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I'm moving to France....


clairus
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Hi, I'm planning to move to France with my partner. I keep hearing different things regarding driving licences etc.... As I have a UK licence, do I understand correctly, that I have 12 months to change it to a French one? Do I have to take my driving test in France? Are insurance premiums comparable to the UK?

Any info appreciated? Thanks :)
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A valid UK driving licence is acceptable in France. No need to change unless you're required to following a driving offence.

You do not need to to a driving test for the classes of vehicle you already have on your licence.

Insurance premiums are higher in my experience but include breakdown cover usually and fully comprehensive cover for the whole of EU. Be sure to get documented proof of any no-claims earned in UK.

Bonne route!

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A UK licence, paper or photocard, is valid throughout the EU and EEA until it's date of expiry. If you have a photocard and you will hit 70 before it expires then there will be no point in renewing it before moving. To renew it you will have to 'lose' it or notify DVLA of a change of UK address.

TBH I fail to see the point of the fancy footwork many people seem to go to to hang onto a piece of paper or a plastic card which entitles them to drive a car when a French licence performs exactly the same function so my advice is to use it until it expires then exchange it for a French one. Voluntarily do it before Jan 2013 and the French licence is still for life, after that they are adopting the photocard with a 10 year renewal period the same as UK.

Your UK NCB will usually need to be stated in years not % and it takes 13 years

to qualify for a full 50% discount. Good luck with that one as when we moved we had a devil of a job getting our UK insurers to state it in that way.

Whether insurance is cheaper here or not is debatable. Unlike in UK where the wrong postcode can double your premium - or worse - insurers here are not completely anal about where you live. Also it's the car which is insured, taking the owners history into account of course, so any one can drive it with the owners permission.

Finally do not confuse the breakdown cover commonly included as a charged for extra with French insurance with anything you may be accustomed to with the likes of the AA or RAC in UK. Basically it gets your car to the nearest garage and that's more or less it, AA/RAC style get you home cover simply does not seem to exist here.

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[quote user="AnOther"]Voluntarily do it before Jan 2013 and the French licence is still for life, after that they are adopting the photocard with a 10 year renewal period the same as UK.

[/quote]

I wasn't aware of that one ANO.

Thanks for the tip.

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[quote user="AnOther"]Finally do not confuse the breakdown cover commonly included with French insurance with anything you may be accustomed to with the likes of the AA or RAC in UK. Basically it gets your car to the nearest garage and that's more or less it, AA/RAC style get you home cover simply does not seem to exist here. [/quote]

Not quite sure I agree with that as the cover you can get here seems to depend on which company you are with or which cover you choose.

Sue

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This subject crops up from time to time and almost invariably results in the same answer which is that the German ADAC is pretty well the only option so I'm sure it would be appreciated if you could appraise us of any French companies who offer full and comprehensive breakdown cover.

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[quote user="AnOther"]This subject crops up from time to time and almost invariably results in the same answer which is that the German ADAC is pretty well the only option so I'm sure it would be appreciated if you could appraise us of any French companies who offer full and comprehensive breakdown cover.[/quote]

I agree with Sue. 

"Full and comprehensive" is somewhat open to interpretation.  But if my car becomes unusable because of breakdown or accident, my French insurance covers the cost of getting me and my passengers either to my destination, or back home, whichever I choose.  (That's if it will take more than 2 days to repair the car; otherwise the insurance will pay hotel costs if necessary.)  There is similar cover if the car is stolen.

That's in the standard policy, in which the cover doesn't apply unless I'm at least 50 km away from home.  For an additional premium, the 50 km minimum is removed, and there are a few other benefits, including the provision of a rental car in certain situations.

Of course there are various conditions and limits, but I would expect to

find those in any insurance contract. 

My insurer is Mutuelle de Poitiers.  It's hard to believe that no other French company offers something similar. 
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[quote user="sid"]

A valid UK driving licence is acceptable in France. No need to change unless you're required to following a driving offence.

[/quote]

If you move permanently to france then doesn't the address on the licence have to match the address of your main residence?

Obviously, if you still have an address in the UK then that doesn't apply.

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Here's another example of French insurance breakdown cover......

My insurer (MAAF) includes a comprehensive worldwide assistance package as part of their standard toutes risques motor policy.

- Recovery of broken down vehicle to nearest garage.  Transport of occupants to home or to hotel.  Return transport to garage to collect car once repaired.

- Up to five days hotel accommodation for all the vehicle occupants at up to 50€ per person per day.

- In the case of injury or illness, payment of medical fees, repatriation costs (including the body in the event of death)

- Provision of a driver to get the vehicle and occupants back home in the event the owner is incapacitated and no-one else can drive.

