grannybunz

We had absolutely no problem changing our licenses a few years ago although we did have to go the prefecture in Avignon, it was returned to our local Marie and popped into our mail box by a neighbour!!

We did it because we were approaching 70 rather too fast and, as French licences have no age limit the whole thing seemed easier. Things are even easier now. When we helped a friend do the same thing he only had to go to the sous prefecture in the nearest town.

I am sure that if your principle address is in France then that is where you should hold your licence. Don't know if it is the same where you are in France, but it seems that controles are much more frequent and thorough these days.

Im_and_Er

Not true.

They can demand an licence exchange when an offence has been committed which carries a loss of a point or points.

They very rarely impose it for one point but is it's more than that it's odds on that you will have to exchange.

A driving licence is a document which demonstrates your entitlement to drive and so long as it is in date it fulfils that purpose.

Since the French themselves do not require their own citizens to notify a chance of address for a French licence whatever address happens to be printed on a UK one is completely irrelevant.

bigglesworth

Sorry I and E, not sure I follow.

I know you know loads about this sort of stuff, but surely a licence by definition is one's permission to drive? As such, one would need to follow the requirements for that permission?

And what the necessary qualifications for a French permission might be, would surely not affect the requirements they set for foreign qualifications for a permission?

I do hope you are right, but could you explain?

Chatter Static

InVinoVeritas

I would have thought that a driving licence is more a "qualification" to drive. One is still qualified even after changing address or moving country. As a result of driving offences one may be "disqualified" for a period of time or as a result of losing one's faculties one can be disqualified until a new driving test is passed.

Im_and_Er

You have followed the requirements !

I don't how many times it has to be said that DVLA do NOT require you to notify them of a change of address if you no longer live in the UK.

jvc

The prefecture did say they (Gendarms and authorities) can demand you exchange your UK licence for a french one if you fall foul to the law, although to what extent this is i don't know.

mentalist

Show us where it says that. I have been told by several expats that you can be fined for not maintaining correct address records. When you change your old paper licence for the newer photo type, they ask for a utility bill or similar to prove your residency or they won't renew it. Please tell me I am wrong and I will be as happy as Larry.

Chatter Static

Issuing points as they cannot add or deduct from a UK one however this only normally happens when an Gendarme hands you the ticket in person as the tickets they issue for violation of the code de la route have a section on them for "Permis étrangère" License exchange needed when this section is filled in it is meant to generate follow up visit from them to enforce the exchange.

If you get Automatic points from a speed camera this will not generate the procedure for license exchange the system goes through the process and you even get a letter when the points are added back and you license is full and healthy again but they it doesn't affect a UK license.

Im_and_Er

You said show us so here is the content of a letter received in direct response to the question:

CUSTOMER REF: XXXXXXX

Thank you for your e-mail.

I regret that we are unable to issue a GB licence showing an address outside Wales, Scotland or England.

Drivers who take up residence in another EC/EEA country no longer have to exchange their driving licence, but may continue to drive using their own national licence for as long as is remains valid. You should however check with the appropriate driving licensing authorities where you are now resident for information on any conditions that the host member state may stipulate.

National licences may only carry an address from the country which issued that licence. We are therefore unable to re-issue your British licence with a foreign address.

It is accepted that drivers who move to another part of the EC/EEA could be holding driving licences showing an incorrect address. This is permissible under the terms of the EC Directive on Driving Licences.

I hope this answers your enquiry.

Regards

Mrs C. Mogford

Drivers Customer Enquiries
C1
Tel no: 0870 240 0009
[email protected]

It can scarcely be clearer than that but ask them yourself if you still don't believe it.

mentalist

Thanks for that but my concern is that an old paper licence, which hasn't been updated to include the photo, may no longer be acceptable, either in the UK or overseas. As I cannot update it without a utility bill then presumably I may face problems.

Chatter Static

As I mentioned earlier in the thread

So if you were to get the letter from DVLA which they will send to an address in France you can then exchange that nice old paper English license for a new French one with a photo. Simples

Im_and_Er

Your paper licence is perfectly valid in Europe but not for much longer though as they are set to be abolished in 2015 when everybody will be obliged to apply for a photocard but of course if you are not UK resident then you can't which means you'll have to take out a French one anyway so why not do it now and be done with it.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-new...paper-licences

The paper counterpart to the photocard licence which, despite widespread belief to the contrary is NOT itself a driving licence, is being abolished at the same time.

Much of the rationale behind this is to stamp out driving licence fraud and have disqualifications effective across the whole community which they will do by having have all driver details on computer and available to authorities across the EU at the press of a button.

bigglesworth

I and E

Thank you. I do in fact have a photocard with paper counterpart, so will hang until I have finished with the to-ing and fro-ing before I swap. But perhaps I can persuade 'Er Indoors to hand hers in. Although she may be reluctant as she has convinced herself that hers allows her to drive 20 km over the limit.

Nectarine

I renewed our licences in August at our local Prefecture. All was OK except that all the forms were returned because I'd completed them in dark blue, instead of black, ink.
Justificatif de domicile - well I brought along a couple of EDF invoices for recent months which they seemed satisfied with. However, they said that we needed a medical so we arranged one with a medicin agree - not our local one, but the Prefecture gave us a list. The doctor asked about eyesight and if we were epileptic then gave us some sheets of paper to return to the Prefecture. When we returned to the Prefecture they said we didn't need a medical!
They estimate up to six months from submission of documents to receipt of a French licence, saying that the delay rests with the DVLA. Apparently they write to the DVLA to request confirmation that one is entitled to drive in all the categories on the licence and that one's licence is still valid. I asked if I could bypass this by including the DVLA letter on our application and was told that we could, so rang the DVLA who said the turnaround time is about 2 weeks and that if they were being blamed for a 6-month delay then somebody at the French end was fibbing!
But they gave us the letter, cost £5 each and was received by us about 5 days later, which just confirmed our licences were valid.
I attached this to our submission and our licences came through in about 8 weeks. Bear in mind that the new licences came out in September and there has been a backlog, so the six month quoted wait might not apply now.
When we went to collect our French licences we then handed in our UK paper and card ones, so we always were in possession of a licence during the application.
Good luck, be patient.