Obtaining a French driving licence

[Just Chris]

Can anyone (preferably from personal experience) explain the definitive procedure for obtaining a French driving licence, please?  (Including which establishment to go to, what form[s] to complete, what other documentary support I may require, and the cost - and whether it's all done there and then, or posted to me).

My pink, tatty paper one is falling apart, so I may as well change it here...

 

Thanks

 

Chris

[Clair]

I exchanged my UK paper licence this month and it took about 10 days in total.

You need to provide

• the original licence (keep a copy for yourself,
  just in case)

• 2 ID photos
• copy of your passport

• a "Courrier suivi" envelope
  (from the post office) made out to your address for the return of the
  licence.
• 2 copies of the form from this page: http://www2.equipement.gouv.fr/formulaires/formfiche.asp?IdFormulaire=91&NumFormulaire=11247

This can be completed from your computer, in which case, 2 copies will be printed automatically. Don't forget to sign them.

If completing by hand, you will need to complete, sign and print 2 copies

Send the lot in a "Courrier Suivi" envelope (it means the letter can be tracked by its barcode) to your préfecture (find it from http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/trouverlesprofessionnels/) and sit back.

If in doubt, call your préfecture and ask.

[Clair]

As an afterthought, you might want to include a copy of a utility bill or tax form, to prove your address in France, if your passport does not show it...

[Patf]

Or you can go to the prefecture personally with the above documents. I had to wait about an hour. They also asked for a signed certificate from the Mairie that we are residents for more than ?6 months.

[Just Chris]

Great.  You couldn't get much more concise than that !

Thanks, both, for your prompt help..

 

(You don't mention cost - any ideas? presumably I also have to send a cheque !)

Chris

[Clair]

No cost involved.

My préfecture is over 1 hour away, so it was easier to do it by post.

[Chas]

We did ours a couple of weeks ago and also had to provide a copy of OH's birth certificate to prove her "nom de naissance."

[Just Chris]

Blimey!  Something for nothing.

I'd better get on with it, then. Thanks all.

 

Chris

[Chas]

[quote user="Khazi"]

Blimey!  Something for nothing.

I'd better get on with it, then. Thanks all.

Chris

[/quote]

Not necessarily.  Most departments charge a fee, in our case in 17 it was €25!

[Clair]

[quote user="Chas"]Not necessarily.  Most departments charge a fee, in our case in 17 it was €25![/quote]

Best to phone them and find out then:

http://www.correze.pref.gouv.fr/Correze/horaires

[Just Chris]

Well I don't mind paying, I didn't really expect a freebie.

I'll collect all the necessary bits together and go and join battle with the dragon at Tulle.  (She gave us a really hard time when we re-registered the Rover - quite upset Mrs. K !)

Chris

[Maricopa]

Just goes to show how all things in France are departmental.[:)]

We are in the process of changing our licences.

We had to provide the following:

The completed form (I can't remember the number, but it can be downloaded) in duplicate

Both parts of our licence and copies

2 photos, in the correct format (the machine we used printed on the photo that they conformed with the requirements)

Copy of recent bill

Copy of Passport

For my wife, a copy of our marriage certificate

In addition, as I wanted to keep my category E, I had to have the medical certificate completed and signed by an approved doctor, an additional photo, and a stamped and addressed envolope (SAE).

We took all this to our sous-prefecture in Beziers.  The fonctionaire checked it all over said she was happy, gave us back the originals of our licences, and told us in about 1 month they would write to us, and that we would then handover our licences and be given our new ones (this will probably negate the requirement for the SAE).  There was no fee.  We are now at the 2 weeks stage, so I shall let everyone know if the time period given turns out to be correct.[Www]

I do know in neighbouring Aude, it is only about 3-4 days to get your new licence.[blink]

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="Maricopa"]

Just goes to show how all things in France are departmental.[:)]

[/quote]

On the contrary, the requirements for exchange of driving licences are common throughout France.  If Clair had wanted the additional towing entitlement, then the medical procedure would have applied in Lot/Cantal as well.

Only the potential delay may be attributed to 'departmental variance'.

 

[Maricopa]

As the OP wanted personal experiences, and mine was different from Clair's (copies of our licences) and Chas's (marriage certificate not birth certificate and no fee), this suggests to me that each department, as per usual, has their own interpretation, regardless of the national rules.

As for the E category, I did say "in addition, as I wanted to keep" and never said this HAD to be done.[8-|]

[Maricopa]

[quote user="Maricopa"]We took all this to our sous-prefecture in Beziers.  The fonctionaire checked it all over said she was happy, gave us back the originals of our licences, and told us in about 1 month they would write to us, and that we would then handover our licences and be given our new ones (this will probably negate the requirement for the SAE).  There was no fee.  We are now at the 2 weeks stage, so I shall let everyone know if the time period given turns out to be correct.[/quote]

Hi all

 

I promised I would update you, so here goes (yes, it really has only just finished).

 

We deposited our completed application forms at the Sous-Prefecture at Béziers (S-P) on the 12 Oct 2007.  We were told they would take about a month. 

 

My wife received a letter from them on the 20 Dec 2007 saying she needed a medical (to keep her Cat E which she didn't want).

 

On the 21 Dec 2007 I received my convocation to collect my new licence ( I 'd had the medical as I wanted to keep the Cat E).

