cator

Thanks for the reply to my post Alianco.

I called a couple of times the DVLA on 00448443069203 and after reading your post and the others I'll call them again next week.

cator

Thanks cyrian, we'll soon find out. That's why I want to establish my claim to my original UK licence.

cator

Your info is very encouraging Notdunroamin. I passed my licence a long time ago and being now over 75, the UK have changed the conditions for seniors which the French have not done so.

cyrian

You can't hold a UK licence if you don't have a UK address.
If you are living in France then you will have to use your French licence in the UK.
For short visits, I don't anticipate any problem.
For longer stays or a return to the UK then if you had a UK licence then you would still be entitled to a current version.

scrubbedexpat056

I don't know where you got that number, but for questions about driving licences their website shows 0044 790 6801. I'm pretty sure that's the number I used.

cyrian

Not enough digits in your number.
It is 0044 300 790 6801
HTH

scrubbedexpat056

You're right of course.

Helen1964

Any sign of your French licence yet Alianco?

I just submitted an application to exchange my UK one today.

scrubbedexpat056

Not yet, When I emailed them about six weeks ago pointing out my attestation was going to run out on 3rd September I was sent a link to the EU directive saying that everyone with a recently expired licence automatically had a 6 month grace period. I would guess that your application won't be processed for quite some time. Good luck with it.

Helen1964

Yeah, I’m not holding my breath!

G-J-B

Hi Cyrian. Unless I read the message out of context, you can actually have a UK license while living in France; the address does not need to be (actually it can't be) updated with the DVLA.

As an aside, it's my understanding that the UK license being European (even though the country is no longer in the EU) will remain valid in France until its expiration. Personally I would like to change mine, but ANTS seem so overwhelmed, that they're focusing on those who's licenses are expiring, or they have points and have been asked to exchange it by law, so I'm not sure I could exchange it even if I wanted to? I tried explaining this to a gendarme once during a random check (nothing amiss), as he wasn't at all happy I had a UK license, he was adamant that I change it, even though I was certain he was in the wrong.

scrubbedexpat056

The whole UK address question is interesting. As far as I can work out you can use your UK driving licence, with an old UK address, in the EU, but you can't renew it without a UK address. This means you're driving legally in the EU with the wrong address on the licence until it expires, but it's an offence in the UK.
I wouldn't suggest it as a ploy, but I have accrued 3 points on my licence since moving to France and wondered if it would move me up the queue for a French licence. I am now in the position that my UK licence ran out in July and my attestation ran out in Septemeber. I can legally drive on either with the EU wide exemption for unrenewable licences, but I can't hire a car in UK because they demand the actual plastic licence, which I sent to the French licencing authorities.

cyrian

Yes I should have said apply for a UK licence unless you have a UK address.
However, the OP's licence has already expired and is therefore not valid in the UK.

G-J-B

Hi Alianco,
Yes, you can use your UK license with an old address, but you cannot renew it, however if you're a French resident it is not an offense to use it in the UK as far as I understand it.
It's funny you mentioned the points, because in my mind that was a good way to fast track to a French driver's license. Do the points disappear after a certain period of time? Sounds like it's a bit of nightmare when you're in the UK.

scrubbedexpat056

Hmmm. Driving in the UK with an expired, clean UK licence and an expired attestation with 3 points not recorded on it. What could possibly go wrong? In fact, I had to drive the car home and fly back because my 90 day allowance was going to expire and we are still stuck un UK and will be for another month or more. Since I won't be able to hire a car at least that's one problem I don't have to deal with.