To sell gold in France you legally need valid photo ID, and the buyer must log the sale in a police register and pay you by traceable transfer or cheque, never cash. To reduce tax, also bring proof of original purchase.
To sell gold in France you must present valid photo ID; the buyer is legally obliged to record the transaction in a police register and pay you by traceable means, never in cash. A passport, national identity card or residence permit is enough to prove who you are. The dealer copies your details into a mandatory register (livre de police) that is open to inspection, which is why an anonymous sale is not possible. Payment must be made by bank transfer or cheque, so you will also need to give your bank details (IBAN). If you are a tourist or expat, a foreign passport is accepted, but you still need a French or European bank account, or a cheque you can cash, to receive the funds legally.
The single most useful document is proof of your original purchase, because it lets you choose the more favourable of France's two tax regimes. Selling gold in France triggers either a flat tax on precious metals, calculated on the full sale amount, or a capital-gains regime charged only on the profit, with a taper that can reach full exemption after a set holding period. You can only opt for the capital-gains route if you hold a dated invoice, a certificate, or an inheritance or gift declaration proving what you paid and when. Without that evidence you default to the flat tax. Keep old receipts, auction slips, bank records and estate papers: they are what turn an unprovable holding into a documented one and can lower the bill considerably.
Value is driven by fineness, weight and, for coins, numismatic premium, so any document that certifies those factors strengthens your position. Hallmarks stamped on jewellery (999 for 24k, 916 for 22k, 750 for 18k, 585 for 14k, 375 for 9k) are the primary evidence of purity; a certificate or original box for a coin or bar confirms grade and origin. The public spot price is identical for every buyer, so it is not what separates one offer from another. What differs is the buyback rate — the percentage of spot a dealer actually pays — and dealers are not required to publish it. Bringing your own weight and fineness figures lets you check any valuation against the public spot price. You can compare gold buyers in your city before you commit.
No. Presenting valid photo identification (passport, national ID card or residence permit) is compulsory, and the buyer must enter your details in a mandatory police register. A dealer who buys gold without recording your identity is acting illegally.
It is not required to complete the sale, but it is highly valuable at tax time. A dated proof of purchase lets you opt for the capital-gains regime, which taxes only the profit and can taper to exemption. Without it, the flat tax on the full sale amount applies by default.
French law requires precious-metal payments to be traceable, so settlement must be made by bank transfer or cheque. This protects both parties and is tied to the mandatory register. Expect to provide your bank details (IBAN) to receive the funds.