The fact that a rego has expired is only relevant if you want to use the vehicle inside the country it is registered in or if the expiry date is printed on the document in such a way that it is easy to recognise as such.
NZ: validity is on a separate sticker which you simply remove, once outside the country. You only need a valid postal address, unless it has changed (I have been away for 10 years.)
France: rego never expires and there is nothing to pay, once it's registered.
Malaysia: I've had several emails from locals saying it is possible for a foreigner to register there (and one saying you can't). Don't know about validity/expiry. You *can* get a carnet there.
The recommended solution for those who have rego papers with an expiry date clearly stated on it involves a scanner, image processing software (like The Gimp), high-quality thick paper and a good laser printer. Since rego is mainly for paying road tax my view is that you don't need to pay taxes for roads you aren't using (i.e. while outside the country).
Of course, you must not use this edited document inside the original country. In fact I wouldn't even dare to bring it with me in my luggage, as the country of origin would consider this a forged document.
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