Lautrec Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 There comes a time in everyones life when ones driving licence is expiring and he is at the fragile age when questions are asked about his fitness and ability to drive!I am aware that switching to a French licence is an alternative, but this document, at my age, bars me from driving a vehicle in the UK! So I was wondering if it is at all possible to renew my ailing UK licence from here in France, even though I may have to be certified by a French doctor, to be fit and able to drive safely!The question I would like to raise is, would the UK authorities accept a French doctors note to my medical fitness? Has anyone had any experience of this situation? I would like to hear from you!Lautrec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I'm not clear on what you mean when you say switching to a french licence would bar you from driving a vehicle in the UK. French driving licences are valid for driving in the UK (any EU country, in fact). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I seem to remember reading somewhere that you need a UK address to"officially" have a UK licence. They need somewhere to notify you ( inUK ) of any driving offences ( speeding etc ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I mentioned the fact several tims before on this forum that an english chap we know and who has been living in France for 20 years or more decided to go for a french licence just before his 65th birthday so he could continue to drive for ever and ever etc and not have to face the UK age limit. However, when the french licence arrived, it was marked very clearly that he was not permitted to drive anywhere else other than in France and definately not in the UK. He didn't bother to ask the prefecture why because he never goes back anyway, but it was still a shock to discover this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 And twenty years ago he most certainly should have changed his license over. What goes through people's heads. If he had he would have had a license like mine, SANS RESTRICTIONS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 [quote user="Val_2"]However, when the french licence arrived, it was marked very clearly that he was not permitted to drive anywhere else other than in France and definately not in the UK. He didn't bother to ask the prefecture why because he never goes back anyway, but it was still a shock to discover this.[/quote]Strange situation. Any licence issued by an EU state is valid for driving in any other EU state. I don't understand why this restriction was imposed - I can't find any reference to it on any french legal site. Perhaps it was an error on the licence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lautrec Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 It appears that if you switch to a French licence and you are over 70, it is clearly marked that it is not valid in any other country other than France. You would think that they would encourage you to drive outside of France to lessen the risk to their own drivers! I think that is a fact that you must have an address in the UK to renew an existing UK licence!Lautrec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaBucherie Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 I think you will find that the "70 GB" shown on the French licence is a code for having transferred from a British one. I was told that it is nothing to do with age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lautrec Posted February 24, 2006 Author Share Posted February 24, 2006 Thanks LaBucherie. Hope you are right. Will check it out!Lautrec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggimeggi Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 [quote user="Lautrec"]Thanks LaBucherie. Hope you are right. Will check it out!Lautrec.[/quote]Please update us all when you do. I have been driving on a South African licence but they expire every 5 years (someone inportant has the contract for supplying them I think) and so now I am on an old green UK one which will expire in a couple of years so I must do something soonish.Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaBucherie Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Just out of interest, I was looking at the DVLA website for something else and came across a list of codes on driving licences. The code for 'Exchange of licence' is '70' in the UK.http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/information_codes.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilec Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 That shouldn't be so much of a surprise. Since the licences are european, the codes will be universal too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaBucherie Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 [quote user="Brilec"]That shouldn't be so much of a surprise. Since the licences are european, the codes will be universal too.[/quote]My point exactly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 [quote user="Lautrec"]The question I would like to raise is, would the UK authorities accept a French doctors note to my medical fitness? Has anyone had any experience of this situation? I would like to hear from you!Lautrec.[/quote]Unless the rules have changed recently, AFAIK you do not have to have a doctors note to renew your UK driving licence over a certain age (70 I think). You simply sign the form to say that you are fit, unless of course you do have something that makes you perhaps borderline for fitness. No personal experience but my mum and dad were doing this into their 80s.Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 LautecDo you have any family back in the UK? If so just get the DVLA to send the licence there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lautrec Posted March 17, 2006 Author Share Posted March 17, 2006 Referring to all the past postings, I don't think it would not have been possible to renew my UK licence from here without getting a UK doctors note to send with the application and using a UK address on your licence that was not your own! It would not bear examination by the local police.However, I have now reached a favourable conclusion and exchanged my UK licence with the French counterpart. It was so easy to do!. Travelled the 20 kms to Confolen and went into the Sous Prefecture, which is situated on the riverside. My wife and I were the only people waiting to be served, which was prompt and efficient. Handed over the UK licence with two photos, utility bill, showed my passport and signed a form which was completed by the assistant. Only one snag, they do not accept passport pics that have been processed on the computer and so we went up the road to the nearby Intermarche store and made use of their photo booth. Back to the Prefecture; handed over the pics together with an SAE and lo and behold, three days later the new document was popped into our boite de poste.There is nothing on the new licence which prevents me using it outside of France and cost was Eur25! It was much easier than I thought!Lautrec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Good result [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernice Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Lautrec - why was the cost 25€ or was that including the travel? When I exchanged my UK driving licence (prefecture Quimper) this year there was no charge. All it cost me was 3€ for photos from the booth in Intermarche. Like you my licence came in the post within the week.Bernice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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