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GUIDE TO
INSURING A VEHICLE
How does vehicle insurance work in France,
how is it diff erent to what you’re used to, what level of cover do you need, and what will your policy cover? Catharine Higginson explains all this and more
W
hen I moved to France over two decades ago, everything
administrative was, to put it mildly, challenging. Car insurance was no exception. I can remember sitting in an offi ce trying to understand the policies and various options available to me. Today, online insurers and the widespread availability of English-speaking brokers have made life much easier. However, it is still essential to understand how insurance cover works in France, how it diff ers from the cover you might be used to and exactly what your policy will (or won’t) include. Insurance is a legal
requirement for all vehicles in France, whether they are in use or not, and the defi nition of vehicles includes not only cars but also motorcycles, scooters, tractors, ride-on mowers and quad bikes. If you get stopped driving an uninsured vehicle, fi nes start at €500 with an additional charge of 50% (so €250) going to a body known as Les Fonds de garantie des assurances obligatoires de dommages (FGAO), which pays out to victims of an accident involving an uninsured driver, meaning that the total fi ne is €750. Failure to pay within a specifi ed time means that the fi ne increases to €1,000 with an additional charge of €500, making €1,500 in total.
“You are required to carry a copy of your insurance policy with you to prove the vehicle is covered”
Trailers and caravans
must also be insured with a minimum of third-party cover. Your existing car insurance policy can cover caravans and trailers up to 750kg without the need for a separate contract. However, you must tell the insurer that you plan to tow and check this is covered in your policy. Any caravan, trailer, horsebox or the like that weighs over 750kg must have its own insurance contract.
WHICH COMPANY? So how do you go about choosing an insurer? There are hundreds of insurance
companies in France off ering car insurance policies; these include mutuelle insurers (les mutuelles d’assurances), banks and private companies. Deciding which to go with depends on the cover available and the rates. If you already have a
French bank account or other insurance policies, this is a good starting point as existing clients may be able to negotiate better rates on multiple policies. Equally, you may prefer to
do the research and make the calculations yourself and if so, the online comparison sites such as LeLynx, lesFurets and
Meilleurtaux are a great starting point and usually reveal some competitive prices. However, not all policies are
equal and unless you are really confi dent in your abilities to understand the small print or even if you just fi nd speaking French a challenge, you may be much better off using an international insurance broker such as AXA International, Fab French Insurance or Asttral. Not only do these types of companies have English-speaking helplines, they usually provide the documentation in English and can handle claims on your behalf. They are also usually better placed to off er cover for unusual or vintage vehicles.
WHAT LEVEL OF COVER? You will also need to choose from the three types of cover available. These are third-party (au tiers), third-party, fi re and theft (au tiers illimité) and fully comprehensive (tous risques). Third-party is the legal
‘Tous risques’ is the highest level of cover 92 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025
minimum required for any vehicle in circulation in France and eff ectively acts as civil liability insurance, meaning you will be covered in the event that your vehicle is responsible for injuring or damaging someone or something. Your own vehicle is not covered which means that cover is only really suitable for cars with almost zero replacement value. Third-party, fi re and theft
© SHUTTERSTOCK
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