Sitting chatting with my British friend Anna in the local café in the village, she sighed and said, “If I could give up driving in France, I would. Trying to do my driving licence swap is driving me mad – excuse the pun.”
We both laughed. But it’s not funny when you have to deal with French admin and you’re not good at online systems or your French is coming along, but you’re not quite there yet with it.
Do you have to swap your foreign driving licence for a French one when you live in France?
Basically, if you move to France and you have a foreign driving licence, it’s valid for up to a year, beyond that, you have to swap it to a French one (unless you are British, and/or your British licence was issued before Jan 1, 2021 when you moved here, a UK Brexit thing and you can check on the ANTS website – Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés – to ensure you’re compliant. The exchange can only be done where countries have an exchange deal. The UK is included, but in the US, only 18 states allow for reciprocal exchange. If your licence isn’t eligible, you need to take a driving test in France. Thanks to the Brexit agreement, a UK Driver’s Licence need only be changed for a French one when a) UK licence reaches its expiry date b) when you turn 70 c) if you get caught speeding by the French authorities and points need to be deducted and d) when you have lost your UK licence.
For some, the exchange has proved relatively easy, but not for all. There have been frequent reports of problems, delays, system issues, and errors or omissions in the issuance of French licences, for instance, leaving off the qualification for riding a motorbike, or failing to take into account drivers with disability adaptation requirements.
Everything you need to know about a driving licence swap in France
If you make a mistake with your application, if you don’t follow a process in order, don’t provide the correct documentation, don’t provide a certified translation of your foreign licence if required, or further info from the issuing licence agency if requested – you could have issues. Even if you complete all tasks within the required (often very short) time frame, you may still encounter problems with your application.
And you need to be aware that the exchange can take several months.
Recently, it was my turn to renew my licence. Anna was still bemoaning her ongoing as yet not sorted out application, largely because she has given up for now. She’s not the first friend who’s told me of the anxiety it can cause to go through the cycle of swapping your foreign licence for a French one. I decided life is too short to deal with all this anxiety-inducing admin.
I got in touch with Eric Donjon at the European Concierge and asked him to help. Eric, who is French but splits his time between France and the UK, where he is the North of England Honorary Consul for France. He is renowned for being able to sort out administrative issues related to France. From visas to setting up a business, organising healthcare, and more – he’s the man who can help.
I had photos taken in a French photo booth which provides a code, so you don’t have to send physical images off. I gave Eric the code and copies of the documents he requested, and he set me up in the ANTS system (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés (French National Security Agency) processed my application and within 2 days, I received confirmation that my licence would be sent to me in 8 months, when my UK license expires. It took just minutes of my time and was worth every penny.
If you want help with exchanging your foreign licence for a French one, visas, setting up a business or sorting out any aspect of administration in France – get in touch with Eric at: theeuropeanconcierge.com
