Swapping Your Non-EU Driving Licence in France: The Deadline and the Steps

This guide is for internationals who have just moved to France with a driving licence issued outside the European Union or the European Economic Area. By the end, you will know how long that licence stays valid, whether it can be exchanged for a French one, and how the online request works.

Who needs to exchange, and who does not
The one-year deadline
Which licences can be exchanged
The conditions for the applicant
Applying online through ANTS
When no exchange is possible
FAQ

Who needs to exchange, and who does not

According to Service Public, the French government’s official information site, a licence issued by a country outside the EU or EEA is valid in France for one year from the date you acquire your résidence normale (usual residence) there. To keep driving after that year, you have to exchange it for a French licence.

Two groups are treated differently. Foreign students who hold a student titre de séjour (residence permit) or a carte de séjour recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise (RECE, a permit for job seeking or setting up a business) do not need to exchange their licence. They can keep driving in France on it. British licences issued before 2021 are recognised for as long as they remain valid. They only have to be exchanged if the licence expires, if the holder applies for a new category, if a traffic offence in France leads to a loss of points, a restriction, a suspension or a cancellation, or if the licence is stolen, lost or damaged.

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The one-year deadline

A foreign national who arrives in France legally for the first time to settle long term has one year to apply. The official deadline rules set the start date according to the document held.

For a residence permit, the year runs from the date the permit was handed over. For a long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit, it runs from the date the visa was validated through the online service, or from the date of the sticker placed on that first visa by the Ofii (French Office for Immigration and Integration). Recognised refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and stateless people applying for a first permit have one year from the date they received the récépissé (receipt for a residence permit application) that authorises their stay.

The clock does not restart when a permit is renewed or when residence status changes. A first permanent resident card, or any permit that follows a first one, does not open a new exchange window. The page gives different timings for some other situations. If you are unsure which rule covers you, ask the prefecture.

Which licences can be exchanged

Exchange depends on reciprocity. Service Public provides a simulator showing which countries outside the EU and EEA have national licences that France will exchange, category by category.

The licence must be for an equivalent category, issued to standards consistent with French requirements. For example, a foreign category B licence with significant restrictions, such as limited driving hours or a cap on passengers, cannot be exchanged for a French B licence. It must also have been issued by the country where you usually lived before moving to France, and it must still be valid.

It must be written in French or come with an official translation. A translation made abroad must be legalised or apostilled. A translation made in France must be done by an authorised translator or by the issuing country’s embassy in France.

Motorcycle licences have their own rule: the full category A cannot be obtained by exchange. An A2 licence is issued instead, and the holder must complete training after two years to obtain category A.

The conditions for the applicant

The applicant must be old enough to drive the equivalent category in France and must have usual residence in France. Anyone who is neither French nor European must also hold a valid residence permit. The driving test must have been passed while the applicant was usually resident in the issuing country.

Any medical requirements printed on the licence, such as wearing glasses, must be respected. A medical fitness check may also be needed, for example where a health condition limits how long the licence is valid. The applicant’s driving rights must not have been suspended, withdrawn or cancelled in the issuing country. They must also not have been cancelled or invalidated in France before the foreign licence was obtained.

Applying online through ANTS

The request is made online on France Titres, the website of the ANTS (the national agency that issues secure documents such as licences). Documents are uploaded as photos or scans. The processing service can ask to see originals and may request extra documents depending on your situation.

The standard file includes:

a colour image of both sides of the original licence, with a translation if it is not in French
proof of identity
proof of address dated within the last six months
proof of legal residence: the residence permit or the Ofii sticker in the passport
a digital photo and signature code; people without access to one can post a paper photo-signature form (FPS) during the procedure
an attestation des droits à conduire (certificate of driving entitlement) dated within six months of the request

The certificate of driving entitlement is issued by the authorities that delivered the licence. It confirms that the licence has not been suspended, withdrawn or cancelled. If it is not in French, it must be translated by an authorised translator in France.

Applicants who are not nationals of the issuing country must prove they were usually resident there when the licence was issued, for example with consular registration records, an employment contract or payslips. Holders of heavy vehicle categories need either a medical fitness opinion for those categories or a written renunciation of them.

The exchange requires an electronic timbre fiscal (tax stamp) costing 40 euros, or 20 euros in French Guiana. It is paid at the end of the online request. It can also be bought on the tax website or from a bureau de tabac (tobacconist) that uses the approved sales application.

The part of the official page used for this guide does not cover processing times or the provisional certificate that lets you drive while the request is processed. The ANTS sets these, so check them on France Titres.

When no exchange is possible

If the licence does not meet the exchange conditions, Service Public says the holder must pass the French driving test. The page does not say whether a request made after the deadline is ever accepted. That decision rests with the authorities.

FAQ

How long is a non-EU licence valid in France?

It is valid for one year from the date you acquire your usual residence in France. After that, you need a French licence, either by exchange or by passing the French test. Different rules apply to students holding a student permit or a RECE card, and to holders of valid British licences issued before 2021.

Does renewing a residence permit give me another year to apply?

No. The one-year period does not restart when a permit is renewed or residence status changes. A first permanent resident card, or a permit that follows a first permit, does not allow a new exchange request.

How much does the exchange cost?

It costs an electronic tax stamp of 40 euros, or 20 euros in French Guiana. You pay it at the end of the online request, or buy it in advance online or from an approved tobacconist.

Who can say which deadline applies to my residence situation?

The official page explains the general rules. For a question about a specific residence status, contact the prefecture or a migration advice service.

Sources: service-public.fr · service-public.fr

Last verified: 20 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the prefecture of your département, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (avocat).