One proposal in France’s draft 2026 Budget would create a charge for foreigners wishing to change their non-French driving licence for a French one. Here’s what you could know.
The French authorities is weighing introducing a charge for exchanging a international driving licence for a French one.
The proposal is France’s draft 2026 Budget, which is at the moment being debated by parliament.Â
Specifically, the proposal states that the federal government would introduce a charge of €40 to change a non-French licence for a French one.
Foreigners residing in France can solely drive on their non-French, non-EU licence for his or her first yr of residency in France. After that, they need to change the international licence for a French one, although there are some exceptions to this timeline for motorists with UK licences.Â
READ MORE: 5 issues Brits in France must find out about swapping driving licences
Driving with no legitimate licence carries a most penalty of a €15,000 fantastic and a one-year jail sentence.
As issues stand, the change is free for folks with licences that may be exchanged in a like-for-like swap, which incorporates folks with UK driving licences, in addition to Americans from particular states and Canadians from sure provinces.
You merely must ship a request by way of the France Titres portal, together with your ID, proof of deal with, proof of residency, present driving licence, a current {photograph}, and a doc from the authorities in your house nation testifying you might have the correct to drive.
It doesn’t appear that there might be any modifications to the process other than the introduction of the €40 charge, which can or could not come into impact relying on whether or not or not the 2026 draft Budget passes parliament in its present kind.
What about folks from nations with out an settlement?
Motorists from elements of the world that wouldn’t have a bilateral driving licence change settlement with France are required to retake each the idea and sensible driving exams.Â
You can test to see in case your nation has an settlement at this LINK.
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Several US states and a handful of Canadian provinces wouldn’t have licence change agreements with France, leaving these Americans and Canadians with no alternative however to cross the check once more.
As such, the proposed charge wouldn’t have an effect on them.
Nevertheless, foreigners on this scenario typically find yourself spending lots of of euros, a lot of which matches to the price of driving college (auto-école) to undergo the method of getting a French licence from scratch.
READ MORE: 6 ideas for passing the French driving check as painlessly as attainable
What about non-EU guests?
This charge doesn’t have an effect on non-residents.Â
If you’re visiting France for a brief vacation, then you do not want to swap your licence. However, in case you are driving on a non-EU/EEA/UK/NI licence, then you should carry both an official French translation or a global driving licence.Â
READ MORE: Reader query: Can I lease a automobile in France with a international driving licence?
