Lease a Car in Europe

Short-Term Tax-Free Car Leasing in Europe

Short Term Car Lease Europe in 2024 or 2025 with MOTORVANA!

Yes, tourists (seniors, students, families, backpackers, military, teachers, academics on sabbatical, workers on assignment), a car lease in Europe may be much better value than a long term or one way auto rental. We're talking Citroën tax-free short-term car leases the government of France has authorized since the 1950's.

MOTORVANA books European short-term car leases 21–355 days long — in France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Since 1994 we've expertly, transparently, and proudly represented these tax-free auto leases. We make it easy to lease a car for travel in Europe at a low price.

Benefits of a MOTORVANA Short-Term Tax-Free Car Lease in Europe

  • You save money — largely because the lease is tax free (a 16–21% savings).
  • You get precisely the brand new, factory fresh left-hand drive make and model you choose.
  • You enjoy full insurance with zero deductible, effective in 30 European countries.
  • You gain personal accident insurance (PAI).
  • You have 24/7 Citroën roadside assistance, breakdown cover, and factory warranty.
  • You pay no additional driver fees, face no maximum age limit, and the minimum age limit is just 18.
How much it costs to lease a car in Europe

What's more, MOTORVANA makes leasing a car in Europe as simple as renting a car.

Altogether France's short-term car leasing Europe program sounds too good to be true, we know. But keep digging and you'll find it is true!

Just see our Car Lease Europe Customer Reviews, our average review being 4.9 stars out of 5, this based on 208 recent Citroën European car lease reviews.

That's why Motorvana really is proud to represent the Citroën "Car‑2‑Europe" buy-back (purchase-repurchase) car lease program.

Why Citroën?

Of the French car brands, Citroën has the most remarkable history of innovation and revolutionary engineering and is today significantly the most avant-garde. Citroën's slogan "Créative Technologie" expresses this identity. Citroën automobiles are characterized by great spaciousness and by a verve that is quintessentially French.

We love 'em, and you will too.

DS is essentially Citroën's luxury brand, inspired by and named after the famously sophisticated Citroen DS/ID from the 1950s–1970s. Driven by this outstanding heritage and avant-garde spirit, DS perpetuates the Citroen values of innovation and distinction. DS models stand apart from the competition through their design, refinement, advanced technologies and dynamic serenity.

Peugeot SA had owned a large stake of Citroën SA and the companies were combined into a holding company, known as PSA Peugeot Citroën. In 2021 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA merged into Stellantis, which today owns the brands Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Jeep, Maserati, Chrysler, Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, among others. Peugeot's buy-back car lease program is called Peugeot Open Europe. Renault in contrast is now a brand of Renault Group, which is partly owned by the French state (Renault was entirely nationalized from 1945 to 1996) and by Nissan (each with a 15% share). Renault has various joint ventures, including Oyak-Renault (Turkey) and Renault Pars (Iran). Renault's short term car lease program is called Renault Eurodrive.

Why Drive Europe?

Driving in Europe is suprisingly easy. The roads are great. The signage is great. The rules, familiar. And as Arthur Frommer once said, "No one has seen Europe who has not traveled in it by car."

Plus, with a short term car lease in Europe you'll have your very own brand new car with zero-deductible insurance and roadside assistance good in 30 European countries.

 

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It's Inexpensive and Easy to Lease a Luxury Car in Europe Tax Free!

How much does it cost to lease a car in Europe? You only pay the fixed, upfront, small total cost presented by our software. Naturally the lease cost is different per car model. The longer the duration the lower the per day cost; the lease price is weighted on the front end, a block cost applying to the first 21 days and a smaller per day cost applying thereafter. Your lease cost will probably average out to just US$ 40–50 price per day.

If you return such a lease car outside France a modest location fee will apply, but that fee is wrapped into the total cost we present.

For the exact total costs, please submit a Search above. Our online order software will then present to you all the available lease cars, SUV's, minivans, and vans, ordered by how much they cost.

If you then click on the "More Info" button below a vehicle, a page will pop up presenting the following info specific to the lease vehicle and dates:

Citroen car leasing in Europe
  • basic inclusions (e.g. insurance, 24/7 assistance, additional drivers)
  • insurance (e.g. zero deductible, domain of coverage some 30 European countries)
  • 24/7 assistance info and policies (e.g. repair protocol, replacement car policy)
  • images
  • videos
  • pick-up and return instructions (e.g. depot location)
  • change policy
  • cancellation policy

Ultimately select the car you want and go from there. The the pick-up and return time windows and the exact depot location(s) and phone number(s) are presented during our online order process and are of course reiterated on your paperwork.

So, you can easily proceed through our online order process and wait for your confirmation to arrive within one or two business days.

