Guide · Monaco

Driving a UK-registered car in Monaco: Monaco plates, proof of conformity and the inspection, and what to do instead

Getting Monaco plates for a UK car means proof of conformity and, for an older car, a Monaco inspection. What that involves and costs, and the alternative.

Last reviewed October 2026

How long can I keep it on UK plates?

Monaco's registration rules set no fixed deadline for a new resident to re-register a foreign car. If your main home is still in the UK and you spend only part of the year in Monaco, you can use the car as a visitor while its UK registration, tax, MOT and insurance are valid. Once Monaco is your main home you are no longer a visitor, so plan to register the car here. On the UK side, the DVLA treats a car kept abroad for 12 months or more as permanently exported.

Can a right-hand-drive car be registered?

Monaco's published rules say nothing specific about right-hand drive. To be registered, the car needs proof of conformity: a full EU certificate of conformity from the manufacturer, an identification certificate for a used car of a type recognised in the EU, or an individual approval from the DREAL, the French regional authority. A car built for the UK market after Brexit may have no EU certificate. It also needs a Monaco technical inspection, so ask the Service des Titres de Circulation about headlamps before you pay for any work.

What registering it involves

Proof of conformity: an EU certificate of conformity, an identification certificate or a DREAL individual approval.
For a car over four years old, a technical inspection at the Monaco Vehicle Testing Centre, less than six months old when you apply.
Registration with the Service des Titres de Circulation, with your residence permit, the V5C and the documents above; documents in a foreign language may have to be translated into French. The certificate and plates are ready within 72 hours, by appointment.
After that, an inspection every three years and the yearly registration renewal.

What it costs

Registration in 2026: €122 for the registration certificate (€69 for a fully electric car) and €46 for a set of plates.
France's malus and regional carte grise tax are French registration taxes; Monaco's 2026 fees for a private car show no CO2 or weight charge.
On top: the Monaco inspection, any headlamp work, and the cost of a certificate of conformity or a DREAL approval.

The alternative: sell it back to the UK

The alternative is driving it back to the UK. Monaco to Calais is roughly 1,200 km: two long days, plus fuel, French motorway tolls, the Channel crossing and the journey back, and then the car still has to be sold. It only works while the MOT, UK tax and insurance are valid. We collect it free in Monaco, handle the export paperwork and pay you in pounds sterling (£) by bank transfer on collection day.

Get a free valuation for your car in Monaco

Free collection anywhere in Monaco, all export paperwork handled, paid in pounds sterling (£) on the day.

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Common questions

Does Monaco charge a registration tax like France's malus?

No. France's malus and regional carte grise tax are French registration taxes; Monaco's 2026 fees for a private car show no CO2 or weight charge: €122 for the registration certificate (€69 for a fully electric car) and €46 for a set of plates.

Can I keep the car on UK plates if I only live in Monaco part of the year?

If your main home stays in the UK, yes: you are a visitor, and the car can be used for up to six months while its UK registration, tax, MOT and insurance are valid. Once Monaco is your main home, plan to register it here.

What if the MOT has expired?

Not a problem. We buy cars with an expired MOT, no UK tax or a SORN, and collect them by transporter.

Rules, rates and thresholds change. This guide is a general summary as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice — check the current position with the registration authority before relying on it.

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