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Exchange of a driving license obtained in Europe (EEA)

Verified 01 March 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You have a driving license European (or a British license issued before 2021) and you wonder if you need to exchange it for a French license to drive in France? You can drive in France with this license as long as it is valid. Exchange is necessary only in a few cases. We tell you the cases involved and how to make the exchange request.

You can drive in France with your license European (and your UK license issued before 2021) as long as it is valid.

The exchange of your driving license against a French license is mandatory only in the following cases :

  • Your license has expired
  • You are applying for a new license category (extension)
  • You commit a traffic violation in France resulting in a loss of points, restriction, suspension, or cancelation of your license
  • Your license has been stolen
  • You lost your license
  • Your license is damaged

Several member countries of the European Union have decided to extend the validity of the driving license given the difficulty of renewing them in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact the National Driving Rights Office to find out if your European driving license is affected.

Who shall I contact
  • Ministry of the Interior - National Driving Rights Office

    By mail

    Ministry of the Interior

    National Driving Rights Office

    Beauvau Square

    75800 Paris Cedex 08

Warning  

since Brexit, the exchange of a British license issued in 2021 or later shall be subject to rules for the exchange of a permit issued by a non-European State.

You must meet the following conditions:

  • Have your normal residence in France
  • Have the minimum age to drive the vehicle of the equivalent category of your license (for B-permit, 18 years or older )
  • Follow the medical prescriptions noted on your license. For example, eyeglasses are mandatory.
  • If necessary, have passed a medical examination for fitness to drive. For example, your health condition implies a restriction on the validity period of the permit.
  • Not to have been sanctioned by a suspension, restriction or cancelation of your right to drive in the country of issue of the license
  • Not having obtained your license during a period when you were prohibited in France from applying for a driving license
  • If your license European has been obtained by exchange, it must have been issued by a reciprocating country of exchange of permits with France.

Warning  

if your license European has been obtained by exchange, it must have been issued by a reciprocating country of exchange of permits with France. Otherwise, it is impossible to exchange it for a French license. You can use it in France for 1 year from the acquisition of your normal residence in France. To continue driving in France beyond this period, you must pass the examination of the french driving license.

Application for an exchange of permits European (and UK license issued before 2021) is made online on the websiteANTS: titleContent.

The online service can be accessed through FranceConnect or with your identifiers ANTS: titleContent.

If you do not have ANTS credentials, it is proposed to create an account to have a personal space on the ANTS website.

Prepare the following documents in a scanned version:

(additional documents may be requested depending on your situation).

You are European (EU/EEA)

If you are European, prepare the following documents:

  • Two-sided color image of the original driving license
  • Vital status certificate with your birth name
  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of domicile recent (less than 6 months)
  • Digital photo-signature(if you do not have access to a photo and digital signature service, you are invited to fill in and mail a photo signature form (FPS) during the teleprocedure)
  • Entitlement of normal residence in France on the date of the application. For example, tax/non-tax notice, employment contract, social security certificate...
  • If you have a heavy permit, medical opinion on fitness to drive heavy categories, or declaration of waiver of heavy categories
  • If your license has been canceled or suspended: decision of cancelation or suspension + letter informing of the obligation of exchange sent by the prefecture + medical opinion
  • If your license has been lost, declaration of loss
  • If your license has been stolen, a theft report made in the gendarmerie or police station

If you have a uk permit issued before 2021, you must also provide the following:

  • Certificate of driving rights of less than 3 months issued by the UK authorities issuing the driving license.
    This document is used to verify that your license has not been suspended, revoked or canceled.
  • Translation of the certificate of driving rights, if not written in French, by a authorized translator in France.
  • Entitlement of normal residence in the United Kingdom at the time of issue of the British license.
    For example, certification of registration and deregistration of consular registers, employment contract, pay slips, employment certificates.
You are a national of another State
  • Two-sided color image of the original driving license
  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of domicile less than 6 months
  • Proof of regularity of residence in France (residence permit or Ofii sticker affixed to your passport
  • Digital photo-signature(if you do not have access to a photo and digital signature service, you are invited to fill in and mail a photo signature form (FPS) during the teleprocedure)
  • If you have a heavy permit, medical opinion on fitness to drive heavy categories, or declaration of waiver of heavy categories
  • If your license has been canceled or suspended: decision of cancelation or suspension + letter informing of the obligation of exchange sent by the prefecture + medical opinion
  • If your license has been lost, declaration of loss
  • If your license has been stolen, a theft report made in the gendarmerie or police station

If you have a uk permit issued before 2021, you must also provide the following:

  • Certificate of driving rights of less than 3 months issued by the UK authorities issuing the driving license.
    This document is used to verify that your license has not been suspended, revoked or canceled.
  • Translation of the certificate of driving rights, if not written in French, by a authorized translator in France.
  • If you are not a British national, proof of normal residence in the United Kingdom at the time of issue of the British license.
    For example, certification of registration and deregistration of consular registers, employment contract, pay slips, employment certificates.
You're French
  • Two-sided color image of the original driving license
  • Proof of identity
  • Proof of domicile less than 6 months
  • Digital photo-signature(if you do not have access to a photo and digital signature service, you are invited to fill in and mail a photo signature form (FPS) during the teleprocedure)
  • If you have a heavy permit, medical opinion on fitness to drive heavy categories, or declaration of waiver of heavy categories
  • If your license has been canceled or suspended: decision of cancelation or suspension + letter informing of the obligation of exchange sent by the prefecture + medical opinion
  • If your license has been lost, declaration of loss
  • If your license has been stolen, a theft report made in the gendarmerie or police station

If you have a uk permit issued before 2021, you must also provide the following:

  • Certificate of driving rights of less than 3 months issued by the UK authorities issuing the driving license.
    This document is used to verify that your license has not been suspended, revoked or canceled.
  • Translation of the certificate of driving rights, if not written in French, by a authorized translator in France.
  • Entitlement of normal residence in the United Kingdom at the time of issue of the British license.
    For example, certification of registration and deregistration of consular registers, employment contract, pay slips, employment certificates.

Foreigners Driving License Exchange Online Application

The request for an exchange of driving licenses is free.

In the event of theft or loss of a driver's license, you are directed to a page at the end of the online process to pay the cost of the new license (€25).

While your application is being processed, you can drive because you keep your driving license.

Depending on the complexity of your case, the investigation may take a long time several months.

At the end of the training, your original foreigners driving license is required to check its authenticity (except in case of suspension or cancelation).

You are contacted by SMS and email.

The e-mail explains the steps to take to send the original of your driving license in registered mail.

When the instructor service receives the moose of your license, you can download from the ANTS website one Secure Deposit Certificate (ADS).

ADS is valid 4 months.

This attestation will allows you to drive while waiting to receive your french license, within the period of recognition of your foreigner permit.

You can follow online the manufacture and sending of your driving license.

The online service is accessible via FranceConnect or with your credentials ANTS: titleContent , in French only.

If you do not have ANTS credentials, it is proposed to create an account to have a personal space on the ANTS website.

Once connected to your space ANTS: titleContent, you view your request in the dashboard.

Track the progress of your driving license application

The date of issue indicated on the permit is the date of issue of the French permit.

From that date, the license shall be valid 15 years.

However, the period of validity of the license is different in the following 2 cases:

  • In case of medical concern requiring restriction
  • For heavy categories whose validity is linked to the age of the driver. For example, 5 years for a driver under 55.

FYI  

the french license given to you is a probationary permit if the original permit is also valid.

FAQ