Foreign drivers in France: three ways that new licence rules could impact you

Major changes to road rules and driving licences are set to affect drivers in all EU member states in the coming years, including foreign drivers living in France.

Plans to digitise driving documents and more closely integrate licences between EU countries are among the major changes, with more stringent medical tests also potentially being brought in.

The changes will affect non-EU citizens who live in the bloc – including those in France – and particularly from the point when they hold an EU licence.

The rules need to be formally accepted by the EU Parliament and Commission – this is expected to happen in the coming weeks – and will then be rolled out progressively until 2030. 

Some of the rules are aimed at new drivers, such as stricter alcohol limits and more stringent driving tests - but others reported below relate to all drivers.

The rules will not apply to tourists and short-stay visitors who do not live in France.

Licences will be primarily digital, validity periods may change

By 2030 EU licences will be digital, issued in an ‘EU digital wallet’, although physical versions will still be available to those who request this.

France already has experience with digital driving licences through the France Identité application (currently unavailable for non-citizens) so is unlikely to face major difficulties with this rule.

Renewals for all EU licences will eventually need to be undertaken via online platforms as is currently the case in France (including for non-EU licence exchanges).

The standard EU-licence validity period will be increased from 10 years to 15 years but member states will be able to choose to lower this to 10 if the document is also accepted as a valid form of national ID. 

This is the case in France although French licences already have a 15-year validity and this is unlikely to change. 

Non-EU drivers who move to France usually need to exchange their licence within 12 months, although UK licence holders can keep theirs for longer if it was issued before January 2021.

All drivers who can keep their original licence (some cannot do so, see below) after moving to France must eventually exchange it for a French licence when their current licence expires. 

Exchanges to be more standardised across EU 

In cases where France and the country that issued the original document do not have a reciprocal licence exchange agreement, drivers wanting to exchange must take a driving test in France to receive a French licence if they wish to drive here after moving (this does not apply to tourists). 

This is the case in particular for Americans and Canadians from certain states or provinces, as licence exchanges are, with these countries, agreed on an area-by-area basis as opposed to country-wide. 

At present if a person comes to France with an EU licence that was originally issued in exchange for a foreign non-EU licence from a country that France has no agreement with, France will not issue a French licence. In this case, the problem will generally arise at the point where the person's existing EU licence is expiring - and France will not replace it. 

In future, EU states will have to allow exchanges from countries that have been recognised by the EU as having similar a similar 'road safety framework' to the EU's, even if there is no national agreement. 

In France, this will not change anything for those with licences from countries such as Australia, the UK (for licences first granted after January 2021), New Zealand, etc with whom France has reciprocal agreements. 

When it comes to the US and Canada however, it could make things easier, if the EU decides that these countries 'road safety frameworks' are compatible. 

Those who do have to retake a French driving test will face an enhanced version which will include new sections on the dangers of phone and technology usage when behind the wheel and driving in dangerous conditions. 

Another rule states that in future if translation/interpretation services are not offered when an EU citizen wants to take a car driving test in another EU country they moved to, they can take the test in their country of origin instead. 

This is, however, unlikely to affect native English-speakers other than Irish people, and in any case France does permit the use of a 'sworn' translator to help with the theory exam. 

Self-assessment forms for all drivers - medicals too?

As a minimum, all drivers renewing an EU licence – or obtaining one for the first time – will need to declare they are fit to drive based on a self-assessment of their state of health, it is planned. As now, countries would be free to adopt stricter rules, including mandatory medicals, if they wish.

Member states could if they wish bring in stricter rules, including more regular licence renewals for drivers aged 65 and over, but existing rules already permit this from age 50 and France has not chosen to do this so far.

Mandatory medical tests for older drivers was rejected by MEPs during a 2024 vote on the matter, so they EU cannot impose this from the top-down.

Some EU countries, for example Italy and Ireland, already have mandatory medical checks or more frequent licence renewals in place, but France does not. 

It is unlikely that any stricter-than-necessary measures would be brought in, as any government that tried to do so in France risks angering drivers – a core and sometimes militant voter base. 

Read more: What new licence rules are set to change for older drivers in France