Driving Licence Exchange
French administration can be stressful. Let us do it for you.
We deal with the entire driving licence exchange process for you
Our experienced Admin team are always up to date with the latest regulations and are best placed to get a successful result.
Your guarantee: If we are unable to obtain your French driving licence, even for reasons outside our control, we offer a 100% refund.
As a general rule, foreign nationals whose country of origin has signed a bilateral agreement with France, can drive on their non-European driver’s license for one year.
If you hold a valid UK driving licence that was issued on or after 1 January 2021, you will be able to continue using it for up to one year from the date of issue of your French residency permit. After that, it must be exchanged for a French licence, but you won’t need to take a driving test.
The rules are slightly different for US citizens. You can drive in France with a valid U.S. driver’s license for a one-year period but then you’ll be required to take the French written exam and road test to obtain your French licence.
Be sure to check the validity of your licence before arriving in France. Paper licences are usually valid until you are 70, while photocard licences have the expiry date on the front. If your licence has expired or has less than 6 months’ validity remaining, you’ll have to exchange it for a French licence straight away.
What does the process look like?
Here’s a step by step breakdown
Verification of your documents
After filling in the contact form below you will receive an email from our specialists who will request your documents and check their validity.
Submitting the application
We submit your application to the relevant authorities online and provide you with proof of submission.
Temporary licence
Processing your application will take around 7 months. Once validated, you will receive a document that will allow you to drive in France whilst your French driving licence is being created.
Receiving your French driving licence
You will be asked to submit your original driving licence. In exchange, you will receive your new French driving licence by post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, not every country or state is part of the driving licence exchange agreement with France.
Here is the list of authorised countries and states.
If you have a driving licence from a country or state not shown in the list above, you will need to pass a driving test in France.
The cost for us to handle the entire procedure is 495€, with the option for a split payment.
We also offer complete refunds if we’re unable to obtain your French driving licence.
The process, from the moment you apply until you receive your French driving licence can take 6 to 12 months.
You have to exchange your foreign driver’s licence within the first year of your stay in France, as it is a long process we recommend contacting us as soon as possible in order to start the application.
*If you have a UK driver’s licence that was delivered to you before January 1st 2021 you can use it in France until it expires. You can still exchange it before that date, for example, if your licence has been lost, stolen, deteriorated or if you have lost points while driving in France.
