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If you have obtained a driving licence outside of the European Union and are permanently based in France, as a general rule you will need to exchange it for a French licence. Many countries have an exchange agreement with France. If you don’t have a licence or cannot exchange yours, you can also take a driving test in France.
Verified by Ouarda Sadoudi on 29/11/2023
The conditions for driving in France with a foreign driving licence depend on the country that issued it.
You can run an online check to find out whether you can drive in France with your driving licence and under what conditions.
For example, you can drive with a foreign licence without having to exchange it:
When you permanently settle in France and if obtained your driving licence in a non-European country, you normally have to exchange your licence to continue driving in France within a very strict timeframe.
You can exchange your driving licence if you meet all of the following conditions:
To find out whether this applies to you, you can run a check on this website.
The deadlines will vary depending on your nationality:
In order to apply for a driving licence exchange, you will need the following documents:
If your documents are not in French, they must first be translated by a sworn translator or “traducteur assermenté”:
You will also need a photo that meets the required standards. It is recommended that you have one taken by an accredited photographer who will give you an e-photo code.
The procedures are then carried out online on this website by following the steps below:
In some cases, you will need to take or re-take your driving test in France. The most common license is called "Permis B". It allows you to drive a car and a van.
The French driving test includes:
If you do not speak French, you can be assisted by an interpreter during both parts of the test.
To get started, contact a company specialised in preparing people for the driving test, known as an “auto-école”, or driving school, near you. You can search for one online; for example, on Google Maps, which will allow you to check the reviews it has received.
The driving school will inform you of the steps to take and the documents to provide.
They will provide you with a quote detailing the rates for:
If you do not speak French well, ask them what steps you need to take to be assisted by an interpreter during the tests.
Financial help is available to obtain a licence under certain conditions. You can run a check on this website to work out whether you can benefit from it.
In France, there are many services that can support you, give you advice, and assist you with procedures and paperwork. Most of them are free of charge.
The "PIMMS Médiation" are organisations that inform, guide or support in administrative procedures in many areas: access to public services, access to health care, applications for state financial assistance, tax declarations, declarations to “France Travail”, etc.
Social workers or “travailleurs sociaux” and “assistants sociaux” are professionals who support people in their administrative procedures and help them find solutions according to the difficulties they are faced with.
While the utmost care has gone into providing you with the most accurate and up to date information, this page is not intended to replace legal or professional advice. Laws and procedures change regularly so it is important to consult qualified professionals.
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