On the périphérique at 8 a.m., you realise two things: French drivers are decisive, and your licence is from somewhere else. The second matter has an answer that depends less on your nationality than on the country that issued the licence. Driving in France is, for most Europeans, simpler than expected. For the Swiss and the British, it comes with a deadline.
Can you go on driving in France with an EU licence?
Yes, as long as it is valid. Service-Public sets simple conditions: you meet the minimum age for the category (17 for category B), you follow any medical restriction on the licence, and you have no suspension or cancellation in the issuing country. The exchange for a French licence is compulsory in four cases:
- the licence expires;
- you want to add a new category;
- you commit an offence in France that causes loss of points, a restriction, a suspension or a cancellation;
- the licence is lost, stolen or damaged.
Exchange stays optional in other cases, and it is still possible if your European licence has expired. For residents, the issuing country no longer handles renewals, so an expired licence means a French exchange.
How do you exchange a European licence for a French one?
Online, on the ANTS site (France Titres). You pay an electronic tax stamp of €40 (€20 in French Guiana) at the end of the application. You upload both sides of your licence, ID, a proof of address under six months old and proof of normal residence. You can keep driving while the file is processed. The ANTS then texts and emails you to ask for the original licence by registered post, after which you can download a secure attestation valid four months. Processing can take several months for complex files, and after validation the card arrives in about 15 days.
Beware of intermediary websites that charge for this procedure. The official one is free of service fees, apart from the tax stamp.
What if driving in France with a Swiss, British or non-EU licence?
The rule changes: a licence from outside the EU and the EEA is valid for one year after you establish your normal residence in France. After that, the exchange is mandatory to keep driving, according to the official page verified on 1 June 2026.
The deadline depends on your status, and Service-Public distinguishes three cases. A foreign national arriving regularly for the first time has less than one year from the issue of the first residence permit, or from the validation of the long-stay visa, and a renewal does not restart the clock. A French national has less than one year after settling in France. A national of an EEA country, Andorra, Monaco or Switzerland must apply from the sixth month of the stay and before the eighteenth. Confirm which case is yours on the official page before you rely on a date.
For a British licence, GOV.UK says that if it was issued after 1 January 2021, you must exchange it within 12 months of your arrival, with a check code from the DVLA (or DVA for Northern Ireland). A UK licence issued before 2021 stays usable until it expires and Service-Public says you do not have to exchange it, but GOV.UK says it must be exchanged if it has expired or will expire within 12 months. It is also exchanged if it is lost, stolen or damaged or you want a new category.
Two more conditions: the licence must come from a country with a reciprocal exchange agreement for that category, and it must be in French or accompanied by an official translation. If you let the deadline pass, the foreign licence is no longer recognised, and you may have to take the French driving test. Do not wait for the last month.
How do you register a foreign car in France?
You have one month after you settle, whatever your nationality, if France is your main residence. The application goes through the ANTS online or an authorised professional (who adds a fee). The prefectures no longer handle it. A temporary registration certificate (CPI) lets you drive in France for one month while you wait for the final one.
For a car coming from another EU country, Service-Public lists: the original registration certificate or proof of ownership, a proof of address under six months old, form 13750, a certificate of conformity, the quitus fiscal proving VAT has been paid, and a technical inspection report if the car is over four years old (dated within six months and carried out in France or in the EU). For a car from outside the EU, the customs clearance certificate 846 A replaces the quitus, and a certificate of conformity or other approval is needed.
How much does the French registration cost?
It depends on the car and on the region where you live: a regional tax (the carte grise tax) based on the fiscal horsepower, a possible malus tax on polluting vehicles, a fixed tax and a postage fee. The official simulator on service-public.gouv.fr gives you the exact amount. Run it before you buy a second-hand car abroad, because the malus can be high.
What about insurance, plates and fines?
Third-party insurance is compulsory in France for any car on the road. Fit French plates as soon as you receive your number. Some countries ask you to return the old plates, and the consulate can tell you how.
What if you live in the overseas departments?
The same national rules apply, including the exchange and the ANTS. The licence stamp is €20 in French Guiana, and the regional taxes on registration differ by territory, so use the simulator. See also living in the French overseas departments.
For the other first steps after you land, return to the moving to France checklist.
What should you know about points, offences and your European licence?
France uses a points licence. An offence that costs points obliges holders of a European licence to exchange it for a French one, and from then on the French rules apply. If you lose your licence while living in France, your former country no longer issues a replacement for residents: the French exchange procedure takes over. So a driver from Italy, Belgium or Ireland who has never exchanged can drive for years on the original card, until an offence or an expiry forces the change.
Keep this in mind if you drive for work, because an employer may ask for a French licence over the long term. And if you want to add a category, such as a motorbike or a heavy vehicle, the application is made through the French system too.
How do you handle insurance and the technical inspection when driving in France?
Insurance is compulsory for any vehicle, even one that does not move. Driving without it is an offence that can bring a fine and a possible suspension of the licence, so arrange cover before you take the car on the road, and have the certificate to hand when you register.
For a car over four years old, a technical inspection (contrôle technique) is required at registration, not older than six months, carried out in France or in the EU country where the car was registered. Plan this before the one-month deadline runs out, since appointments can take time.
Can you drive a foreign-registered car in France while you wait?
A foreign-registered car can be used while you are a visitor, but once France is your main residence you must register it within a month. The temporary certificate (CPI) lets you drive within France for one month while you wait for the permanent one. Do not delay: a car on expired foreign plates risks being stopped, and rules about plates vary by country, so ask your consulate in France.
Which steps come first for driving in France after you arrive?
Put them in this order: confirm the category and validity of your licence, sort insurance, check whether your car needs a technical inspection, and then file the registration. If your licence needs exchanging, start the file early and keep the receipts. The bigger picture of settling in is in the moving to France checklist, and the cost of a car is covered in the cost of living in France.