Since the UK left the EU, the rules have changed for holders of a UK licence, with the issue in a state of flux since this date. If relocate to France and you hold a driving licence issued from within the European Economic Area (EEA) you are not required to change it for a French permis de conduire. Exchanging a Licence Issued Outside of the EEA.Use of Vehicle Accident Forms in France.Vehicle Registration Process & Transfer of Ownership.However, as he has pointed out to me ever since, he actually knows how to drive in France - who has priority when, what the various icons mean and so on. After I threatened to take away his car keys because he wasn’t insured under the license he had, he took driving lessons, which cost a fortune since he did them with Ferenbach, and got his French license. My husband didn’t want to be bothered so he did none of the above. I even got a new passport so when my new work visa was issued so it looked as if I had just arrived. I went there several times, I had mail, including from a Realtor, sent to the friends’ address I was using, I registered to vote (not a bad thing anyway!). I went to huge lengths to set up a “residence” in a reciprocal state, in this case New Hampshire. Here is a story that may help readers decide whether to exchange licenses or not: My husband and I arrived in France expecting to stay only a few years so we never got French licenses. You might even learn a thing or two about stick shift driving along the way. I’m sure that you will learn a lot of French in the process and you’ll probably be more confident driving as well. If you don’t find a way to switch to a reciprocity state, don’t sweat it and get a French driver’s license. Changing your last state of residence in the United States has consequences for taxes and voting from abroad though. If you have friends or family in one of the exchangeable states, using their address with their permission should be quite easy. Some Americans in France reported that having mail sent to an address was sufficient to get a driver’s license, while others had to provide a utility bill. Since every DMV has its own requirements regarding proof of address, some US states might be easier to switch to than others. If you plan on staying in France longer than a year, switching to a reciprocity state before leaving the United States is worth considering. Can you Switch to an Exchangeable US State?Īfter one year in France, you are only allowed to drive with a French driver’s license.

Driver license france back