Such lease is often referred to as a buy-back (or buyback) agreement. The term buy-back seems to imply large sums, negotiations and complex paperwork requirements upfront and upon return. But that's not actually the case; you do not have to pay the full value of the car or go through a buy-back process per se, and there are never any additional fees or charges beyond the set, relatively small, upfront lease cost — which cost our online order software renders completely transparent.

Rather, within a business day or two after you submit your order with us online you will receive via e-mail Citroën's very short contract document (a PDF file with fillable fields) to complete. No worries: most of the fields thereon will be pre-populated; and during our online order process we carefully and accurately represent all the important aspects of that contract; we don't want any unpleasant surprises in it for you. You will send that completed contract back via e-mail, along with a scanned copy of your passport. Thus you will give Citroën the ability on your behalf to register and insure the vehicle in your name for precisely the duration of your lease. (You can easily lengthen or shorten the duration later, even while you are on the road with the car. We present the terms of such changes, e.g. extra day charge and early return refund, during our online order process.) The original downpayment is minor (i.e. a few hundred US dollars). And when you do pay the balance (automatically charged to your card 45 days before your lease pick-up date) a copy of the completed contract will be marked "PAID" and e-mailed to you along with supporting information — including the depot info (again, already presented to you by our online order process) and instructional booklets (PDF files) reminding you what to do in case of accident or breakdown (hardcopies will also be provided in the car).

And voilá, you're all set for your vacation.

When your car lease duration ends, your ownership of the car ends automatically. You just return the car and walk away.

It's all so easy!

Note it's possible to buy your so-called buyback lease car outright at the end of your lease. Almost nobody does this, however, because the cars are made to European safety and environmental specs, not to the corresponding specs of North America, Australia, etc.

For a variety of info and websites related to traveling Europe by car, please visit our Resources page

Dynamics of European Buy-Back Car Lease Program

The short-term tax-free car leasing program was created way back in the 1950's and authorized by the French government to stimulate French tourism and the French automobile manufacturing industry.

Under this program you as a visitor to Europe become the first registered "owner" of a truly brand new French automobile already fully insured with excellent, zero-deductible insurance — effective in some 30 European countries — and supported by a full factory warranty and breakdown assistance service (including a replacement-car protocol for the unlikely possibility your brand new car ends up in a repair shop). Due to Brexit, UK residents now qualify for this lease program!

You get precisely the car model you choose. The registration and insurance are in your name. In a sense you own the car. But the cost to you is merely commensurate with and probably cheaper than the cost of an "equivalent" car rental.

Again, when your car lease duration ends, your ownership of the car ends automatically. You just return the car and walk away. The vehicle can then be sold on the open market by Citroën as a used car, which in France means it can be sold at a much lower tax rate than can a new car. Thus everyone wins — except carmakers who export new cars to France (e.g. BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, Volvo, etc).

All the vehicles in the tax-free short-term leasing program are left-hand drive vehicles (i.e. steering wheel on the left).

The countries in which the Citroen Car‑2‑Europe insurance and assistance are effective are the following:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (Greek territory only), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece (mainland, not the islands), Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Vatican.

Note these TT lease cars are no longer authorized to drive in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia (and Kosovo), Macedonia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Gibraltar, and Iceland.

Due to conditions resulting from Brexit, these TT lease cars can no longer be taken or driven to the UK (including Northern Ireland). Any lease customer who enters the UK with a TT lease vehicle will have to pay an import tax of 10% of the full Citroën constructor listing price of the car (not the price of the TT contract) regardless of the delivery and return stations. Motorvana and Citroën Car2-Europe will not be held responsible and will in no case assume the 10% import duty related to TT cars.

HOWEVER, by the same token, UK residents do now qualify for these leases!

Qualifications for Short Term Car Lease

Short Term Car Lease Requirements

The Citroen short-term tax-free car leasing program — i.e. involving "transit temporaire" or "TT" registration — is available to persons whose permanent residence is outside the European Union (EU) — so, yes, UK residents do now qualify! — whose age is eighteen years or more, and whose valid non-provisional driver's license in their country of residence has been valid for more than one year prior to their driving the Citroen lease vehicle. European passport holders living permanently outside of Europe are therefore welcome to participate in the TT car leasing program. European Union permanent residents, on the other hand, do not qualify to obtain a TT registered car. Even though residents of the United Kingdom now qualify for this car lease program, the cars cannot be taken into the United Kingdom, regardless of residence. And residents of Switzerland cannot drive their TT lease vehicle in Switzerland. Persons who will be working or studying in the European Union during a limited stay can qualify to obtain a TT registered vehicle for that stay, but they must qualify for TT Special registration, described below. However, persons who will receive compensation (including room, board, etc) from an entity in the European Union (i.e. rather than from an entity outside the EU) during their stay in Europe do not qualify to obtain a TT registered vehicle for that stay.

