police in Paris sends the CPI by e-mail to the CERN Mobility Centre, which then forwards it to the member of the personnel (sample temporary certificate of registration).

If the vehicle comes from abroad, the owner can obtain temporary WW plates valid for four months from an approved vehicle registration agency. In this case, driving the vehicle is authorized in Europe and Switzerland. This request must be made by the owner of the vehicle.

1.3 Obtaining the vehicle registration certificate (CIV/carte grise)

After the application has been processed by the MAE and the DGDDI, the vehicle registration certificate is issued by the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTS) and sent by post to the CERN Mobility Centre. The CIV allows special number plates to be obtained and fitted to the vehicle.

N.B. The applicant must keep and carry a signed copy of Form 2 so that it can be produced in the event of a customs check.

Ordinary license plate registration formalities can be carried out via the Carte Grise Pays de Gex registration agency in Ornex, or any other authorized agency or garage. The cost varies depending on the cylinder capacity and can be evaluated on this page (immatriculation d’un véhicule d’occasion).

2. Exchanging 431 K plates for 431 CD plates

Staff members residing in France who are issued with a CD-series diplomatic special residence permit following a promotion are obliged to change the registration of any vehicle previously registered in the 431 K series.

The staff member concerned should first take an appointment with the French customs office in Ferney-Voltaire, then hand in the existing number plates, and submit the following documents to the CERN Mobility Centre via the request "Exchanging 431 K plates to CD series" in the Service Portal:

  • Demande d’immatriculation d’un véhicule automobile (Form 2 - en français seulement), completed electronically, printed on both sides and signed;
  • two photocopies of the French CD-series diplomatic card;
  • two photocopies of a French insurance certificate for the vehicle concerned;
  • two photocopies of the certificate of cancellation of the registration in the 431 K series, issued by the French customs office at Ferney-Voltaire;
  • a copy of the certificate confirming that the green plates have been handed in;
  • the original of the old vehicle registration certificate (431 K XXXX), minus the detachable coupon allowing the vehicle to be used temporarily.

Until the new CIV is received and “CD” series plates are obtained, the member of the personnel must register the vehicle under its normal “SIV” number. The procedure for obtaining new plates takes 10 to 12 weeks.

3. Transfer of vehicle

In the event of the vehicle being sold to another person eligible for green plates, the owner must make an appointment at the customs office in Ferney-Voltaire or visit the office during its usual opening hours, to submit Form 2 and the vehicle registration certificate (CIV) and, if applicable, to hand in the green plates.

The owner then gives the buyer Form 2, the CIV, the certificate of transfer of title (certificat de cession) and the certificate issued by the customs office confirming that the green plates have been handed in, all of which must be included in the application file for the new registration.

4. Cancellation of green plates and final settlement of customs duties

Green plates must be cancelled and customs duties settled when:

  • the vehicle is destroyed (including voluntary scrapping) (see Notes from the French customs office in paragraph 5),
  • the vehicle is sold to anyone not eligible for green plates,
  • the vehicle owner loses their privileged status (e.g. end of contract, retirement, CERN working hours less than 51%, French naturalisation),
  • a new vehicle is purchased for registration in the special series and the owner already owns one or two vehicles (as applicable) with green plates,
  • the vehicle is stolen.

N.B. Customs clearance may take two forms:

  • the ordinary customs clearance where the person is liable for the VAT on the residual value of the vehicle;
  • the « duty-free admission », an administrative tolerance to which the member of the personnel is entitled if he fulfils cumulatively the following three conditions:
    • have owned the vehicle for at least six months and,
    • have had his principal residence in France for at least one year and to undertake to maintaining it on a long-term basis and,
    • have a proof of end of contract at CERN: for this, use the certificate available via HRT.

Members of the personnel with a secondary residence in France or who have lived in France for at least one year, will have to pay the VAT on the residual value of the vehicle.

Documents cancellation provided by the French customs must be sent to the CERN Mobility Centre via the request Green Plates Cancellation from the Services Portal.

However, no duties or taxes are payable if the owner moves to Switzerland or to another country (in this case the vehicle must be exported according to the procedure in force).

The member of the personnel must contact the French customs office in Ferney-Voltaire directly to submit the file, settle any duties or taxes that may be payable and hand in the registration plates. The customs office will provide the member of the personnel with a certificate confirming that the green plates have been surrendered and will validate the relevant documents, depending on the vehicle’s destination.

The calculation of the amount of VAT as well as the conditions of application of duty-free admission are determined exclusively by the French customs administration and are not the responsibility of the Organization.

