It basically said you are not required to change it so we refuse to do so.
I did say less sympathy, not no sympathy, just to be clear.
1 Like
so not refused then by the govt, just your decision not to pursue. It is quite true, at that stage - you were not required to do it (except as otherwise described) but the conventional wisdom was that it would be prudent to do so and was a perfectly legal thing to do.
@Graham_Lees
To answer your first question, I moved back to France in 2010. I didnât change it earlier because I was not intending to stay here indefinitely. I was supposed to be moving to Holland. The license swap in Holland is a lot easier and cost effective and as I was going to move there, there seemed little point battling with the French process.
To answer your second question, being less savvy than I am now, I asked at the Prefecture about changing my license. I did not know at the time, as I didnât work in the motor trade, that ANTS and the Prefecture, have no idea what the other one is doing and are totally separate entities.
My second application like @toryroo was also formally rejected.
1 Like
Yes, I had a refusal letter from the French government with the reason stated being that UK licences did not need to be changed so they werenât doing it. I believe just after I got that letter they opened the online thing and they were allowing exchanges again but I was so fed up with it all after 14 months waiting that I didnât do anything then I heard theyâd stopped again.
wasnât it still with the Prefecture then prior to ANTS?
Itâs ok, vent your spleen on me. Iâve got broad shoulders 
but AFAIK itâs never been illegal (until the Brexit thing is resolved) to exchange a UK licence for a French one but many, for all sorts of reasons, didnât persist with their application until it was too late.
Like Tory, we applied several years ago for our driving licence swap and got a formal letter refusing to change them because âit was not essential to do soâ
1 Like
OK, let me put it another way to avoid any further misunderstandings.
I have every sympathy with those caught up in this terrible state of affairs through no fault of their own and I fully appreciate and understand the angst that this now causes.
Maybe itâs the difference between following too closely the crass advice sometimes delivered up in various FB groups (not Toryroo of course, as she doesnât âdoâ FB) but hopefully now you will get the drift of my meaning. Succinct, or what⊠
1 Like
We too didnât start to change licences immediately on arrival. Nothing to do with FB, but other priorities, and a fair distance from the prĂ©fecture. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing 
.
I managed to squeak into the system, but OH who applied just weeks after me had his application refused several times âas it was not necessaryâ. Eventually he managed to apply via ANTS, and it is still âen coursââŠseveral years later.
1 Like
Stuff on the thread about Embassy outreach meeting of last TuesdayâŠnear to agreement, the questions whether expired and imminently expiring ones will be fast tracked.
1 Like
Morning John
Problem is that they have been saying that for the last two outreach meetings.
Near to agreement in political terms can be meaningless.
I have had two responses from govt departments with no commitment as to when this will be passed.
Just keeping fingers crossed.
Andy
Meeting in March said that they were working on the agreement, and it was nearly finished.
Meeting in April said that the agreement was now prepared and waiting to be ratified.
So not exactly the same and suggests some movement.
1 Like
If Doris got on with the job in hand rather than meddle with affairs that donât concern him (like the football ESL), the matter might have been settled yonks agoâŠ
1 Like
Very much doubt Johnson is even aware of it. Itâs down to Grant Shapps, you know the one involved in dodgy blockchain deals and who turned a blind eye to very serious bullying.
Morning Jane
Quite right, I stand corrected.
I am just so disillusioned by our treatment by the government, that I find it hard to believe anything they say.
Still, enjoy the sun and have a great day.
Andy
1 Like
I am just an eternal optimistâŠ
1 Like
We decided to change so that we would do a straight swap so that could continue driving a lot longer here in France without all the bother of having to have a medical.
There was a time frame in France before all driving licences changed, due to the EU or something like that and we took advantage of that.
We just applied to our Prefecture in Macon, no trouble.
All this well before ANTS of course.
1 Like
If heâs not aware of it, he should beâŠ
PMs since time began have received briefing notes on everything - perhaps Doris is too busy shagging his live in lover in thanks for the part she played in selecting salacious and expensive wallpaper in their boudoir to be bothered about British citizens abroad being shagged by his administration 
2 Likes
It was a paper dossier that had to be sent to the prefecture in Nantes which has been dealing with all of the licences for a number of years.
2 Likes
No not illegal but they just refused to do it!
2 Likes