lost driving licence

[Patter]

I have lost my driving licence, can I get a french one by using my green form that you have that backs up your plastic licence? Or do I have to go through the rigmarole of sending the green paper back to England saying that i have changed my address and using a family members address, then filling out a lost licence form from the post office. I will ne grateful for any advice.

many thanks

tricia b

[Baz]

Unfortunately, D740 paper part of the licence is worthless without the photocard. The photocard and the paper counterpart make up the complete driving licence. Therefore, I think it is highly unlikely that the French authorities will issue a French licence without the photocard as this proves who you are.

It looks like the only solution is to reapply via DVLA  asap and in the meantime hopefully the Gendarmes will not ask to see your licence.

However the good news is you may be able to apply by phone

Driving Licence Has Been Lost, Stolen or Destroyed / Defaced

Photocard licence holders

If your  photocard and paper counterpart have been lost, stolen or destroyed and provided none of the details on your licence have changed or are incorrect, you can apply for a duplicate licence by telephone using a credit or debit card.  DVLA accepts Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard and Maestro.  To use this service ring 0870 240 0009 between

• Monday to Friday 08.00 - 20.30
• Saturday 08.00 - 17.30

For any further details look here:

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/applydl.htm#dup_licence

 

Baz

[Nick Trollope]

Before you call DVLA, please be aware that they make over 1 million quid per year on the cost of the calls alone, over and above charging 30 quid for a lost D/L. I think that this is a criminal ripoff. 0870 numbers are also very expensive indeed, to call from France.

Ring 01792 782341 instead, you will get through to the same operator - assuming they answer, of course.

And I doubt if they will post a new licence to France, only to the address they have. Can you collect mail from there?

 

 

[Iceni]

nick

You seem to give 2 valid reasons for changing to a French licence.

John

not

[IAN_S]

Someone a while back said that the DVLA agreed to send a new photocard licence to a French address as the person concerned said that they were living/working in France temporarily. I assume that the address on the licence would have been the original one as issued in the UK.

I am in this position too as my photocard licence was stolen, but the address on it is not valid now although I do own another property in the UK and I could use this address I suppose except that I don't think the DVLA would change the address AND send it to France in one operation.

But then any replacement licence issued to anybody living in France permanently must be a fiddle of some sort mustn't it?

[Patter]

Thanks for all the advice, luckily my licence has been found, it was handed into the bank this morning, as I was filling out a form at the gendarmes.

traicia b

[Nick Trollope]

[quote]nick You seem to give 2 valid reasons for changing to a French licence. John not[/quote]

Aye, and there are plenty of reasons not to; My local Mairie says "why? You already have a EU licence and b) Some (self included) would loose the right to drive 7.5T trucks, and tow heavy trailers. c) It is too complicated. I havn't managed to get C of C's for any of our vehicles yet, so I may end up with nothing to drive anyway!

Bit OT, sorry.

 

[mascamps.com]

Hadn't thought of the business of potentially losing the right to drive assorted things.

What happens if/when you needed to get a UK driving license back? Would they exchange your French license for a UK one or would they reissue the original UK one? If you can lose the right to drive some categories of vehicle in moving to a French license, these two options aren't exactly the same as I'd originally assumed they would be.

I'm also in the same boat re a CoC which apparently can't be issued for my car as it was a grey import to the UK originally so, supposedly, I need to import it to France which sounds "interesting".

 

Arnold