Exchange or convert your license
Foreign License Exchange
Recently moved to France and want to convert your foreign driving license? Depending on your country of origin, the procedure differs: simplified exchange (EU/EEA countries or countries with a reciprocity agreement), or partial or full exam (countries without an agreement). The procedure is done via ANTS at permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr, where you create a FranceConnect account and submit your application online. You have 1 year from your arrival date in France (proven by residence permit or attestation) to complete the exchange. After this, your foreign license is no longer valid and you must retake the full French exam. Travel advice and the list of countries with agreements available on the Ministère de l’Intérieur website. Our partner driving schools will guide you through all the steps, including highway code if needed.
The essentials
Exchanging or converting a foreign driving licence in France depends on its country of origin: licence from an EU country = automatic recognition, no exchange. Licence from a Vienna Convention country = exchange within 1 year of arrival. Licence from a non-Vienna country = full retake (code + practical). Procedure entirely online via ANTS with FranceConnect. Free of charge, processing time 2 to 6 months.
How it works
01
File analysis
Checking your country of origin, reciprocity agreement, validity and conditions.
02
Prefecture file
Compiling and submitting the exchange file to the prefecture or sub-prefecture.
03
Training if needed
For countries without an agreement: sitting the theory and/or practical exam.
What's included
- Analysis of your situation and applicable procedure
- Assistance with prefecture formalities
- Top-up training if an exam is required
Prerequisites
- Hold a valid foreign driving license
- Have legally resided in France for less than 1 year (for non-EU residents without an agreement)
Frequently asked questions
Is my European license valid in France?
Yes, licenses issued by EU member states are recognised and valid in France for their full duration. No exchange is needed unless you want a French license.
Which countries have an exchange agreement with France?
Many countries have reciprocity agreements with France (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, some US states, etc.). The list is available on the government website or through your partner driving school.
How long does it take to exchange a foreign license in France?
Processing times range from 2 to 6 months depending on the prefecture and country of origin. For EU licenses, exchange generally takes 4 to 8 weeks via ANTS. During processing, you receive a provisional certificate (CEPC) to keep in your vehicle, allowing you to drive legally in France.
Is a medical test required to exchange a foreign license?
No, not for licenses from EU/EEA countries or from countries with a reciprocity agreement (apart from specific cases). For countries without an agreement, a medical visit with an approved doctor may be required depending on the license type (truck, public transport). The visit fee is €36 (set by decree).
Is my non-EU license without agreement usable in France?
Yes, for 1 year from your arrival date in France (proven by residence permit). After this, you must retake the full French exam (code + practical) as no exchange is possible. The list of countries without agreement (United States except some states, China, India, Russia, etc.) is available on Service Public.
What is the deadline to file an exchange request?
You must initiate the ANTS procedure within 1 year of residing in France (date on residence permit or proof of address). For EU/EEA nationals, it is not mandatory but recommended if you intend to stay long-term. The 1-year deadline is strict: after this, exchange is refused for non-EU countries.
What if the foreign license is lost or stolen during the procedure?
Immediately report the loss/theft to the police. The police report acts as a temporary document for 2 months. During the ANTS procedure, you can request a hold on your application while you obtain a duplicate from your country of origin’s authorities, or request a license attestation.
Does my exchanged license grant the same categories?
Yes, but limited to what France recognises. If your foreign license includes categories not recognised (e.g. Canadian classes G1/G2), only the equivalent B/A2/etc. categories will be exchanged. Professional licenses (truck, public transport) often require additional training to obtain the FIMO/FCO equivalence.
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What is the foreign license exchange?
The foreign license exchange is the administrative procedure that lets a driver convert a driving licence issued abroad into a French licence. The exchange permis étranger procedure depends entirely on the country that delivered your original document: a licence from the EU or EEA benefits from a simplified path, while a permis étranger from a non-EU country must meet specific reciprocity conditions. In every case, the goal of the procedure is the same: replace your foreign license with an equivalent French title, in the appropriate categories (B, A, C, D), so you can drive legally and durably on French roads.
EU / EEA countries: direct equivalence
A permis étranger delivered by an EU or EEA member state (Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, etc.) is automatically recognised in France for its full duration of validity. The exchange permis étranger is therefore not mandatory: you can drive freely with your original document. Exchanging your permis étranger France for a French model becomes useful in three cases: loss or theft of your document, expiry of validity, or commission of an offence sanctioned by points withdrawal on French territory. The procedure remains free and is initiated entirely online via the ANTS portal.
Non-EU countries: exchange conditions
To convertir permis étranger from a non-EU country, France applies the principle of bilateral reciprocity. Only licences delivered by a State that has signed an agreement with the French Ministry of the Interior can benefit from the exchange permis étranger. The list of countries with an agreement is published officially and regularly updated: it includes notably Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Canada (province by province), Japan, the United Arab Emirates and several US States. Conditions to be met: hold the permis étranger before establishing your habitual residence in France, present a valid residence permit, and submit the exchange application within 1 year of installation. Beyond this deadline, exchange of the permis étranger France is definitively closed and a full retake of the French exam is required.
Steps on the ANTS portal
The exchange permis étranger application is processed entirely on permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr. Account creation is done via FranceConnect (Impots, Ameli, La Poste credentials), then the user selects the dedicated workflow Echange d'un permis étranger. Upload of digitised supporting documents follows: original foreign license recto-verso, residence permit, proof of address, ID photo through ePhoto code, sworn translation if the permis étranger is not written in French or English. Once submitted, the file is forwarded to the centre d'expertise et de ressources des titres (CERT) competent for foreign licences, which checks every piece and the reciprocity of the original country. No physical visit to a prefecture is required: everything is dematerialised.
Time frame of the exchange procedure
Processing time for an exchange permis étranger varies according to the country of origin and the receiving CERT workload. As an indication: 4 to 8 weeks for an EU/EEA permis étranger, 3 to 6 months for a permis étranger France from a country with bilateral agreement, sometimes longer if the CERT must request additional supporting documents. Throughout the instruction, the applicant receives a temporary driving certificate (CEPC) issued by ANTS, which allows them to drive legally in France pending the final decision. The CEPC must be carried during every drive. The new French driving licence is then sent home by registered mail and the original permis étranger is destroyed by the administration as soon as the new title is delivered.
Required documents
To submit a complete exchange permis étranger application, prepare in advance: the original foreign license (recto-verso scan), a sworn translation done by a translator listed at the Cour d'appel if the permis étranger France is not in French or English, a residence permit valid on the day of the request (long-stay visa, multi-year card, EU permanent residence), a proof of address less than 6 months old (electricity bill, internet, taxes), an ePhoto code obtained from an approved photo booth, and a copy of the entry visa or a document attesting the date of installation in France. The ANTS automatically rejects any incomplete file, which lengthens the deadlines: better to check each document twice before validating the submission.
Cases where the exchange is refused
Several situations can lead the CERT to refuse the exchange permis étranger. The most frequent: application filed beyond the 1-year deadline after the date of installation in France (the original permis étranger then becomes non-exchangeable), country of origin not on the bilateral agreement list, suspension or cancellation of the permis étranger France in the country of issue, or doubt about the authenticity of the title (rare cases of forgery requiring verification with the foreign authorities). In case of refusal, the only option to drive legally remains to retake the entire French exam: Code de la route + practical exam Class B (or other category). Our partner driving schools support candidates in this scenario, with adapted accelerated courses and free quote on 490+ cities, to obtain a French licence within 3 to 6 months.
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