If you’re living in France, you’ll eventually need to exchange your foreign driving licence for a French one. The rules depend on where your licence was issued.

EU and EEA licences

If your licence was issued in an EU or EEA country, you don’t need to exchange it while it’s still valid. It’s recognised across the EU. When it expires, you renew it in France through the France Titres platform rather than in your home country.

Switzerland, though not in the EU or EEA, is treated on equivalent terms: Swiss licences are recognised in France on the same basis as EU ones.

Licences from countries with a bilateral agreement

France has exchange agreements with a number of non-EU countries. If your licence was issued in one of them, you can exchange it for a French licence without sitting a test.

Confirmed countries and territories with agreements include: the UK, Japan, Canada (eight provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island), and several others. The official list changes periodically, so verify your country against the current decree on Légifrance before assuming you qualify.

Note for US licence holders: The United States has no single national agreement with France, but France has bilateral agreements with 18 individual states. If your licence was issued in one of them, you can exchange it without a test, but only within your first year of residence in France. After that, you must sit the full French test regardless of your state.

The 18 qualifying states are: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Holders from all other US states must go through the full French licence process.

Important for UK licence holders: The exchange arrangement works differently depending on when your licence was issued.

  • Licences issued before 1 January 2021 are recognised indefinitely and only need exchanging if you commit a traffic infraction resulting in point loss or suspension, or if the licence is damaged, lost, or stolen.
  • Licences issued on or after 1 January 2021 must be exchanged within one year of becoming resident in France. Missing that window may affect your ability to exchange without a test. Check the current rules with the Préfecture, as they have continued to evolve since Brexit.

How to apply for the exchange

The exchange is handled online through the France Titres platform (formerly ANTS) at permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr.

You’ll need to create an account and submit:

  • Your current foreign licence (the original, which will be surrendered)
  • A certificate of driving rights (attestation des droits à conduire) from the authority that issued your licence, dated less than 6 months before your application. For US applicants, this is a driving record from your state DMV confirming the licence is valid and in good standing. It must be translated into French by a certified translator.
  • A certified French translation of your licence if it isn’t in Latin script
  • A copy of your titre de séjour or EU identity document
  • Proof of address in France (less than 6 months old)
  • A recent passport-style photo
  • A completed application form (generated by the platform)

Your foreign licence is returned to the issuing country’s authorities once the French one is issued.

Cost of exchanging your driving licence in France

The exchange costs €40, paid as a timbre fiscal (tax stamp) when you submit the application. The fee came in on 1 May 2026; before that the exchange was free. In French Guiana the stamp is €20.

How long does the driving licence exchange take?

Expect 4 to 6 months, with some prefectures running longer. You’ll receive an attestation de dépôt sécurisée (ADS) when your application is accepted, which allows you to drive legally for 4 months while you wait. It can be renewed once if your licence hasn’t arrived by the time it expires.

Licences with no exchange agreement

If your licence comes from a country without a bilateral agreement, you must go through the full French licence process:

  1. Register with a driving school (auto-école)
  2. Pass the theory test (code de la route)
  3. Complete the required practical hours
  4. Pass the practical driving test

Your foreign licence may be recognised for driving during the first year of residence, but after that you must hold a valid French licence.

Motorcycle and other categories

Exchange typically covers standard car licences (category B). If you hold motorcycle, HGV, or bus endorsements, these may or may not be exchangeable depending on the agreement. Check the specific categories when applying.

Getting help with your driving licence exchange

Driving schools and some immigration advisors on the Côte d’Azur are familiar with the exchange process and can help you compile your dossier. If your situation is complicated (an expired foreign licence, multiple entitlements, or a missed exchange window), a consultation before you apply will save time. The English-speaking relocation agencies in the directory handle this kind of paperwork alongside the rest of a move.

Once you can legally drive here, the directory also covers English-speaking garages, dealers and car rental, including a cluster around Antibes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an international driving permit to drive in France?

For a visit, your licence has to be readable by French police. That means it’s either already in French, or you carry an international driving permit alongside it, or you carry an official translation. British licences are the exception and don’t need the international permit. None of this applies once you move here, though, and this is where people get caught out: an international driving permit is a translation, not an entitlement. It buys you no extra time and doesn’t postpone the exchange deadline by a single day.

How long can I drive on my foreign licence after moving to France?

One year, counted from when you establish normal residence rather than from when you land or when your titre de séjour arrives. After that your foreign licence stops being valid for driving here, whether or not your exchange application is still sitting in a queue.

What happens if I miss the one-year exchange deadline?

You lose the right to exchange and have to take the French test from scratch: register with an auto-école (driving school), pass the code de la route (theory test), and pass the practical. This applies even if your country or US state has an exchange agreement, since the agreement only covers you inside that first year. It’s the single most expensive mistake in this process, so put the deadline in a calendar the week you arrive.

Can I exchange an expired foreign licence?

No. Your licence has to be currently valid at the point you apply. An expired one can’t be exchanged, and if you’re past the one-year window as well, the French test is the only route left. If your licence is close to expiring, deal with the exchange before the renewal rather than after.

How long is a French driving licence valid?

The card lasts 15 years for a category B car licence. Renewing it is an administrative formality that updates your photo and address, with no test and no medical, unless you hold heavy-vehicle categories or have a medical restriction on your licence. Heavy categories such as C and D run on shorter, age-dependent cycles with periodic medicals. Old pink three-fold French licences stay valid until 19 January 2033.

Official sources for exchanging a driving licence