Foreigners living in France will, sooner or later, have to swap their driving licence for a French one – here’s how to do that, how to use the website and who is eligible.
Who
The first thing is to figure out whether you need to swap your licence.
This depends on your situation in France and where your current licence was issued.
If you have an EU licence you are not required to swap, but can do so if you wish (or are ordered to by police after committing a driving offence). Non-EU licences must be swapped after one year of residence in the country, with the exception of UK and NI licences which are a special situation – full details here.
READ ALSO: By country: How hard is it to swap your driving licence for a French one?✎
In general, people living in France are required to swap, while tourists and visitors are not. However some groups are exempt from swapping, including students and people with posted worker status.
Most people living in France are required to swap – and as the process itself takes some months, it’s best to start early.
How
The next thing to figure out is whether you can do a straight swap for a French licence, or if you will need to take a French driving test.
This depends on whether the country (or state/province in the case of US or Canadian licences) that issued the licence has a bilateral swap agreement with France – find the full list HERE.
If there is no swap agreement, you will need to take a French driving test in order to continue driving.
READ ALSO: How to take (and pass) the French driving test✎
If, however, you are lucky enough to have an agreement, then you can swap your licence online, for free.
The website
Driving licence swaps used to be handled by local préfectures, but are now done centrally via ANTS, using an online system.
You can find the online portal HERE.
If you haven’t used it before you will need to create an online account, or if you already have online accounts for French government services such as Ameli or tax declarations you can login by clicking on the France Connect button.
Once logged in, select Je demande l’échange ou l’enregistrement de mon permis de conduire étranger (I request the exchange or registration of a foreign driving licence) and fill in the details requested on the form such as name, address etc.
Once you have completed the form, you get to the section where you can supply supporting documents as requested.
These vary slightly depending on your circumstances and the country that issued your original licence, but will include:
- Proof of ID
- Proof of address such as a recent utility bill
- If your driver’s licence is in a different name to your passport or ID Card you will need to supply your full birth certificate
- Photos – these must be taken in a government-approved photo booth or via the app
The documents need to be scanned and uploaded to the website, not sent by post, although photos can be sent in the mail.
Pay careful attention to requests for certified translations of documents, although documents in English usually do not need to be translated.
What next?
Once you submit the application, you will receive an automated email acknowledging receipt (keep an eye your spam or junk folders).
Then, you wait.
Eventually you will be contacted and, depending on your circumstances, asked for extra documents, and then to send in your old driving licence.
You will be asked to send in your old driving licence to be exchanged and will receive in exchange an Attestation de Depot de Permis de Conduire (certificate of deposit of driving licence) – you can use this of proof of your right to drive while you are waiting for your new licence to arrive. People whose licences have expired can begin driving again once they receive this certificate.
The old licence is sent by post and it is highly recommended to send it by recorded delivery (lettre recommandée).
How long is the wait?
As ever, waiting times vary depending on the volume of requests that are being dealt with and the time of year (summer is usually slower).
People commonly report a long wait between the initial application and the request to send in the old licence, but the new licence usually arrives within a couple of weeks of sending in the old one.
That initial wait can vary, but expected it to be at least four months, maybe longer.
It is for this reason that people are advised to begin the process as soon as they are eligible, in order to avoid the stress of a last-minute application.
You can find a full guide to each step of the process of filling out the form at the Facebook page Applying for a French Driving Licence, and also get up-to-date information on waiting times.
How much does it cost?
The process for swapping online is free, although you will need to pay for some official ID photos. A proposal to introduce a €30 fee for the swap failed to make it through parliament.
Those who cannot swap and have to take a French driving test face a hefty bill – in addition to the cost of taking the theory and practical driving tests, all test candidates must take mandatory driving lessons first, even if they have been driving for many years. Costs are easily into hundreds of euro.
Digital licence
France has introduced a digital driving licence but this can, for the moment, only be used by French citizens with a new-style ID Card.
