Andrea50 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I am continuing to try and change my licence to a French one . I have finally been sent my confirmation of driving details document from the DVLA. It seems somebody there had put a stop on it being used as we had moved to France. However all is well now many weeks later. I went to Montauban this morning with everything I was asked for last time including the extra documents translated .This time it was a new person and today she wants 6 photos not 4 ( easy ) and not so easy I have to have a medical. Not for medical reasons but because my UK licence allows me to drive a trailer with brakes. Not that I ever have or will. In France you need a medical for this ( so she tells me ) I told her I only want to drive my car and do not use a trailer. The reply was basically in you want your licence you will do it. France can only give you the same licence again and cannot change bits within it, ie they cannot remove the trailer bit.I think this was the 4th visit. Each time they ask for something new and tell me that the last person I spoke to was wrong. Trust me I am not having trouble with the language I understand exactly what is being said. Has anybody come across this problem ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 To speed up a process which had already taken six months, the boss of the licence section asked me whether I needed a coach and HGV licence; I replied no and he wrote the necessary note, then gave me the next form to fill in which I did then and there and it was all sent off to somewhere near Paris to be made up. Andrea50, I am afraid you are a victim of the 'I will decide for you what you need' fonctionnaire, who is quite happy to shit you around for weeks and weeks, though she has no idea if you need it or not. Just grin and bear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 "I have to have a medical. Not for medical reasons but because my UK licence allows me to drive a trailer with brakes. Not that I ever have or will. In France you need a medical for this ( so she tells me ) I told her I only want to drive my car and do not use a trailer. The reply was basically in you want your licence you will do it. France can only give you the same licence again and cannot change bits within it, ie they cannot remove the trailer bit."What load of b0ll0*ks, where do these idiots dream this stuff up ?A standard group B licence entitles you to drive a car and trailer combination up to 3500kg, or a vehicle of 3500kg with a trailer of up to 750kg, there is no separate trailer bit nor is it anything to do with whether a trailer has brakes or not, a UK licence make no mention of any such thing either so it isn't something which can be taken away.About the only bit of that which is correct, or at least partly, is that they cannot take groups or entitlements from you, what they can do though is impose medical requirements and it's for that reason if you do want to retain entitlements for heavier vehicles on a French licence THEN you have to sit the medicals.I suspect someone is has got their thong in a twist over what group B is, it's defined on the DVLA letter as:Motor cars or light vans with up to 8 passenger seats and up to 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kgThe document below very clearly illustrates what group B entitles you to drive and is the same throughout the EU.None of which probably helps if you are dealing with a stroppy ignoramus so taking their damn medical is probably your course of least resistance.[url]http://www.activehorsetransports.com/reglementation_remorque.pdf[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Formatting is FUBAR'd because of the length of the topic title ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Department71 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Why not just keep your UK license, unless for any reason you have to change it, Makes life a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 The prefecture in Carcassonne need 2 photos, no translations, a couple of other bits and a stamped addressed envelope. They all read from the same hynm sheet, so how can it be so very different? Kingdon builders pee me off BIG time !I had all of the bits and bobs that needed a medical dropped off the French version without any problems, so your 'lady probably can't talk when she is sat down as it's difficult to talk through what you are sat on!I needed to present my French licence that I got early last year as a method of i.d. I was quite surprised when the lass told me it wasn't correct? It turned out that an 'i' has been missed from my surname!! It's the first time anyone has seen it, including me and I thought I had checked it carefully! So back to the prefecture and the lady there appologised, gave me the forms and a list of the necessary docs. All done with a smile. Told me to carry on with the original licence and just drop the forms into the reception, no need to que in the 'Permis de Conduire' place.So much more pleasent that way isn't it and it costs nothing to be pleasent, but it buys so very much.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 My experiences with my prefecture in Cahors have been very straightforward and hassle free.The supervisor in the CG department even appreciated the difference between owner and registered keeper ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Departement 71 wrote:Why not just keep your UK license, unless for any reason you have to change it, Makes life a lot easier.UNQUOTEIt is only easier if your licence is not going to expire.Once upon a time a Gendarme was horrified to see that a UK licence would expire (then at age 70) since he took this to be some forecast of your death - then the only cause for a licence to expire in France.Now France has licences that have defined expiry dates and the concept of an expired licence is something the Gs fully understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 OH had been a bus driver in a previous life but when applying for his French driving licence he said that he was happy to give up the bus driver bit and that was OK here - that was, however, in 2007... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea50 Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 My reason for changing is that the photo part of my licence ( which only lasts for ten years) is now out of date. The paper part is fine but I need both for car hire in America. I am told the problem seems to be that C1 bit (not C ) on my English licence needs a medical to be transferred onto a French licence. Is this true ?I have said I only want parts A and B, like in France The woman at Montauban said this is not possible. I live in 82 can I go to Cahors in 46 which sounds much nicer and is the same distance or am I required to stick with Montauban ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 [quote user="Andrea50"]... I live in 82, can I go to Cahors in 46 which sounds much nicer and is the same distance or am I required to stick with Montauban ? [/quote]Now that the actual issue of the new licences is centralised you can apply to whichever préfecture you like !Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 [quote user="Andrea50"]I am told the problem seems to be that C1 bit (not C ) on my English licence needs a medical to be transferred onto a French licence. Is this true ?[/quote]You absolutely do not need C1 !Category B allows to drive a vehicle of 3500 kg and a trailer of 750 kg.Category C: motor vehicles used for the transport of goods, the maximum authorised mass of which exceeds 3500 kg and not transporting more than eight passengers in addition to the driver. They may be combined with a trailer under 750 kg. Category C1: same as C but for motor vehicles with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 7500 kg.Here is the EU directive clearly listing the groups - Article 4http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006L0126&from=enor in Englishhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006L0126&from=enPrint it out and beat the prefecture idiot(s) with it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Is there really a problem. You don't say how old you are, but the following information is on the servicepublic web site. And you would have to follow french rules about the medical. I don't believe that the french or you can pick and mix with what you want on your driving licence exchange. Probably the best thing you could have done, would have been to change you UK one some time ago, prior to asking for an exchange to a french one.http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F31121.xhtmlValidité du permis La durée de validité de la catégorie C1 du permis dépend de votre âge :Pour obtenir sa prorogation (renouvellement), vous devez vous soumettre à un contrôle médical.La demande de renouvellement est faite à la préfecture de votre domicile, avant l'expiration du délai de validité. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 [quote user="idun"]Is there really a problem. Validité du permisLa durée de validité de la catégorie C1 du permis dépend de votre âge :Pour obtenir sa prorogation (renouvellement), vous devez vous soumettre à un contrôles the médical.[/quote]This is what was explained to us at our préfecture at exchange when I said I just wanted to be able to drive a car.Licences from the 70s and 80s included being allowed to drive all kinds of categories without a medical which, today, would require one.With the new licence you can continue to be able to drive these (unwanted/unneeded) categories until a medical is needed to keep it in, say, 2 years time. If you do not have the medical then, at that point, the licence will be renewed with the lapse of the offending categories.Our very-nice-lady at the préfecture said that it was easier (!) to make no changes to your licence categories as the renewal was not done locally and they had no input, they just verified the info they received. But I have no doubt that someone/somewhere in a préfecture knows how to tweak the system.Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Andrea, may I suggest you contact SOLVIT about your problem. [url]http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/index_en.htm[/url]"SOLVIT can help with family benefits, pension rights, residence, entry visas for non-EU relatives of EU nationals,car registration, driving licences, professional ..."It is free, and exists precisely to sort out your type of problem with EU bureaucracy.Also, this sort of intervention might serve to reduce problems fo others in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Very noble and altruistic but just taking the damn medical will be solve the immediate problem, you can complain to SOLVIT afterwards [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 [quote user="AnOther"]Very noble and altruistic but just taking the damn medical will be solve the immediate problem, you can complain to SOLVIT afterwards [;-)][/quote]Particularly since (so I have been led to believe) the "medical" is a simple visit to your GP and consists mainly of a count of limbs and a check that you are actually still breathing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 The principle is right but it is not your medecin traitant you see but a doctor you choose from a list of doctors accepted by the prefecture. I believe the cost - generally 34 euros ish - is not reimbursed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 [quote user="suein56"]Now that the actual issue of the new licences is centralised you can apply to whichever préfecture you like !Sue[/quote] Unfortunately this is not correct, see [url]http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1758.xhtml[/url]“Lieu de dépôt de la demande Suivant son département, il faut s'adresser :· à la préfecture ou à la sous-préfecture de son domicile,· à Paris, à la préfecture de police.”[quote user="AnOther"]Very noble and altruistic but just taking the damn medical will be solve the immediate problem [/quote]Provided you pass the medical, of course [;-)][quote user="AnOther"]you can complain to SOLVIT afterwards [;-)][/quote]Cases which have been resolved can not be submitted to SOLVIT (quite obvious really [;-)])[quote user="Pickles"]Particularly since (so I have been led to believe) the "medical" is a simple visit to your GP and consists mainly of a count of limbs and a check that you are actually still breathing.[/quote]That is totally wrong. You have to see a doctor from an approved list, and the medical is as comprehensive as he feels is appropriate in view of the candidate's general appearance and age. The result can be quite surprising.I double spaced that to make it easier for some to read the bit between the lines [;-)][;-)][;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 WILL THE MODS PLEASE SORT OUT THE FORMATTING OF THIS THREAD ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Done. Please do not make the subject line bigger than the text box in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Is there any reason that when I try to access ths thread from the e-mails I get, all i get is the first page with nne of the following pages showing and no way to get past page one?? I have got here by opening the thread from the forum which then shows me all of the page numbers??Sorry, not a good discription, but it did bin a long day!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 [quote user="Jonzjob"]Is there any reason that when I try to access ths thread from the e-mails I get, all i get is the first page with nne of the following pages showing and no way to get past page one?? I have got here by opening the thread from the forum which then shows me all of the page numbers??Sorry, not a good discription, but it did bin a long day!![/quote]Come again? In English please. Technical questions should be placed in the Forum Technical Support section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I have opened a fred on it on the tech forum. I had only put it here as this is the only place I have the problem [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 [quote user="Jonzjob"]I have opened a fred on it on the tech forum. I had only put it here as this is the only place I have the problem [:-))][/quote]Apples have big problems with spell checkers I notice. It's thread not fred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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