Traveling abroad: what documents do you need to drive?

Verified 07 July 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are driving your own vehicle, you must have the following documents with you:

Carte grise Certificate of Registration (C.A.R.)
International Motor Insurance Card (or Green Card). Make sure your insurance is valid abroad.
European accident report

If the vehicle registration certificate is not in your name, consult the consulate of the country concerned for the necessary documents.

See the summary of rules by country to find out if you need an international driving license.

Indeed, the rules vary depending on the country.

Your French driving license is enough to drive temporarily in several non-European countries.

In other countries, the PCI: titleContent is required or recommended, in addition to your French license.

Some foreigner countries do not recognize national and international permits. One driving license must then be obtained on site.

You can also consult the travel advice from diplomatie.gouv.fr or contact the consular services of the country or countries concerned.

Example :

United States : a French driving license more than one year old is enough for a stay of less than 3 months.
South Africa : a french driving license is recognized if it is certified and translated by the consulate.
New Zealand : a French driving license accompanied by a certified translation allows driving for 1 year.
Province of Quebec (Canada) : you can drive with a french driving license for 6 months.

If you are driving your own vehicle, you must have the following documents with you:

Carte grise Certificate of registration (ex-
International Motor Insurance Card (or Green Card). Make sure your insurance is valid abroad.
European accident report

If the vehicle registration certificate is not in your name, consult the consulate of the country concerned for the necessary documents.

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