N.B. Only the registration in normal French series can terminate the duty-free regularisation procedure (customs clearance), failing which an offense for non-compliance with the commitments made could be raised by the French customs administration.

For information on registration fees, please refer to the point 1.3 of the procedure.

5. Notes from the French customs

N.B. Since September 2017, the formalities for the registration of vehicles in the special series have been the responsibility of the Préfecture de police in Paris, using the single application file procedure outlined above. The formalities for registration in the normal series must be completed online via the following website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1050. All customs formalities must be made by appointment only, at the address cern-ferney-voltaire@douane.finances.gouv.fr.

5.1 For vehicles with double registration (from 15.04.2009: green  plates and French plates with SIV number*)

5.2 For vehicles with only green plates registration (without SIV number)

https://immatriculation.ants.gouv.fr/Tout-savoir-sur-le-SIV/Le-Systeme-d-Immatriculation-des-Vehicules-SIV.

Révisions
No revision Modifications Approved
1 Personnel Information notice from the Installation Service. 02.12.2011
2 Additionnal information from the Installation Service ("notes douanières"). Comments from the Relations from the Host States Service. 24.11.2015
3 An appointment must be booked for all services relating to the registration of vehicles at the Gex sous-préfecture.  01.02.2016
4 Information regarding the case of a vehicle that originate in a country that is not a member of the European Union and arrive in France with a transit document. 28.04.2016
5 Notes from the French customs in case the vehicle is destroyed. 29.04.2016
6 Since September 2017, the formalities for the registration of vehicles in the special series have been the responsibility of the Préfecture de police in Paris. 31.01.2018
7 Instructions on how to request a new carte grise via the ANTS website. 28.09.2018
8 Publication of new notes from the French customs. 22.01.2019
9 Application for green-plate vehicle registration is now submitted via the Service Desk (Car VAT exclusion request (K or CD series)). 15.02.2019
10 Ordinary license plate registration formalities can be carried out via the Gexpress Carte Grise registration agency in Ornex, or any other authorized agency or garage. 06.08.2019
11 For new applications only, green plates can be produced free of charge by the CERN workshop. 01.10.2019
12 The request "Exchanging 431 K plates to CD series" must be used to request an exchange of plates between 431 K to CD series. 26.11.2019
13 The CERN Mobility Centre manages the constitution of the file for the request for green plates. 02.11.2020
14 Update of the paragraph "Cancellation of green plates and final settlement of customs duties" 12.01.2021
15 Revision of paragraph 1.2 to clarify the procedure to be followed when requesting CPI or WW plates and paragraph 4 for the transmission of documents when canceling plates. 09.07.2021
16 Update of paragraph 4. Cancellation of green plates and final settlement of customs duties: need to prove the end of the contract at CERN 12.08.2021
17 Update of paragraph 1.1 Putting together an application file. "Green plates can be produced free of charge by the CERN workshop. These plates will not be set by CERN but will have to be set by an authorized person, for insurance reasons." 23.08.2021
18 Clarification about vehicles that may be registered in the special series. 08.12.2021
19 The employment attestation available via HRT can be used as a proof for the end of contract. 10.01.2022
20 Update of the table mentioning the necessary documents for the registration application file. 12.08.2022
21 The link to the form "Certificat d'exonération de la TVA et/ou des droits d'accise (Form 1 - en francais seulement)" has been modified. 28.08.2023
22 Update of the table mentioning the necessary documents for the registration application file. 21.02.2024

General

The Installation service is available with any requests and queries concerning:

This service is available by appointment only. Requests for information or appointments should be submitted using the Service Portal (please follow the relevant link above).

Members of the personnel taking up residence in France must complete the formalities for the registration of their vehicle in France as soon as they receive their special residence permit.

Members of the personnel who meet the conditions of award outlined below enjoy exemption from customs duty and/or tax on new and second-hand vehicles. 
The vehicles benefiting from this exemption are registered in the special 431 Kxxxx or 431 CDxxxx series, commonly referred to as “green plates”.

Only private passenger vehicles and two-wheelers can be registered in the special series. Therefore, the following vehicles are excluded:

  • motorhomes, utility or similar type, modifiable or mixed (Multivan©, Caravelle©),
  • vans,
  • trailers, and
  • caravans.

1. Conditions of award

Green-plate registration is limited to vehicles belonging to members of the personnel who hold a special residence permit (AT-, FI- or CD-series) issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter MAE). The EF attestation de fonction is reserved for members of personnel domiciled in Switzerland and does not permit the registration of a vehicle in France.