- Repatration of damaged write-off vehicle from abroad if judged to be economically repairable in France.

All included in the standard policy at no extra charge.

 

Compare this with what the AA have to offer:

National Recovery Option (Relay):  You, you car and passengers transported to the destination of your choice if it can't be repaired at the roadside. Applies to UK only.

Onward Travel Option:  Hire car for up to three days, or overnight hotel stay or return home by public transport.

European cover not included but available at extra cost.

Total cost of these options - £101 per year......[;-)]

 

 

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I have pretty much the same cover on my tiers only policy SundayDriver although the insurer has such a bad rating I do wonder whether they would actually honour any of it or leave me to pick up the bill with a vague promise of remboursement, at the current exchange rate the cost of the whole policy including the breakdown cover is only a couple of quid more than the AA.

My franchise kilometrique is 10km and someone on another forum said that theirs was zero km, in the event of their car breaking down on their driveway I wonder if the insurer would transport the driver and passengers to their destination? I cant see mine doing so if I broke down 10+ km from home.

Did you really mean that you have worldwide breakdown cover SD, mine and I think all others is pan european which I agree is a lot better than the AA but if it is then it shows what a good assureur you indeed have.

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[quote user="Chancer"]Did you really mean that you have worldwide breakdown cover SD, mine and I think all others is pan european which I agree is a lot better than the AA but if it is then it shows what a good assureur you indeed have.[/quote]

In my MdP policy, the breakdown cover extends to all the countries listed – and not crossed out – on the insurance certificate (green card).  So it's Europe plus quite a few others, but not world-wide.  I must say that it covers all the countries to which I could ever imagine travelling in my car.

All cover related to the consequences of illness or injury, i.e. repatriation etc, is indeed world-wide.  But that kind of insurance goes beyond what would normally be called breakdown cover, I think.

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[quote user="AnOther"]...  so I'm sure it would be appreciated if you could appraise us of any French companies who offer full and comprehensive breakdown cover. [/quote]

My almost 16 year old Saxo is insured fully comp, at a v reasonable rate, with Allianz. I have 0 km from home breakdown at no extra charge.

When driving my OH to the airport at Rennes a red warning light came on; having turned off the dual carriageway and found a garage in a village, who rang Allianz for me, I was informed by my insurance that I could wait for the car to be repaired - a possible 2/3/4 day scenario - in a hotel paid by them, or we could be taxied (free to us, cost to Allianz) to the airport and then I could hire a car, pay the car hire bill, and I would be reimbursed when my car was repaired. I chose the latter. 

So I drove home in a spanking new Peugeot, fed the cats, texted my OH that I was fine and waited until my car was repaired. 3 days later I drove to Rennes airport, gave back the hire car, was driven in a taxi to the garage (free again) and picked up my car. Total cost to me was the part that had malfunctioned. Costs of hire car were refunded, by cheque, in a matter of days. Priceless service IMHO.

Sue

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My 9 year old Saxo is insured with Mutuelles de Poitiers.

I had something similar happen to Sue above. Called emergency number. They sent a tow truck that accompanied me to designated garage. Taxi picked me up and took me 25km home. When car was fixed, they sent another taxi to pick me up and reunite me with repaired car.

I think the service depended on my being more than 20 km from base.

Of course, I had to pay the repair bill for the car.

Angela

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Here's another example of French insurance breakdown cover......

My insurer (MAAF) includes a comprehensive worldwide assistance package as part of their standard toutes risques motor policy.

- Recovery of broken down vehicle to nearest garage.  Transport of occupants to home or to hotel.  Return transport to garage to collect car once repaired.

- Up to five days hotel accommodation for all the vehicle occupants at up to 50€ per person per day.

- In the case of injury or illness, payment of medical fees, repatriation costs (including the body in the event of death)

- Provision of a driver to get the vehicle and occupants back home in the event the owner is incapacitated and no-one else can drive.

- Repatration of damaged write-off vehicle from abroad if judged to be economically repairable in France.

All included in the standard policy at no extra charge.

 

Compare this with what the AA have to offer:

National Recovery Option (Relay):  You, you car and passengers transported to the destination of your choice if it can't be repaired at the roadside. Applies to UK only.

Onward Travel Option:  Hire car for up to three days, or overnight hotel stay or return home by public transport.

European cover not included but available at extra cost.

Total cost of these options - £101 per year......[;-)]

 

 

[/quote]

That is not comparing apples to apples.

My UK insurance is via M&S. It includes full RAC UK and European breakdown cover and recovery. Should I have gone the route of insuring the car via M&S and then taking out the breakdown insurance with the RAC then the cost would have been much higher.

Personally, I was keen to have the RAC cover.......

When we bought our house in 07 I hired a van to bring stuff down from the UK. When my OH saw the van she indicated that it would breakdown, unfortunately, she was right.

