Car insurance quote in France: what you need, minimum cover, expat rules

Short answer: a French car insurance quote is built from four facts — the car, the named drivers and their licence dates, your claims history (the relevé d’information, or a claims statement from your previous insurer abroad) and where the car is parked at night — and you can ask for up to three quotes from ORIAS-registered brokers or insurers with the form below, free and without obligation. The minimum you will be quoted for is third-party liability (responsabilité civile, sold as « assurance au tiers »): compulsory for every motor vehicle able to drive on public roads, even one that stays parked, it pays for damage you cause to other vehicles, buildings, pedestrians and passengers — never for your own injuries or your own car.

Get up to 3 car insurance quotes from brokers in France

Your request is passed to at most 3 partner brokers or insurers registered with ORIAS. Free, no obligation.

Claude Assur passes your request on; it gives no advice and sells no policy. How the introduction works.

France uses a regulated no-claims coefficient (bonus-malus, from 0.50 to 3.50) identical across insurers. As a newcomer, your foreign claims history is not automatically recognised: bring a claims statement (attestation) from your previous insurer — many French companies will grant you an equivalent bonus, some will not. Comparing on this single point can halve your premium. Expect €30-60/month for an experienced driver on a compact car, and significantly more in your first French years if your history is not recognised. Part of the reason no foreign record transfers as such: bonus-malus scales differ widely from one national market to another, as the actuarial literature has long documented (Lemaire, Bonus-Malus Systems in Automobile Insurance, 1995), so a French insurer can only read your past, not convert it.

Getting a car insurance quote in France: what you will be asked

French quote forms are standardised around the same handful of facts, so gather them before comparing: the vehicle (registration certificate — carte grise — or import papers, model, first registration date), the main driver and any second driver (date of licence issue, which matters more than age: under three years of licence you are a « conducteur novice »), your relevé d’information or foreign claims statement for the last years, where the car sleeps (street, private car park, locked garage) and your annual mileage and use (private, commuting, business). An undeclared second driver or a wrong parking address is the classic reason a claim is reduced later. The step-by-step version for newcomers — formulas, prices, foreign-record recognition — is in our guide to the mechanics of car insurance in France for expats; if the car is still on UK or foreign plates, read driving a foreign-registered car in France first.

Third party, third party extended, comprehensive

« Au tiers » is the legal minimum described above. « Tiers étendu » (or « intermédiaire ») adds theft, fire, glass and often natural events. « Tous risques » adds damage to your own car even when you are at fault. Whatever the level, check the driver-injury cover (garantie du conducteur): third-party liability never pays the at-fault driver’s own injuries. Going without even the minimum is a criminal offence (€3,750 fine, or a €500 fixed fine for a first offence, plus possible licence suspension of up to three years, according to Service-public.fr), and the victims’ compensation fund reclaims what it pays from you personally.

Comparing a new quote with your current policy

Compare at equal cover, line by line: the formula, the excess (franchise) on each guarantee, glass breakage, the assistance clause, the ceiling of the driver-injury cover and whether the second driver is named. A cheaper quote that quietly raises the excess or drops assistance from your doorstep is not cheaper. Once your current policy has run for one year you can leave at any time, without a reason: the termination takes effect one month after the old insurer receives it, and for compulsory motor cover the new insurer sends it for you, so there is no day uninsured (Hamon law, article L113-15-2 of the Insurance Code, explained on Service-public.fr). The full procedure, including the first-year exits, is in our guide to cancelling an insurance policy in France.

Options that make two quotes differ

For the same car and driver, most of the gap between two quotes sits in a few optional blocks — ask each broker to show them separately, so you can see what each one adds. Assistance: « 0 km » means help even outside your front door, while a kilometre franchise leaves you alone for a flat battery at home; our page on breakdown cover in France explains the clause and the motorway rule. Replacement vehicle: on entry-level policies it is often granted after an accident only, not after a breakdown. Driver injury cover: the one option worth taking even on a third-party policy. Legal protection (protection juridique): pays for advice and proceedings in a dispute with a garage, a seller or another insurer.

After you sign: proof of insurance and what to declare

The insurer sends the general and special conditions (conditions générales et particulières) and a « Mémo Véhicule Assuré ». There is no green card or windscreen sticker any more for French-registered cars since 1 April 2024: the police check the Fichier des véhicules assurés (FVA), the national register of insured vehicles, which can take up to 72 hours to show a new contract — keep the confirmation email or provisional certificate in the car meanwhile. Declare in writing, within fifteen days, any change that alters the risk: moving house, a new car or carte grise, an extra regular driver, a foreign licence exchanged for a French one. After an accident, fill in a constat amiable with the other driver and send it within the deadline of your contract, which the law sets at no less than five working days, two for a theft (article L113-2 of the Insurance Code).

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need for a car insurance quote in France?

The car’s registration certificate (carte grise) or import papers, the driving licence of every named driver, your relevé d’information or, if you come from abroad, a claims statement from your previous insurer, and the address where the car is parked at night. Without proof of insurance over the last three years, the insurer may apply the novice surcharge even to an old licence (article A121-1-1 of the Insurance Code).

What is the minimum car insurance in France?

Third-party liability (responsabilité civile, « au tiers »). It is compulsory for any motor vehicle able to drive on public roads, even if it stays parked, and covers damage caused to others. Your own car and your own injuries as an at-fault driver are not covered at this level.

Is my no-claims history from abroad recognised in France?

Not as a legal French coefficient: an arrival from abroad starts at 1.00. But many insurers grant a commercial discount on a no-claims letter from your previous insurer, translated if needed, stating the years insured and any claims. It is each insurer’s choice, which is why the same driver can receive very different quotes.

Can I drive in France with my foreign insurance?

Temporarily yes (EU policies cover EU-wide third-party liability), but once you become a French resident and register the car in France, you need a French policy. Note that your EU no-claims record can usually be transferred with a claims statement.

Can I change car insurance during the year?

After one year of contract, yes, at any time and without a reason: the old policy ends one month after the insurer receives the request, and the new insurer handles the termination for you (article L113-15-2 of the Insurance Code). In the first year you need the anniversary date or a change of situation such as a move or the sale of the car.

How long does it take to receive car insurance quotes?

No delay is promised: Claude Assur passes your request on to brokers or insurers registered with ORIAS, three at most, who contact you directly by phone or email. Having your carte grise and claims statement at hand when they call is what speeds up a firm quote.

What is the bonus-malus exactly?

A multiplier applied to your reference premium: it drops 5% each claim-free year (down to 0.50 after 13 years) and rises 25% per at-fault claim (capped at 3.50). Two consecutive claim-free years reset any malus to 1.00. It follows the driver, not the car.