These special permits are issued according to the conditions of award given in the French cards procedure. A delivery period of 8 weeks is necessary and any request not received by the MAE within 3 months following taking up appointment or the removal of the member of the personnel will be definitively rejected.

2. Entitlements associated with green-plate vehicle registration

Beneficiaries of green-plate vehicle registration have the following entitlements:

  • exemption from the payment of VAT and/or import duties,
  • issue of the vehicle registration certificate free of charge,
  • exemption from the French contrôle technique (statutory periodic vehicle test). 

Nevertheless, owners of vehicles registered in the special series are still under the obligation to keep their vehicle in good running order and a satisfactory state of repair.

N.B. In some cases, the taxes and duties payable will have to be settled at the French customs office when the vehicle is sold (see details in paragraph 4 of the procedure and in the notes from the French customs below).

The following table shows the number of vehicles that may be registered on green plates, together with the permitted frequency of replacement, depending on the type of French card held:

  Holders of an AT- or FI- series French card Holders of a CD-series diplomatic French card
Number of vehicles 1 vehicle

if unmarried, widowed or divorced, or if the spouse/partner does not hold a spouse/partner diplomatic card 
(e.g. because the person has French nationality, holds a special card as a member of the CERN personnel or holds a carte de séjour issued by the Préfecture):

1 vehicle

in all other cases:

2 vehicles

Permitted frequency of replacement A period of two years must elapse before a vehicle bought tax free and registered in a special series may be replaced.
This period runs from the date on which the customs authorities (Direction générale des Douanes et Droits indirects, hereinafter referred to as "DGDDI") authorised the registration. 
This period does not apply, however, in the event of theft or force majeure, duly reported and identified as such.

3. Driving the vehicle

Vehicles registered with green plates may be driven only by the member of the personnel or by family members holding the same valid French card (AT-, FI- or CD-series). In particular, French citizens and holders of a carte de séjour issued by the Préfecture or of an Attestation de fonctions issued (FR-, AR- or CR-series) by the MAE are not authorised to drive vehicles registered on green plates.

Procedure

1. Application for green-plate vehicle registration (K or CD)

The application for green-plate registration cannot be initiated until the initial special residence permit (French card) has been received.

1.1 Putting together an application file

The application can only be made via the request Car VAT exclusion request (K or CD series)​​. The member of the personnel must submit the necessary documents, as listed below, in a single application file:

  New vehicle bought in the EU New vehicle bought outside the EU Second-hand vehicle Private vehicle 
(already belonging to the member of the personnel upon arrival)
Copy of the special residence permit YES
valid for at least three months
Proof of place of residence YES
valid for the last six months
MAE Form 1 "Certificat d'exonération de la TVA et/ou des droits d'accise (en français seulement)" - must be completed electronically (WORD format). YES NO
MAE Form 2 "Demande d’immatriculation d’un véhicule automobile (en français seulement) - must be completed electronically (WORD format). YES
Copy of the insurance certificate (carte verte) issued by an approved French or European insurance company, specifying the owner’s address in France. YES 
Insurance cover valid for at least three months
Original registration certificate YES, if the vehicle is registered YES
Original invoice in the name of the beneficiary, in French or English* YES YES, if purchased at a dealership YES, if import
Certificate of transfer of title (Certificat de cession) / deed of sale (certificat de vente) (Cerfa No. 15776*01) NO YES, if purchased from a private individual YES
Cancellation of the previous registration (K or CD series or if registered in a country other than France) YES, except in the case of first-time registrations.
Compliance certificate (certificat de conformité - original only) YES
Original documents to be returned Add a French prepaid registered envelope

* The invoice must include the tax-free price and the intra-community VAT number where applicable.

N.B. All the documents (certificates, invoice, forms...) must mention the same address in France.

You are advise to read the Information Memorandum, to submit the request "Car VAT exclusion request (K or CD series)" via the Service Portal and then to follow the instructions provided. All necessary forms (form 1 and form 2 in French only) are also available in this application.

N.B. Green plates can be produced free of charge by the CERN workshop. These plates will not be set by CERN but will have to be set by an authorized person, for insurance reasons.

After checking the documents, the CERN Mobility Centre will invite the member of the personnel to come and sign them. By signing the forms, the applicant undertakes to comply with all the obligations specified therein, in particular those regarding administrative and customs clearance in the event of the export, destruction, sale or theft of the vehicle.
The CERN Mobility Centre then sends the application form to the MAE, which forwards it to the DGDDI and then to the Préfecture de police in Paris.