We got to the house, unloaded most of the stuff but left some items above the cab. I then went off to Brico Depot to get some plasterboard and it was in the building materials section that the van expired. Phone call to the RAC and they sent a breakdown wagon who could not sort the problem so the van went on to the back of the wagon and off it went. Call from the RAC to apoligise that as it was a Saturday they could not get me a hire car right at that moment but would book me a hotel. I explained that our house was about 50km away so they laid on a taxi. They then phoned several times about getting me a hire car to which I replied I did not need one. It then got to near our time to return but the van had not been fixed. They phoned to say that if it was not fixed that they would arrange car hire so that we could drive to Calais, cross by ferry as foot passengers and then hire a car in Dover for 24 hours to get us home and that they would then transport the van back. Luckily the van was repaired in time so they laid on a taxi to take us to collect it. A superb service that gave me confidence that we were being looked after (NFI just a happy customer).

Paul

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[quote user="HoneySuckleDreams"][quote user="sid"]

A valid UK driving licence is acceptable in France. No need to change unless you're required to following a driving offence.

[/quote]

If you move permanently to france then doesn't the address on the licence have to match the address of your main residence?

Obviously, if you still have an address in the UK then that doesn't apply.

[/quote]

HSD  No-one appears to have answered your query. Your UK licence remains valid for the duration of its life, (up to 10 years for a photocard licence) and this is acceptable as a valid licence in France. It seems an odd state of affairs but it's correct. The DVLA will not change the address to a French address, but the fact that the address was your address when the licence was issued means that all is well and you can continue to use it. However, there seems to be little point (to me anyway) in not changing the licence for a French one, and there are some advantages I think, one being that a French licence (for the car/motorcycle categories anyway) does not expire at age 70 but is valid for life (which I hope is later!![:-))] ). It's a VERY simple procedure. The only disadvantage I've found is that the French licence is cardboard and an awkward size, and because it has to be carried at all times (when driving) mine is already very dog-eared on the folds and corners.

If you commit a driving offence, depending on the severity of it you may be required to change a UK licence to a French one so that the point(s) can be deducted.

Having read all of the posts in the thread it seems to me that what I said in my concise reply at the beginning was correct. [Www]

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The 'for life' French licence is being phased out in Jan 2013 in favour of the EU model photocard along with a paper counterpart and periodic renewal (probably 10 years) so if anybody is thinking to exchange, or coming up to a UK photocard expiry before or around Jan 2013, it might be a good idea to do it before that.

Of course whatever driving licence you hold it is supposed to be carried whilst driving, this is absolutely vital for non French licence holders.

Remember too that a French licence will usually suffice as an ID here which a UK one will not.

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[quote user="AnOther"]Remember too that a French licence will usually suffice as an ID here which a UK one will not.

[/quote]

 

I am going to disagree on that one ANO.  I had to surrended my passport to a foreign embassy in order to get a set of visas.  While the passport was away, I needed to fly to various destinations from France (all Schengen) and as you know you are required to show photo identy at bording in France and at bording anywhere if flying Air France (which in part I was).

 

the UK photo licence was accepted on every occasion although I once(out of about 8 flights)  had to explain that my passport was not with me for the reason above.

 

The OH has also used it to confirm identity for a credit card transaction.

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Do you know if the French licence has the same categories as our UK driving licences? Like others of my age, my UK driving licence seems to allow me to drive many more categories than my nephew of 28. He wasn't allowed to drive a van when moving but I believe I could have driven it (if asked!) on my 'granny' licence.

I am happily towing a trailer on my UK licence but am led to believe also that you have to take a test in France?

Also, does the French licence require you to get a medical certificate over 70?

Thanks

Laurier

 

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Driving licence categories are standardised throughout the EU.

If you exchange your UK licence for a French one, all your existing categories are transferrable to the new licence.  Some categories, eg C1 (trucks up to 7.5 tonnes) require a medical in order to be transferred, but if you no longer drive those types of vehicle, you can simply tell the prefecture and they'll omit them therefore no necessity for a medical.

If your nephew has a 'standard' UK licence, ie category B, then that covers him for driving cars and vans up to 3500kg.

If you already have the 'E' category for towing large trailers, then you don't have to take a test in France.

If you do not have any categories that require a periodic medical, then you don't require one when you reach 70 - either in France or in the UK......

 

 

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I bow to your experience Andy although I was really referring to validity for shopping which is probably more relevant to most rather than air travel.

I also remain skeptical that the average supermarket in France would accept a UK driving licence bearing it's UK address as a valid form of ID when paying by French cheque or credit card. That said I can't actually recall in my 5 years here ever once having had to show any ID when out  shopping

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