How long should it take to exchange a foreign driving licence for a French one?

Foreign residents of France who need to exchange their driving licence for its French equivalent often have to wait longer than they expect. Officials say this is linked to the checks they have to carry out to ensure validity - we look at how this process works and how long it takes.

Those who live in France and drive on a foreign licence will be required to exchange it for a French licence at some point assuming the country (or state, or province in the case of the US and Canada) that issued it has an agreement on exchanges with France. 

When they must do this depends on their nationality and their driving licence’s date of issue.

For example, UK licences that were first issued before 2021 (ie. the date the holder first passed their UK test) are treated the same as EU licences in this respect, and an exchange is typically only needed when they are nearing expiry, though there are exceptions to this.

Licences first issued after this date must be exchanged within 12 months of a person moving to France.

The latter also applies to other licences issued abroad by countries with agreements with France.

Only 18 US states have reciprocal licence exchange rules with France, you can find a list of these states here. The others cannot be exchanged, meaning that drivers with these licences must pass a French driving test.

Read more: Driving: When do you need to swap foreign licence for French licence?

All exchanges must be made via the website of the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTS), here. This process is free.

According to ANTS the time for processing is variable depending on the complexity of the individual person’s situation and the checks they have to make. 

The majority of these checks take place at the Nantes prefecture, which has managed this process for the whole of France since 2017. 

ANTS states that this centralisation process was implemented to help fight fraud.

How to swap a foreign driving licence for a French equivalent?

Go to the ANTS website. 

1. Log in or create an account

2. Click:

1. Nouvelle demande - New request 

2. Le permis de conduire - Driving licence

3. Je commence la demande - Start request

3. Select as the reason for your application: Je demande l'enregistrement ou un échange de mon permis de conduire étranger - I am applying to register or exchange my foreign driving licence

4. Complete your details

5. Provide a photograph - either online or by post to the address provided by ANTS.

6. Add supporting documents which will include:

1. Proof of identity (national identity card, passport)

2. Proof of legal residence (valid residence permit)

3. Proof of address less than six months old

4. Your current driving licence

5. Proof of driving entitlement less than six months old, issued by the authorities that issued the driving licence. In the UK this document is provided by the DVLA upon request.

7. Confirm the documents are correct

8. Confirm the procedure either online or by post.

9. In the following days and weeks you can check on the progress of your request via your online dashboard on the ANTS website

Note that all documents written in a foreign language must be accompanied by a sworn translation.

Read more: Can I renew my UK driving licence using my French address?

How long does the process take?

If you need to exchange your licence, anticipate a long wait and make the request early, typically six months before expiry of your foreign licence. 

Several departmental prefectures say the typical request takes between six and ten months, and while ANTS itself does not commit to a particular delay, the service mentions that it can take up to a year to exchange a licence in certain cases. 

You can check the progress of your request in your personal space on the ANTS website.

Those who have requested an exchange can continue to drive while awaiting their French licence as long as they carry the attestation de dépôt sécurisée or certificate of deposit provided by ANTS.

This certificate is given when you send your old driving licence to ANTS, which usually happens towards the end of the application process.

This has a validity of four months, and ANTS states that it tries to ensure that a licence is issued before the end of this period.