N.B. In the case of vehicles from a country that is not a member of the European Union, arriving in France with a transit document, the applicant must present Form 2, validated by the DGDDI, in order to obtain authorisation to take delivery of the vehicle without paying taxes. The applicant must remember to ask the seller to specify the vehicle’s fiscal status (i.e. whether or not duties and taxes have been paid) at the time of placing the order, as it takes around two months to receive the validated form.

1.2 Temporary certificate of registration (Certificat provisoire d'immatriculation - CPI) or temporary WW plates

If necessary, the owner can obtain a temporary certificate of registration (Certificat provisoire d'immatriculation - CPI), which is valid for three months. The CPI allows the vehicle to be driven on French territory only until the definitive registration is complete. 
The CERN Mobility Centre sends the request to the Préfecture de police in Paris by post, as soon as it receives the MAE’s acknowledgement of receipt of the application file. The Préfecture de police in Paris sends the CPI by e-mail to the CERN Mobility Centre, which then forwards it to the member of the personnel (sample temporary certificate of registration).

If the vehicle comes from abroad, the owner can obtain temporary WW plates valid for four months from an approved vehicle registration agency. In this case, driving the vehicle is authorized in Europe and Switzerland. This request must be made by the owner of the vehicle.

1.3 Obtaining the vehicle registration certificate (CIV/carte grise)

After the application has been processed by the MAE and the DGDDI, the vehicle registration certificate is issued by the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTS) and sent by post to the CERN Mobility Centre. The CIV allows special number plates to be obtained and fitted to the vehicle.

N.B. The applicant must keep and carry a signed copy of Form 2 so that it can be produced in the event of a customs check.

Ordinary license plate registration formalities can be carried out via the Carte Grise Pays de Gex registration agency in Ornex, or any other authorized agency or garage. The cost varies depending on the cylinder capacity and can be evaluated on this page (immatriculation d’un véhicule d’occasion).

2. Exchanging 431 K plates for 431 CD plates

Staff members residing in France who are issued with a CD-series diplomatic special residence permit following a promotion are obliged to change the registration of any vehicle previously registered in the 431 K series.

The staff member concerned should first take an appointment with the French customs office in Ferney-Voltaire, then hand in the existing number plates, and submit the following documents to the CERN Mobility Centre via the request "Exchanging 431 K plates to CD series" in the Service Portal:

  • Demande d’immatriculation d’un véhicule automobile (Form 2 - en français seulement), completed electronically, printed on both sides and signed;
  • two photocopies of the French CD-series diplomatic card;
  • two photocopies of a French insurance certificate for the vehicle concerned;
  • two photocopies of the certificate of cancellation of the registration in the 431 K series, issued by the French customs office at Ferney-Voltaire;
  • a copy of the certificate confirming that the green plates have been handed in;
  • the original of the old vehicle registration certificate (431 K XXXX), minus the detachable coupon allowing the vehicle to be used temporarily.

Until the new CIV is received and “CD” series plates are obtained, the member of the personnel must register the vehicle under its normal “SIV” number. The procedure for obtaining new plates takes 10 to 12 weeks.

3. Transfer of vehicle

In the event of the vehicle being sold to another person eligible for green plates, the owner must make an appointment at the customs office in Ferney-Voltaire or visit the office during its usual opening hours, to submit Form 2 and the vehicle registration certificate (CIV) and, if applicable, to hand in the green plates.

The owner then gives the buyer Form 2, the CIV, the certificate of transfer of title (certificat de cession) and the certificate issued by the customs office confirming that the green plates have been handed in, all of which must be included in the application file for the new registration.

4. Cancellation of green plates and final settlement of customs duties

Green plates must be cancelled and customs duties settled when:

  • the vehicle is destroyed (including voluntary scrapping) (see Notes from the French customs office in paragraph 5),
  • the vehicle is sold to anyone not eligible for green plates,
  • the vehicle owner loses their privileged status (e.g. end of contract, retirement, CERN working hours less than 51%, French naturalisation),
  • a new vehicle is purchased for registration in the special series and the owner already owns one or two vehicles (as applicable) with green plates,
  • the vehicle is stolen.

N.B. Customs clearance may take two forms:

  • the ordinary customs clearance where the person is liable for the VAT on the residual value of the vehicle;
  • the « duty-free admission », an administrative tolerance to which the member of the personnel is entitled if he fulfils cumulatively the following three conditions:
    • have owned the vehicle for at least six months and,
    • have had his principal residence in France for at least one year and to undertake to maintaining it on a long-term basis and,
    • have a proof of end of contract at CERN: for this, use the certificate available via HRT.

