Foreign no-claims bonus: getting it recognised in France
No French insurer is obliged to carry over a bonus earned abroad. But a well-prepared file often changes the answer — here is what to provide, and what to do if it is refused.
You drove for years in your own country without a single claim. You arrive in France, ask for a quote, and the price comes back as if you had never held a steering wheel. It is the most common situation we see, and the one nobody explains properly.
Here is what actually happens, what you can obtain, and what is simply out of your hands.
How the French bonus works
In France your premium is multiplied by a coefficient called the CRM — coefficient de réduction-majoration. That is the technical name for the no-claims bonus.
| Starting coefficient | 1.00 for a driver with no French history. |
|---|---|
| Each claim-free year | −5% (the coefficient is multiplied by 0.95). |
| Maximum bonus | 0.50, a 50% reduction. It takes 13 years to get there. |
| At-fault claim | +25% (×1.25). Shared liability: +12.5%. |
| Malus ceiling | 3.50. |
| Clearing a malus | After two consecutive claim-free years, any coefficient above 1 disappears. |
A driver arriving in France without recognised history therefore starts at 1.00 — not at 3.50. That is not a penalty, it is an absence of record. The distinction matters, because it changes what can be negotiated.
Will your foreign bonus be recognised?
There is no legal obligation to carry it over. France Assureurs states it plainly for the reverse case: the insurer in your new country of residence is “generally free to reconstruct the bonus based on its own risk analysis”. The same principle applies on the way into France.
In other words: recognition is requested, not claimed as a right. It depends on the insurer, on your country of origin, and on how good your file is. Some accept a European record without discussion. Others carry nothing over from outside the EU. Most sit in between and look at the documents case by case.
What helps
- A statement issued by an identifiable company, with its contact details and a stamp.
- A translation into French by a sworn translator.
- Continuous cover, with no gap of several months.
- A long record — three years counts for far more than ten months.
- The name on the statement matching the name on your ID exactly.
What blocks it
- A handwritten certificate, or one with no company letterhead.
- A document in someone else's name — the family car insured under your father's name, for instance.
- A long gap between the end of the foreign policy and the French application.
- A country where the French insurer has no way of verifying anything.
The claims history statement decides everything
This is the key document. In France it shows the policy start date, the registration number, the driver's details, five years of claims history and the coefficient applied. A French insurer must provide it within fifteen days of a formal request, and automatically when a policy is cancelled.
An equivalent exists almost everywhere under a different name: claims history statement, no-claims certificate, attestation de sinistralité. What it must contain:
- Your surname, first name and date of birth.
- Exact start and end dates of cover.
- The number of claims, and your share of liability for each.
- The final coefficient or discount percentage.
- The company's full identity: legal name, address, contact.
The advice that saves months: request this document before you leave your country, and ask for it in English if the company offers that. Obtaining it remotely, once you are already settled in France, often takes weeks — when it is still possible at all.
If recognition is refused
It happens, and it is not a dead end. Three routes, in order of usefulness.
1. Get insured now, build the record afterwards
A full claim-free year in France is worth −5%, and more importantly it creates a French record nobody will argue with. What matters in the short term is being legally covered: third-party liability is compulsory from the first kilometre.
2. Use short-term cover during the transition
While you gather documents, wait for your residence permit or complete a licence exchange, a short-term policy that accepts foreign licences lets you drive without committing to twelve months at a price set on an incomplete file.
3. Submit again later
A refusal is not final. With a translated statement, a valid residence permit and six months in France, the same file often lands better.
Not sure where you stand?Send your documents and we reply with a straight answer: insurable or not, and on what terms.
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Frequently asked questions
Is my foreign no-claims bonus automatically recognised in France?
No. No rule obliges a French insurer to carry over a coefficient earned abroad. France Assureurs states that the insurer in the country of arrival remains free to reconstruct the bonus according to its own risk analysis. In practice, you request recognition with documents to support it, and the answer varies from one company to another.
I come from an EU country — is it easier?
Considerably. European insurers issue a standardised claims history statement that is readable and verifiable, and many French insurers accept it. That still does not make it a right: it is market practice, not an obligation.
Which document should I request from my previous insurer?
A claims history statement, or its local equivalent — no-claims certificate, attestation de sinistralité. It must show your name and date of birth, the dates of cover, the number of claims with your share of liability, the final coefficient, and the company's full details.
How quickly must an insurer provide it?
In France, within fifteen days of a formal request, and automatically when the policy is cancelled. Abroad, the deadline depends on local rules — ask for it before you leave, it is far faster than chasing it from another country.
My statement is in Arabic, Turkish or Russian. Is that a problem?
Not fatal, but it will need translating. For a bonus recognition file, a sworn translation works best: it removes any doubt about how dates and amounts should be read. Send us the original first — we will tell you whether a translation is genuinely needed before you pay for one.
Without recognition, what coefficient do I start on?
1.00, like any driver starting out in France. This is an important point: having no record is not a penalty. You are not starting behind, you are starting without history. Each claim-free year then earns you 5%.
How long does it take to reach a good coefficient?
The maths is mechanical: 0.95 per claim-free year. Five years brings you to roughly 0.77, eight years to around 0.66, and the 0.50 floor is reached after thirteen years. A malus clears faster — two consecutive claim-free years bring you back to 1.
The car was insured in my father's name. Does that count for me?
Rarely, and it is one of the most common reasons for refusal. The statement follows the policyholder, not the driver. If you were listed as a declared secondary driver, ask for that to appear explicitly on the document — some insurers will take it into account, at least partly.
I had an at-fault accident abroad. Must I declare it?
Yes. Hiding a claim is a false declaration, and the consequences are severe: reduced settlement, or the policy being void if bad faith is established. A declared claim costs you a few points of coefficient. A hidden one can leave you with no cover on the day you need it.
Can I be insured while the decision is pending?
Yes, and that is the sensible way to do it. Third-party liability is compulsory from the first kilometre. A short-term policy covers you while the file progresses, without locking you into twelve months at a price set on incomplete information.
My licence is non-exchangeable. Does that affect the bonus?
They are two separate questions. Exchanging a licence is an administrative matter; recognising a bonus is an insurer's decision. A non-exchangeable licence does not stop you presenting an insurance record. What does matter is whether your licence still allows you to drive in France — that is covered on our dedicated page.
What exactly do you do for me?
We look at your documents, tell you honestly what stands a chance, and present the file in the form insurers expect. If recognition is not realistic, we say so straight away and look for the cheapest option while your French record builds up. Send your documents on WhatsApp — we reply quickly, and there are no international call charges.