 

On the 2 Jan 2008 we went to the S-P and I successfully collected my exchange licence.  We told the fonctionaire that my wife didn't require the Cat E, so she suggested we handwrite a letter there and then to this effect (it doesn't say such a letter is necessary on the list of required documents).  We did so and she said it would be another (good) month.

 

On 8 April 2008 I telephoned the S-P to ask what the situation was, and they told me I must wait for the convocation.  They would tell me no more than this.

 

By the end of July (28), fed up with waiting, I visited our Mairie to see if the staff there could help.  The very helpful woman there photocopied all the relevant paperwork I had and faxed it through to the S-P, with a covering note, to see if that produced any response.  One week later (4 Aug 2008) I went back to the Mairie and she faxed again and phoned them whilst I was there.  At first they said they were still waiting for the medical report, then when told that we had already written a letter at the S-P stating my wife didn't require Cat E, decided it was all too difficult, the dossier was lost and we would have to start again (obviously a lie).

 

Since then we have been far to busy to return to the S-P to do it all again, and then out of the blue we received (5 Sep 2008) a convocation to collect the exchange driving licence.  We picked it up this Friday (12 Sep).

 

The remarkable ending to this is that after all the delay because they were waiting for my wife's medical for the Cat E which she didn't want, is that it has been endorsed for the next 5 years with that category![:-))]

 

C'est la vie.

 

M

 

PS Thanks SD for the response to my PM at the time.

 

[cheminot]

• ( 2 copies of the form from this page: http://www2.equipement.gouv.fr/formulaires/formfiche.asp?IdFormulaire=91&NumFormulaire=11247

This can be completed from your computer, in which case, 2 copies will be printed automatically. Don't forget to sign them.

If completing by hand, you will need to complete, sign and print 2 copies )

I have tried to use this form, firstly by completing it on the computer. The result being that it would only print patches of the form. I could not get it to print out unfilled from the pdf format so I copied it into word and printed it from there but it comes out blurred and barely readable. Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong please?

cheminot

[Clair]

Sorry, I have no idea. Mine printed off fine...

Have you double-checked your printer settings?

If all else fails, your préfecture should be able to give or send you the form.

[cooperlola]

I've dug up this old thread as it's often used as a reference when people ask about changing their licence.

I went to my prefecture today with the documents outlined by Clare (just as the Service-Public website also says) only to find that here in the Sarthe they also want my birth and marriage certificates plus a P237 - a tax form which I have to get from my local tresorie.  I had a good moan about the fact that the website is incorrect but I still have to go through this rigmarole before they'll do the change.[:@]  I don't know if this is true throughout France now?

[AnOther]

My OH didn't need a P237, whatever that is. I don't recall birth or marriage certs but certainly no signed note from the Mairie.

What do birth or marriage certs have to do with a driving licence anyway, especially in exchange for a UK one, why not go the whole hog and demand the husband or fathers written permission too [:'(]

At least it was free in 46 [;-)]

[cooperlola]

Funnily enough my tax office doesn't know what a P237 is either!  They've suggested I go along to see them in person so they can phone the Prefecture whilst I'm there to ask what it is!  I've done some searches on the web and notice that it's something which is also required for the naturalisation process and confirms that you've been paying tax.  I offered the prefecture lady a copy of my Avis but she refused it.  The official form from the Sarthe states  within the "liste des pieces a produire"... "pour les ressortissants europeens : formulaire P237 du service des impots" and so she won't take any subsitute.  They want the birth and marriage certificates to confirm my name change from my maiden to my married to fulfil the "justificatif de l'etal civil de l'interesse" bit.  This is a real nightmare and only needed because my bloomin' knee won't bend more than 70 degrees any more so I need a medical exam and they won't do this with a British licence. 

I'm beginning to hate that lorry driver.

[AnOther]

Calm down Coops, stress is not good for you [kiss][kiss]

What happened to the lorry driver BTW, do you know ?

[cooperlola]

Everybody but I walked away from the accident unscathed.  They are not going to prosecute him.  So, nothing.....

You are right I should calm down but the problem is that I am trying to plan a holiday and can't until I know I can drive and the date is getting closer and closer.  I have been pushed from sous-prefecture, to prefecture, to tax office, to doctor, and back again for nearly six weeks now and still no nearer to be able to make my appointment with the medical examiner (waiting list up to two months) as everybody tells me I need a different piece of paper (plus I've been in hospital for ten days and I have rehab all the time on top.)[:-))]

Time for a drink.....[B]

[AnOther]

Oh dear Coops, you do need that drink don't you.

Are you trying for the French licence because your UK one is expiring or do you already have a French one but need it re-validating because of your medical issues ?

[bubbles]

We changed over to French licences recently as our English ones were actually out of date!

It was very straightforward.

All we provided were our old licence and two bits of proof of living here (elec and phone bill) along with two photos (we found them in a drawer and they were at least 4 years old!)

No tax stuff at all was asked for.

We filled in the form at the local Mairie.

Three weeks later we had a note shoved in our letterbox to say that the licences were ready.

No charge.

Big smiles all round.

We couldn't believe our luck.

[AnOther]

Checked with OH and although she had translated copies of birth and marriage certs with her they were not asked for just passport, photos, proof of address (EDF bill), UK licence of course, and application form - job jobbed [;-)]