Exchanging licences

[linhilary]

I am considering exchanging my British driving licence to a French driving licence and I need to maintain all the categories on my British licence, eg trailer, caravan etc.indefinitely, not just until I am 60 as I have already passed that drama in my life. Any advise on the  documentation required for this would be much appreciated.  I have filled in the required Cerfa11247 form. 

[giantpanda]

Hi!

Here the regulations and documents you have to bring.

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F1758.xhtml?&n=Papiers&l=N21&n=Papiers%20du%20v%C3%A9hicule%20et%20permis%20de%20conduire&l=N368&n=Permis%20de%20conduire&l=N530&n=International&l=N19126

You will get the same licences as on your British permit.

In France there are no age limits.

Once you get it, check immediately if all have been transcribed.

Competent is the special office for licences at the Sous-Préfecture, or the Préfecture.

Yours,

giantpanda

[Bugsy]

Don't forget that you will need a medical to retain all but standard classes.

The prefecture will have a list of accepted doctors.

[AnOther]

[quote user="linhilary"]I need to maintain all the categories on my British licence, eg trailer, caravan etc.indefinitely, not just until I am 60[/quote]60 [8-)]

Do you have a different UK licence to everyone else's which lasts to age 70 then [blink]

[Will]

If your British licence was issued before the categories were changed to reflect standard EU driving qualification and testing requirements (I think this may have been in 1997), as I imagine yours probably was, then you could lose entitlement to drive some classes of vehicle and trailer, because your new French licence will show the current categories. Look at the French licence categories listed on this official site. If what you want to drive is included in category B, then all should be fine. If you need to drive, for example, a minibus or a larger trailer, you may need to have a medical and/or take a further test to include categories D and E(B) respectively. Obviously if you have already qualified for such vehicles in another EU country by taking a specific test then your current entitlement should be able to be transferred. This is the main disadvantage of changing.

The benefit of the French licence is that it does not expire at age 70, though medical examinations are needed after 75.

 

[Weegie]

[quote user="Will"]

If your British licence was issued before the categories were changed to reflect standard EU driving qualification and testing requirements (I think this may have been in 1997), as I imagine yours probably was, then you could lose entitlement to drive some classes of vehicle and trailer, because your new French licence will show the current categories. Look at the French licence categories listed on this official site. If what you want to drive is included in category B, then all should be fine. If you need to drive, for example, a minibus or a larger trailer, you may need to have a medical and/or take a further test to include categories D and E(B) respectively. Obviously if you have already qualified for such vehicles in another EU country by taking a specific test then your current entitlement should be able to be transferred. This is the main disadvantage of changing.

The benefit of the French licence is that it does not expire at age 70, though medical examinations are needed after 75.

 

[/quote]

That is not quite accurate, Will.  There is no requirement for a medical for Categories A or B.  The requirement for a medical applies to all other categories. The periods of validity of the medical are given here: 

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F2843.xhtml?&n=Transports&l=N18&n=Automobiles%20et%20deux-roues&l=N529&n=Permis%20de%20conduire&l=N530&n=Les%20diff%C3%A9rents%20permis%20de%20conduire&l=N532

(Never seem to get a link to work here!)

• cinq ans, pour toute personne âgée de moins de 60 ans, 

• deux ans, entre 60 et 76 ans, 

• un ans, à partir de 76 ans.

[Will]

What I meant to say (and thought that I did) is that if you need to have categories D or E(B) on your French licence as well as the standard categories you may need to have a medical and/or further tests. Which I think is the same as you said. Sorry if it did not come out like that.

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Bugbear"]

Don't forget that you will need a medical to retain all but standard classes.

The prefecture will have a list of accepted doctors.

[/quote]

[8-)]

[Weegie]

No offence intended it was just the last line about ages for medicals.[:D]

[Will]

I see where you are coming from weegie. What you say is different from the information published widely elsewhere, e.g. at www.frenchentree.com - "In France a driving licence is valid until the age of 75. After that a driver needs a medical examination every two years to prove they are fit to drive."

I'd rather believe the official French site. thanks. 

[AnOther]

Or you could email Connex***** for the definitive information [6]