As indicated above, there are two specific types of "TT" lease registration available:

Standard/tourist category TT lease registration. These leases are available to vacationers traveling to Europe for tourism or leisure, which category naturally involves the vast majority of customers. Persons working for or studying at an entity in the European Union do not qualify for this standard type of TT registration but might qualify for the TT Special registration described below. The maximum duration for standard TT leases is up to 175 days depending upon the delivery location chosen. Our website is programmed to calculate this maximum available term based upon the delivery center chosen. One constraint: You shall not have been in the European Union for more than 185 days in the 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of the lease. And if you are traveling to Europe using an EU passport, you will not qualify for such lease (nor for the TT Special lease described below) unless you or perhaps your work supervisor sign a form stating that you intend to return to your non-EU country of residence (or take up residence in another non-EU country) after the lease.

TT "Special" lease registration. The TT Special lease registration is for persons officially traveling to Europe to work or study, and as such the TT Special registration can be for a duration of up to 355 days. There are some additional paperwork requirements that help to verify qualification for this category of lease, which documents will be provided for completion shortly after our receipt of a lease order. Most importantly, a TT Special lease applicant must not receive any direct compensation (including room and board) from an entity in the European Union during their lease term and they cannot use the lease vehicle as an aspect of such entity's services. Constraint: You shall not have been in the European Union continuously in the 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of the lease.

Who Else Can Drive the Car?

Again, there is no charge for additional drivers; i.e. they are free of charge. Indeed, two key fobs are provided with each vehicle.

The following individuals are authorized to drive a TT registered vehicle: you the client (i.e. the one person whose name is on the lease contract), your spouse or domestic partner, your parents and your children, provided they too meet the general conditions of eligibility of the program (i.e. they are at least 18 years of age and not a resident of the European Union). Regarding other persons — e.g. friends — who also meet the general conditions of eligibility of the program, they will be considered authorized drivers of the vehicle if you the lessee are in the car with them. This means the included insurance is as effective when these drivers are operating the vehicle as it is when you are operating the vehicle.

License

You only need to present your driver's license (and your passport) upon the pick-up occasion. You do not need to present an International Driving Permit (IDP) upon the pick-up occasion.

Your domestic driver's license will suffice throughout France, provided you are at least 18 years of age (again, there is no age maximum) and have held such valid license for at least one year prior to the pick-up date.

Technically speaking, however, certain other European countries — most notably Austria, Italy and Spain — require of drivers who are not European residents an International Driving Permit (IDP) as well. You should contact the relevant tourist office, consulate or embassy to determine whether a country requires you to carry an IDP while driving. A good secondary indicator in this respect is the IDP webpage posted by the UK's Automobile Association. IDP's are sold for a nominal price by your national automobile club; you don't have to be a member to buy one. Just take your domestic driver's license, two passport-sized photos and the requisite cash to the club office. Ten minutes later you'll have your IDP. Basically an IDP is a means by which police in a foreign country can know — in terms of translations in nearly a dozen different languages — that your domestic driver's license is indeed recognized as being valid by the proper authorities in your country. Is it really necessary that you obtain an IDP if you plan to drive in a country that reportedly requires one? In practice of course it depends on the particular police officer you might happen to be dealing with. The vehicle leasing company (e.g. Citroën Car‑2‑Europe) doesn't care whether or not you have an IDP; it's up to you whether you cover yourself in this regard.

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What Our Car Lease Customers Say About Us

First Class Service

Our first car lease through Motorvana was 12 years ago. First class service and assistance with Eric and the crew in Portland, Oregon. This year was two months and 8830km in France, Germany and Italy with a Citroen C3. Motorvana made it easy with our 3 or 4 schedule changes and short term car rental after our lease was done. Thanks again to Motorvana, we look forward to our next opportunity to book another car lease in Europe with you.   Read More …
Tony & Paula O, USA

One Way, No Problems w/ Car Lease

Another very satisfied customer of Motorvana and the Car Lease program in Europe. I picked up a Citroen Berlingo in Lyon and dropped it off at the Rome airport Fiumicino location. The car was great — drove it on vacation over 13,000 km through France, Sicily and mainland Italy without a hitch performance wise. I did have a mishap of my own in Amboise, France — going down a road that quickly became too narrow for the car! Had to back out a few hundred meters and managed to scrape the side mirrors and a bit on the back. As has been reported by others there were no problems at all when I brought the car back.   Read More …
Barb Law, Canada

Car Lease a Great Deal

Great service, we lease a car in Rome and drive to Paris. The car was new, terms and conditions exactly as mentioned. The best part 1000 USD for 22 days of car rental, all insurances included. I did a quote in other car rental companies, the car rent for the same period including the insurance would be the double.   Read More …
Juan Vazquez, Mexico