Rue Pasteur

We are French residents of four years. The photo on my UK licence expires in November so I need to replace/update. The licence also shows my old UK address. Is it simpler to apply for French 'Permis de conduire' or try and update UK licence. Not sure how easy this is to do with out UK address. How has anyone else gone about this?

Ka Ora!

Personally I just sent off for a new one in the UK via my Brothers Address as a work around. I must stress at no point did I mention I was a resident of France. The DVLA agent I spoke to advised me to use a relatives address. As no member state has adopted a system that allow non domiciled license holders to renew. Which is daft really when you impose regulations on those states.

le plumber

So what happens if you get stopped for speeding - I suppose you don't have any points taken off then??

Rue Pasteur

I was once fined for speeding which naturally I paid. Points are deducted here (you start with 12) so I was told to produce my licence, which I did not have. The prefecture suggested I apply for a licence but you then have to give up your UK one as they demand both the paper and card. The Marie who deal with the licences quietly suggested I didn't bother!

ref using relatives address is that when using the on line service they ask for passport info as proof of identity. To give this you need to enter UK government gateway code as used when making a tax return. This then links you up to French address!

Ka Ora!

The question of being forced to change driving licenses wasn't raised, Then there is no Question. You have to legally change your license if forced. I know someone who had to change his license here just to be banned. Even if you exchange you license you are not removed the DVLA's database and it's a formality to regain you UK license.

But the OP's question was one of renewal, And as one is not obliged by French law to change to a French one why bother. If you have a relative or friend in the UK it's simples really.

dennerlymum

back to the renewal issue, I replaced mine with a french one recently, using a link to a form given on this site. You need to have lots and lots of proof of residence; to have lived here for more than a year; However once done it was extremely easy, all done in about an hour at the big prefecture in toulouse!

cjm

Not the first time this has been raised and confusion reigns among Brits and to some extent among the Gendarmerie.
UK is also an EU licence, but whether you live in France or holiday in France and get, let's say, a speeding ticket, no points can be added to your licence (French take points off). Feedback to me from a broad range of friends is that a single offence, or even two, is overlooked ref any points.
However, a friend who incurred double figure speeding tickets had a visit from the Gendarmes who made it quite plain that they needed him to seek a French licence. He did, having previously paid the fines, but no points deducted as offences were historic.
I also know of Brits who have both UK and French licences.
Overall, it would seem the matter is not clear to residents, tourists and the authorities themselves.
If you reverse the situation, you now have a French licence and speed in the UK on a visit, how are points put on your licence?
I see no reason why there is an issue with having both licences.

dennerlymum

my uk licence was taken off me as part of my application for the french one.

Tweedpipe

I didn't know they kept the UK licence, is that correct?
I was able to retain mine on receipt of the French one. Mind you it was some time ago.

Ka Ora!

They are meant to take the UK one as your not supposed to hold to EU one at the same time. Cough splutter......

Roger O

I echanged my old UK licence some years ago as I live permanently in France anyway.
Now if I were to hire a car in the UK - e.g. to drive from a London airport to Torquay and back - and got picked up for any kind of reaon (parking, speeding etc.) in the UK, what would they do with my legit French licence and would it make any difference if I am a British Citizen domiciled in France?
Anyone know?

cjm

That was the point. How are tickets/points enforced on UK licence in France and a French licence in UK. UK licence is an EU licence. Is not a French licence the same, though with different permissions? You can't drive 7.5t on a standard French licence and a UK licence allows towing larger trailers.

As for handing it over, some seem not to have to or fiddle it

Martin Parker

By telling a little fib (!!) and saying you have lost your UK licence, you can apply for a new one. The DVLA will send you a new licence to your registered address. Keep the old one and you have two. This also works if you change address.

If you are then forced to change to a French licence, you can hand over the old one and retain the newer version.

I would think that you could not legally drive in France if you got banned and lost your French licence, even if you still had a UK licence.
How this would be seen by an insurance company if you were subsequently stopped while driving, I don't know, but I suspect they would say you are not covered.
If you went back to UK, then you would be legal to drive on your UK licence.

All seems a bit crazy really and a symptom of the poorly thought out meddling and tinkering by the EU.

Ka Ora!

You can still use the Sans Permit cars, And driving bans are usually looked at carefully by judges here, ie: if you need your license to get to work and live in a rural area you can still do that bit just no recreational driving. Bans here can come with all sorts of conditions.

Martin Parker

Oh, yes I forgot about the sans permis cars!! I didn't know about the various conditions though. How very French!!