Members of the personnel with a secondary residence in France or who have lived in France for at least one year, will have to pay the VAT on the residual value of the vehicle.

Documents cancellation provided by the French customs must be sent to the CERN Mobility Centre via the request Green Plates Cancellation from the Services Portal.

However, no duties or taxes are payable if the owner moves to Switzerland or to another country (in this case the vehicle must be exported according to the procedure in force).

The member of the personnel must contact the French customs office in Ferney-Voltaire directly to submit the file, settle any duties or taxes that may be payable and hand in the registration plates. The customs office will provide the member of the personnel with a certificate confirming that the green plates have been surrendered and will validate the relevant documents, depending on the vehicle’s destination.

The calculation of the amount of VAT as well as the conditions of application of duty-free admission are determined exclusively by the French customs administration and are not the responsibility of the Organization.

N.B. Only the registration in normal French series can terminate the duty-free regularisation procedure (customs clearance), failing which an offense for non-compliance with the commitments made could be raised by the French customs administration.

For information on registration fees, please refer to the point 1.3 of the procedure.

5. Notes from the French customs

N.B. Since September 2017, the formalities for the registration of vehicles in the special series have been the responsibility of the Préfecture de police in Paris, using the single application file procedure outlined above. The formalities for registration in the normal series must be completed online via the following website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1050. All customs formalities must be made by appointment only, at the address cern-ferney-voltaire@douane.finances.gouv.fr.

5.1 For vehicles with double registration (from 15.04.2009: green  plates and French plates with SIV number*)

5.2 For vehicles with only green plates registration (without SIV number)

https://immatriculation.ants.gouv.fr/Tout-savoir-sur-le-SIV/Le-Systeme-d-Immatriculation-des-Vehicules-SIV.

Revisions

No revision Modifications Approved
1 Personnel Information notice from the Installation Service. 02.12.2011
2 Additionnal information from the Installation Service ("notes douanières"). Comments from the Relations from the Host States Service. 24.11.2015
3 An appointment must be booked for all services relating to the registration of vehicles at the Gex sous-préfecture.  01.02.2016
4 Information regarding the case of a vehicle that originate in a country that is not a member of the European Union and arrive in France with a transit document. 28.04.2016
5 Notes from the French customs in case the vehicle is destroyed. 29.04.2016
6 Since September 2017, the formalities for the registration of vehicles in the special series have been the responsibility of the Préfecture de police in Paris. 31.01.2018
7 Instructions on how to request a new carte grise via the ANTS website. 28.09.2018
8 Publication of new notes from the French customs. 22.01.2019
9 Application for green-plate vehicle registration is now submitted via the Service Desk (Car VAT exclusion request (K or CD series)). 15.02.2019
10 Ordinary license plate registration formalities can be carried out via the Gexpress Carte Grise registration agency in Ornex, or any other authorized agency or garage. 06.08.2019
11 For new applications only, green plates can be produced free of charge by the CERN workshop. 01.10.2019
12 The request "Exchanging 431 K plates to CD series" must be used to request an exchange of plates between 431 K to CD series. 26.11.2019
13 The CERN Mobility Centre manages the constitution of the file for the request for green plates. 02.11.2020
14 Update of the paragraph "Cancellation of green plates and final settlement of customs duties" 12.01.2021
15 Revision of paragraph 1.2 to clarify the procedure to be followed when requesting CPI or WW plates and paragraph 4 for the transmission of documents when canceling plates. 09.07.2021
16 Update of paragraph 4. Cancellation of green plates and final settlement of customs duties: need to prove the end of the contract at CERN 12.08.2021
17 Update of paragraph 1.1 Putting together an application file. "Green plates can be produced free of charge by the CERN workshop. These plates will not be set by CERN but will have to be set by an authorized person, for insurance reasons." 23.08.2021
18 Clarification about vehicles that may be registered in the special series. 08.12.2021
19 The employment attestation available via HRT can be used as a proof for the end of contract. 10.01.2022
20 Update of the table mentioning the necessary documents for the registration application file. 12.08.2022
21 The link to the form "Certificat d'exonération de la TVA et/ou des droits d'accise (Form 1 - en francais seulement)" has been modified. 28.08.2023
22 Update of the table mentioning the necessary documents for the registration application file. 21.02.2024