Tweedpipe

If they did in fact say, “en cours de production”, and not “en cours de production normalement” you could well be in with a good chance.

Red Eric

OK, if you say so.

Helen1964

scrubbedexpat056

Can I just clear some things up on swapping my UK licence fro French one? I have a UK licence, but now live in France so I assume it is invalid.
I read on one unofficial site that I can't apply to exchange my licence until I could prove 6 month's residency using an employment contract, lease agreement etc. As an inactif I have nothing like that. We did live on our boat between April and November last year and have some marina receipts, but we didn't buy our house until 26th November so if they don't accept the receipts I wouldn't be able to apply until late May. Does anyone know if the 6 month rule is correct?
What happens between sending off an application to Nantes and waiting the 15 odd months for a licence? Would I get a temporary licence that can be used in France? We don't own a car, but sometimes hire a van for shopping at the Brico as we do up the house.
If there is a temporary licence available can I also get an international licence to use in UK if I need to hire a car there?
Loads of questions I know and possibly covered over some threads, but I am struggling to get all the information together and it's doing my head in a little.

scrubbedexpat056

Just to add to my last post I have seen this on the UK Gov website:

UK licence holders who live in the EU or EEA

If you are currently using a UK driving licence and live in an EU or EEAcountry, from 29 March 2019 you cannot use an IDP to guarantee that your UK licence will be recognised in that country.

This seems to mean you can live in an EU country and still drive on a UK licence, at least until Brexit sticks its boot in. Surely that would mean I can change the address on my UK licence to my French address. Can that be true?

scrubbedexpat056

Discovered another site that says DVLA will not allow a foreign address on a UK licence. Thoroughly confused now.

cyrian

It all depends on the agreement between the EU and the UK.
For example France has an agreement with California for the US licence to be valid for up to one year after which it can be exchanged for a french one without the need for a driving test.
However, a licence from Georgia, USA is not valid after one year and you are required to sit a french driving test.
You cannot change your address to a french address because you have to declare that you are resident in the UK when you renew your licence.
I am really fed up with scare stories regarding what will - or will not - happen after Brexit because they don't know.
It all really depends on what is agreed between individual EU states (or collectively) and the UK.
Whatever is decided regarding UK citizens will also apply to EU citizens in the UK.
Although you need to apply for a french driving licence in Nantes, your first port of call (sorry for the pun) for information should be your local prefecture after Brexit.

Helen1964

Hello Alianco

Hi Alianco
I'll try and answer each of your questions in turn. As best I can!
Does anyone know if the 6 month rule is correct?
Just go on the “service public” website (Google "Echange de permis de conduire étranger") and you will see, under "Démarches” the list of documents you need to submit.They are as follows:

Cerfa form 14879*01
Cerfa form 14948*01
A colour, two-sided photocopy of your original driving licence
Copy of an ID document
Copy of recent proof of address (eg utility bill). Must be less than 6 months’ old
3 photos (read the instructions carefully)
1 prepaid envelope

So if you have a recent utility bill or avis d’imposition, that will serve as proof of address.

What happens between sending off an application to Nantes and waiting the 15 odd months for a licence?
Very little. After submitting the above documents, you will hear nothing for about a year. During that time, you retain your old licence. At this point, you will only have submitted a photocopy.After about a year, you’ll receive through the post a request to submit your UK licence. In the same letter, you will receive an "attestation de dépôt" that allows you to drive in France while your old licence is being exchanged for the new one (this next stage takes 3 to 4 months).

Would I get a temporary licence that can be used in France?
Just the "attestation de dépôt", which I suppose you could call a temporary licence. Really just a sheet of paper which you keep in case you’re stopped by the police.

f there is a temporary licence available can I also get an international licence to use in UK if I need to hire a car there?
I doubt a car rental company would rent you a car in France on the strength of the "attestation de dépôt". But you could ask them. Certainly you can’t drive outside France with the "attestation de dépôt". Nor can you obtain an international licence at this stage to use in the UK. For the 3 to 4 months between sending off your UK licence and receiving the new French one, you’ll be stuck in France therefore.

Once you get the new French licence, and if Brexit means we will need international French licences in future to drive in the UK, obtaining a French international licence is quick and easy (provided you already hold an ordinary, non-international French licence of course).

Of course there is the whole other issue of whether you’re even supposed to be driving in the UK during the first year, when you still have your old UK licence in your possession.Is the address on your UK licence one where you can be contacted at any time? That’s the stipulation in the DLVA document “Information on driving licences”.DVLA requires us to exchange our UK licences for local ones when we move abroad (if we wish to return as visitors and drive in the UK) but hasn’t wrapped its brain around the fact that it takes one year and 3 to 4 months to exchange the UK licence for a French one.And why should they? My family back in the UK think I’m making it up.
You could try calling DVLA and putting this question to them (ie what are we supposed to do if we've moved abroad but haven't managed to swap our UK licence for a French one yet, and wish to drive in the UK when visiting????).
Don't give them your name, though. Just say it's a general inquiry.

Good luck. And definitely get the application in. You've nothing to lose by submitting it now.
If, when they contact you after a year with a request to submit your UK licence, you don't wish to proceed for some reason, you don't have to.

scrubbedexpat056

Thanks Helen1964 for such comprehensive answers. I'll get my application in asap.

Helen1964

scrubbedexpat056

Hi, just a couple of questions on filling in the application form for a French licence.
It asks 'Etat de delivrance du titre a echanger'. What does that mean?
In the list of vehicles I can drive it asks for the start and end dates on the licence, but also a three digit 'code departement'. What is this? There are 3 three digit codes and one six digit code after the heavier vehicles I can drive. Is it those and how would I add a 6 digit code?
Thanks.

Tweedpipe

On your 1st query, my understanding is they are asking where your licence was issued.
I would leave the 'Code Departement' blank. The 6 digit code is in a space noted as 'Reserve a l'administration'. Leave it blank.
When I initially requested an exchange for the then 'pink' French licence the department codes were never asked for or queried, had they been I would have answered non applicable or neant.

scrubbedexpat056

Great Tweedpipe, thanks. I'll get it off this afternoon.

Novocastrian

TMI

Tweedpipe

Having a bad day Novo.......?