Questions about changes to UK Driving license
#16
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
Many thanks for your reply. This is getting a bit complicated. For what it is worth, I am with family. My partner, engaged in a short term contract here in France, gets paid in the UK and is taxed in the UK. As a result, we are not filling French tax returns. I am a volunteer in France, and as a result, do not get paid.
You appear to be tax resident in France and you should be filling in a french tax return as a family (not as an individual).
There is also a concession available for short-term contracts in another EU country.
Income and tax paid in another EU country are declared on said french tax return and no further tax would be due.
You would be included with zero income.
I am not sure about completing the tax return unless you are married or PACS'd - perhaps others can advise.
If your partner is paying NI in the UK then she is covered by a workers S1 -as stated above.
French tax returns are for the calendar year - one year in arrears.
Therefore, the 2015 declaration is for 2014 income.
#18
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
It's a bit like the tax - it's HMRC's decision, not yours. You can't just do what you think would suit you best, you have to ask.
#19
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 5
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
Sorry, I was trying to be helpful.
You appear to be tax resident in France and you should be filling in a french tax return as a family (not as an individual).
There is also a concession available for short-term contracts in another EU country.
Income and tax paid in another EU country are declared on said french tax return and no further tax would be due.
You would be included with zero income.
I am not sure about completing the tax return unless you are married or PACS'd - perhaps others can advise.
If your partner is paying NI in the UK then she is covered by a workers S1 -as stated above.
French tax returns are for the calendar year - one year in arrears.
Therefore, the 2015 declaration is for 2014 income.
You appear to be tax resident in France and you should be filling in a french tax return as a family (not as an individual).
There is also a concession available for short-term contracts in another EU country.
Income and tax paid in another EU country are declared on said french tax return and no further tax would be due.
You would be included with zero income.
I am not sure about completing the tax return unless you are married or PACS'd - perhaps others can advise.
If your partner is paying NI in the UK then she is covered by a workers S1 -as stated above.
French tax returns are for the calendar year - one year in arrears.
Therefore, the 2015 declaration is for 2014 income.
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2015
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 262
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
Hi all,
The UK Government view is that a UK driving license is only valid if you are resident in the UK; if you move abroad permanently, you should register your change of address in the new country of residence and (in the EU) they'll issue you with a new EU driving licence for that country and notify DVLA of your new address.
However (and confusingly), some EU countries take a different view; best thing you can do is to contact the DVLA equivalent in the country where you now live and see if they'll accept your UK licence.
The UK Government view is that a UK driving license is only valid if you are resident in the UK; if you move abroad permanently, you should register your change of address in the new country of residence and (in the EU) they'll issue you with a new EU driving licence for that country and notify DVLA of your new address.
However (and confusingly), some EU countries take a different view; best thing you can do is to contact the DVLA equivalent in the country where you now live and see if they'll accept your UK licence.
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
Which directly contradicts the EU website where it quite clearly says that you only have to renew it if it expires:
Driving licence renewal and exchange - Your Europe
and the French government website which quite clearly says that there is no obligation to change to a French licence
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F1757
Driving licence renewal and exchange - Your Europe
and the French government website which quite clearly says that there is no obligation to change to a French licence
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F1757
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2015
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 262
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
Which directly contradicts the EU website where it quite clearly says that you only have to renew it if it expires:
Driving licence renewal and exchange - Your Europe
and the French government website which quite clearly says that there is no obligation to change to a French licence
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F1757
Driving licence renewal and exchange - Your Europe
and the French government website which quite clearly says that there is no obligation to change to a French licence
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F1757
Originally Posted by EU Website
Obligatory exchange You may be required to exchange your driving licence:
Originally Posted by EU Website
- after two years of normal residence, if you have a driving licence valid for life
- if you commit a traffic offence in the country where you live.
Anna moved from Berlin to Barcelona in Spain to take up a new job. After two years of normal residence in Spain, the Spanish authorities require her to exchange her German licence, which is valid indefinitely, for a Spanish one. Anna's new Spanish licence is valid for 10 years and she is bound by the Spanish rules on driving licences.
It seems they all make their own rules up.
Apologies for the formatting.
Last edited by Cynic; Feb 3rd 2016 at 6:54 pm.
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
Indeed. But in context - France doesn't appear to have that 2-year rule. So neither France nor the EU is making it obligatory, so why should the UK?
You gotta love it - how do they make things so complicated.
You gotta love it - how do they make things so complicated.
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2015
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 262
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
There is a small country icon on that page you linked to; it gives you links to all the EU countries different rules on the subject. Could be because EU law is not in fact law at all, they are more guidance documents to enable individual home countries to create their own legislation, quoting the appropriate EU journal. The UK tends to literally translate the whole document, while others countries seem to interpret their own view of what it meant to say.
#25
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
The OP is planning to return to the UK before his GB driving licence expires so why bother making unnecessary trouble? For what it's worth I continue to use my GB licence in Germany for two years and France for 18 months without anyone so much as battering an eyelid. If the OP is driving a car in France then he needs to make sure his French insurer is aware he holds a GB (EU) licence rather than a French licence but beyond that as it is not required to exchange one EU licence for another EU licence then why bother.
#26
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
I had my UK license in France for 8 years, then I got a ticket and had to change it and my husband never changed his at all in 11 years. You really don't have to change your license until you commit a driving offense.
#27
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: SE Dordogne France
Posts: 982
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
You have to exchange when:
A. Your photocard expires (10 years from issue), or you lose it.
B. At age 70 if you still have an old paper licence.
C. If you commit an offence AND the authorities require you to.
I'm a little surprised that you got away with what was actually fraud because how the system works, or is supposed to, is that licences surrendered for exchange are returned to the issuing authority for them to amend their records and if they (DVLA) cotton on to the fact that a supposedly lost and therefore invalid licence was used to obtain a French one it would be reported back potentially landing you with some rather embarrassing questions to answer from the gendarmes.
Maybe yours never made it back or DVLA didn't notice but you were lucky.
#28
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
I'm a little surprised that you got away with what was actually fraud because how the system works, or is supposed to, is that licences surrendered for exchange are returned to the issuing authority for them to amend their records and if they (DVLA) cotton on to the fact that a supposedly lost and therefore invalid licence was used to obtain a French one it would be reported back potentially landing you with some rather embarrassing questions to answer from the gendarmes.
I do wonder how you cope with living in France
#29
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2015
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 262
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
I think you miss a small but important factor in your tirade, Im_and_Er , which is that I gave my licence to the French authorities and the net result was that my English licence is still valid. Whether or not I have a duplicate is completely beside the point because I could, even now, a replacement licence from the DVLA.
I do wonder how you cope with living in France
I do wonder how you cope with living in France
One other point; if you check your UK driver card; section 4b gives the date of expiry (normally 10 years from the date of issue), the dates on the back are the dates related to potential retest (basically means that at age 70, you need a doctors certificate of being fit to drive, which will need to be submitted to DVLA with your licence renewal application).
#30
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: SE Dordogne France
Posts: 982
Re: Questions about changes to UK Driving license
I'm astonished that you think that the simple act of handing back a French licence somehow magically revalidates a UK licence (whether legitimately obtained or not), or has any effect whatsoever on your status with DVLA !
Are you in France or UK ?
Cynic, you do not need a doctors certificate at 70.
Initially on reaching 70 DVLA will send you a form for you to self certify that you are fit to drive and then you have to recertify every 3 years.
Are you in France or UK ?
Cynic, you do not need a doctors certificate at 70.
Initially on reaching 70 DVLA will send you a form for you to self certify that you are fit to drive and then you have to recertify every 3 years.