Adopting a Twingo

Registering a Twingo

Insuring a Twingo

Sales

Adopting a Twingo: Brief Import Guide

You may be lucky enough to find a Twingo available for sale in Britain, but they number relatively few and are much prized. There are two import routes open to you, the first is to use an agent who will locate the new or used Twingo that you desire, import it and prepare documents for you to register at your local VRO; or you can do the leg-work yourself and save yourself some money. This section will tell you what you need to import and register a Twingo. If you choose to use an agent, make sure that the fees you pay cover everything so that you don't receive any unexpected bills.

FINDING TOUR TWINGO
With UK prices ever high, imports of all kinds of car are increasingly commonplace; and you can buy your Twingo in any continental European country. Some dealers are reticent to deal with foreign customer, but there are many dealers in northern France, the Benelux countries, and north-west Germany who sell to British car buyers daily, and often have specialist 'export' departments, staffed by English-speaking sales teams. A good example is DAC:

Diffusion Automobile Calaisienne
58-60 avenue Saint Exupéry
BP154
62103 Calais
Tel 00333 21 19 15 59

WARNING!
Beware of continental dealers promising "VAT-free" deals. There is no such thing. When you buy a new car in another country, you buy it without paying VAT in that country; and then when you get back to Britain and register your Twingo here, the VRO (Vehicle Registration Office) make you fill-out a form which is passed onto the tax-man, and if you don't pay the VAT on your purchase at British rates (currently 17.5%) within 30 days of the tax-man's invoice, large men will come knocking at your door. There are exceptions to this rule, Germany for example, where you pay VAT in the country of purchase and claim it back. VAT is on new cars is always payable in Britain - be certain to have all the facts about the country where you intend to buy your Twingo, and allow for VAT in your calculations.

For your own convenience, choose a dealer who will help you by preparing the necessary paperwork to export the car from its country of origin, and provide 'Transit Plates' which cover your car until it is registered at home, and includes short-term third-party insurance. If buying a new Twingo, make sure also that you get the Certificate of Conformity, which proves that the car is built to European Union type-approval standards. To find lists of Renault dealers in the country of your choice, visit the Renault international web-site which gives you access to information in every country where Renaults are sold.

Having bought your Twingo, you'll need to get it home. Another fortunate result of the increasing number of cars being brought into Britain via personal import, ferry operators sailing English Channel and North Sea routes offer special deals, which include travel to the continent as a foot-passenger and return journey with car. Depending on the operator and route, some also arrange hotel accommodation.

USEFUL IMPORT CONTACTS
Car Import Guide on-line magazine
Seafrance - Ferry services Dover-Calais
P&O Stena Line - Ferry services Dover-Calais, Vehicle import services
Hoverspeed - Ferry services Dover-Calais, Folkestone-Boulogne, Vehicle import services
Stena Line - Ferry services Harwich-Hook of Holland
DFDS Seaways - Ferry services Harwich-Amsterdam/Hamburg, Newcastle-Amsterdam/Esbjerg/Kristiansand/Gothernburg

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