My husband (who is french) passed his driving test 1st of all in Germany, he then moved to the UK whereby he met me, he then took his driving test in the UK and therefore had a UK driving license
We moved to France late 1980's and he kept the UK license until 2013 when we got stopped by the gendarmerie in Cogolin and OMG they called the customs and all hell broke loose, his licence is NOT valid in France !!! And if you live in France and you have a UK licence IT IS ILLEGAL; We were very lucky that they did not check our previous " infractions" as he would have no licence at all !!!!!!! They checked and checked to make sure that he did not have a french licence and that he was using the english one as he had no points on the french one!!!! We were there for over 2 hours being checked up on !!!!!
How can they take the points off your licence if you have not got a french licence ???? They were going to take the car and arrest hubby, HOWEVER the English wife has a french licence, which fortunatley made them laugh a little and they let us drive off, giving hubby 10 days to go to the prefecture and change the licence, which he did very calmly and paid nothing, he received the licence about 2 weeks later after handing in his UK licence, he had a paper from the prefecture saying that his licence was being prepared if he got stopped
Dont think that you are legal using your UK licence, you are NOT at all if your residence is in France
I too thought I'd need a translation and so paid for that but when I went to the prefecture here in 56 I wasn't even asked for it and my nice new french license was free, very friendly & helpful staff in the office, why not just go along and try
We have both changed our licenses to French ones. Didn`t need any translations done at all here in the Puy de Dome (63). Only snag I hit was finding something with my maiden name on it...I took my birth certificate in the end & although the lady at the prefecture couldn`t understand a word of it, it passed! I was amazed however to discover that, according to my new French license, I can drive a truck with a trailer & a bus!
no bill you don`t if you hold a valid european licence you are entitled to use it in any european country they can tell you you have to get a european licence but this is not true if your english licence is valid they can not force you to get any other licence
Which department are you in Eric?
And no wait - they made them on site, but this was the old paper style...
I'm not sure, but as she doesn't do either now, it didn't matter.
If your wife did not require a medical Eric, I assume that she doesn’t have category C1 (7.5 tonne trucks), nor can she tow a caravan or trailer?
My wife changed her UK license for a French one just before she turned 70, as renewing a UK one is a bit of a nightmare since Ms May decided it would help her "closed door policy.
No translation was needed, it was free, and the new one was ready in 3 weeks.
Hi Paul,
My UK licence was due to expire, so I took the plunge and applied for a French one last August. 4 visits to the Prefecture and a 3 month wait, but it was worth it.
The Sous-Prefecture in Bellac (87) told me I would need a translation and furnished me with a list of licensed Translators, not one of whom was within 80 km of my house. So I ignored that advice and went directly to the Prefecture in Limoges (87). When they asked for a translation I asked how one might translate a picture of a motorcycle and the letter’A’, or a picture of a car and a letter’B’. They shrugged and accepted that I didn’t in fact need a translation. The groups on a UK photocard licence and a French Permis de Conduire are the same…
I did have to have a medical (66 years of age) and that was not unpleasant, lasted 30 minutes and cost €42. All was fine. Only certain Doctors are approved.
With hindsight I should have started at the Doctor’s, along with 4 photos, in the first place…
Limousin Region charge €27 for a Licence. Some regoins charge more. Some don’t charge at all…
If your current licence is valid, you don't need a French one. We changed ours only because my husband's was about to expire (my country only issues them for 10 years at a time). No translations were required, and it was all free. I am in Aude (11).
As said above by Bill, you may have to get a French one if you commit a driving offence, but otherwise no, if your UK one is valid.
PS - you don't need to get a French licence if you have a valid UK one.
You do need to get a French one if you commit a driving offence, though.
We didn't need translations in Laval (53)
I got my translation done for 40€ by these people http://www.afa82.com/
All done by phone, email and post.
You will, however, also need to get a Certificate of Entitlement from the DVLA which will cost £5. This is the document that will need to be translated not your actual driving licence.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
My UK licence expires on 6 November 2016, we live here so I need to exchange it & have a medical because I am diabetic.
My question is about the photos required where it says “La photo doit être collée ci-dessus à l’adhésif double face sans déborder du cadre interne et sans agrafe”. What is the double-sided sticky tape? Assuming my translation is correct! Not sure if the photos need to be sticky or the forms?! Printed the forms off the internet so they’re not sticky (!) & if it’s the photos where do I get them from? There’s a machine in our local SuperU-maybe it does sticky photos…?
Maybe I’ve totally misunderstood-often the case 
Double sided sticky tape is sold at most supermarkets in the stationary aisle.