--- title: Exchanging a Foreign Driving Licence in France country: france service: "echange-permis-conduire" category: transportation difficulty: complex estimated_time: Several months cost_range: EUR 40 (EUR 20 in Guyane) last_verified: 2026-05-11 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/france/echange-permis-conduire/ status: current confidence: low tags: - "driving-licence" - "permis-de-conduire" - ants - "first-year" sources: - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1460 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1758 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1757 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18887 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/simulateur/calcul/PermisEtrangerPermisFrancais - https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2026-04/liste_reciprocite_hors_ue_et_eee_au_1er_mai_2026.pdf --- # Exchanging a Foreign Driving Licence in France **Country:** 🇫🇷 France **Last verified:** 2026-05-11 **Estimated time:** Several months **Cost:** EUR 40 (EUR 20 in Guyane) ## Required documents - **Colour scan of original driving licence (both sides)** *(Image couleur recto verso du permis de conduire original)* - Where to get: Scan or photograph the front and back of the foreign permit - Required: Clear, legible colour image - _Note:_ Mandatory for all pays-conventionné applicants. The original physical permit will be sent later by registered mail at the end of dossier instruction. - **Proof of identity** *(Justificatif d'identité)* - Accepted: Passport or titre de séjour (residence permit) - Required: Original, valid - **Proof of address less than 6 months old** *(Justificatif de domicile de moins de 6 mois)* - Accepted: Utility bill, rental contract, or attestation - Required: Issued within the last 6 months - **Digital photo and signature code** *(Code photo et signature numérique)* - Where to get: From an approved photo booth or photographer that delivers the e-photo + e-signature code - Fallback: Paper formulaire FPS if the digital code is not available - **Certificate of driving rights less than 6 months old** *(Attestation des droits à conduire de moins de 6 mois)* - Where to get: Issued by the authority that delivered the foreign permit - Required: Less than 6 months old - _Note:_ Some authorities deliver this online; others require a written request via consulate. Plan ahead — this is a frequent bottleneck. - **Certified translation** *(Traduction officielle)* - Who: Traducteur habilité (sworn translator) in France, or embassy / consulate translation abroad - When required: If the foreign permit is not in French - Additional: Documents produced abroad may also need légalisation or apostille - **Residence permit or OFII validation sticker (non-EU only)** *(Titre de séjour ou vignette OFII)* - Required: Original, valid (non-EU nationals only) - _Note:_ Non-nationals of the issuing country must also prove résidence normale in that country at the time the permit was issued — typically a contrat de travail, fiches de paie, or inscription consulaire. ## Costs - **Droit de timbre — exchange application (mainland and most overseas territories):** 40 EUR — Effective 12 May 2026 per loi de finances 2026, article 128. Before that date the exchange was free. - **Droit de timbre — exchange application (Guyane only):** 20 EUR — Reduced fee for Guyane only; no other DROM-COM reduction published. - **Certified translation (traducteur habilité) (optional):** 40–100 EUR — waived if Permit issued in French — Range varies by translator and document length; not a State-set fee. ## Steps ### 1. Identify your licence tier - Tier 1 — EU/EEA permit (and pre-2021 British permits): no exchange required while the home permit is in cours de validité. Exchange becomes mandatory only on permit expiry, category extension, French point-loss infraction, or loss / theft / damage. - Tier 2 — pays conventionnés (treaty countries): exchange via France Titres - ANTS within 1 year of acquiring résidence normale (proceed to Step 2). - Tier 3 — pays non-conventionnés: exchange not available. You must take the French driving test (code de la route + épreuve pratique). Skip the rest of this guide and follow the auto-école route. > **Tip:** Use the simulator linked below to confirm which tier applies to your country and licence category before assembling any documents. _Links:_ - [service-public.gouv.fr — Permit-exchange simulator](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/simulateur/calcul/PermisEtrangerPermisFrancais) - [securite-routiere.gouv.fr — liste de réciprocité (PDF)](https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2026-04/liste_reciprocite_hors_ue_et_eee_au_1er_mai_2026.pdf) ### 2. Confirm the 1-year deadline *(Délai d'un an)* _Applies when: Tier 2 — pays conventionné applicants_ - Identify the date you acquired résidence normale in France - Non-EU nationals: clock starts at first titre de séjour issuance - Long-stay-visa holders: clock starts at VLS-TS validation or OFII vignette date - International-protection seekers: clock starts at OFPRA receipt > **Tip:** The deadline does NOT restart on titre renewal or status change. If your 1-year window has expired, the exchange path is closed — only the French-test path remains. ### 3. Assemble the document pack - Gather all items from the documents checklist above - Order a certified translation if the foreign permit is not in French — traducteur habilité in France, or embassy / consulate abroad - Request the attestation des droits à conduire from the original issuing authority — this is the most common bottleneck and may require a consulate request - Prepare the digital photo and signature code at an approved photo booth (or use the formulaire FPS as fallback) ### 4. Submit online via France Titres - ANTS *(France Titres - ANTS)* - Create or sign in to your compte ANTS - Open the service Échanger un permis étranger ou obtenu dans une Com pour un permis français - Upload digitised or photographed documents (originals may be requested later) - Provide the photo code and digital signature, or attach the paper formulaire FPS - Pay the droit de timbre de 40 € (20 € en Guyane) at submission - Submit the application and save the SMS / email confirmation > **Tip:** Per service-public.gouv.fr F1460: "Les informations présentées sur cette page restent valables et seront actualisées le 12 mai 2026, date de la mise en service du timbre sur le site de France Titres - ANTS." The fee was announced on 22 April 2026 and the ANTS portal began collecting it on 12 May 2026 (loi de finances 2026, article 128). _Links:_ - [service-public.gouv.fr — Échange de permis (hors UE/EEE)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1460) - [service-public.gouv.fr — Échange de permis (UE/EEE)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1758) - [ANTS — Application portal](https://permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr/) ### 5. Track the dossier and send the original permit - Receive SMS and email confirmation of receipt - Wait through instruction — the dossier review can last several months - When ANTS requests it, send the original foreign permit by courrier recommandé to the address provided - On confirmed receipt of the original, download the Attestation de Dépôt Sécurisée (ADS) from your compte ANTS > **Tip:** The ADS is valid 4 months and authorises driving in France during the manufacturing window. Keep a printed copy on you while driving. ### 6. Receive the new French permis *(Permis de conduire)* - Watch for the email with a Lettre suivie tracking link from La Poste — typically around 15 days after validation - Track delivery on laposte.fr or via the provided link - Once delivered, the ADS is no longer needed > **Tip:** The new permis is valid 15 ans for standard categories. Permis lourd categories tie validity to driver age, and medical-condition restrictions can shorten validity case-by-case. ## FAQ ### I have an EU/EEA driving licence — do I need to exchange it for a French one? No. An EU/EEA driving licence remains valid in France without exchange while it is in cours de validité (in force). Exchange becomes mandatory only in four cases: (1) the validity is about to expire, (2) you request a new category (extension), (3) you commit a French traffic infraction causing point loss, restriction, or suspension, or (4) the permit is lost, stolen, or damaged. A British permit issued before 2021 is treated equivalently. ### How do I know if my country is a pays conventionné with France? Use the official simulator at service-public.gouv.fr (`Vérifier si votre permis de conduire non européen (UE/EEE) est échangeable contre un permis français`). Select your country (and US state or Canadian province if applicable) and licence category. A result of "exchangeable" means your country is on the liste de réciprocité; "non échangeable" means non-conventionné and you must take the French test instead. The full PDF list is published by the Direction de la Sécurité Routière at securite-routiere.gouv.fr. ### My country is non-conventionné — what do I do? You must take the French driving test. Register at an auto-école, sit the code de la route (theory exam, ETG), then the épreuve pratique (practical test) with an inspecteur du permis de conduire. A non-conventionné foreign permit only authorises driving in France during the first year of résidence normale — beyond that 1-year window, you need a valid French permit (or one in process via the auto-école route). ### How much does the exchange cost? Droit de timbre de 40 € (20 € en Guyane), paid online via the ANTS portal at submission. The fee was introduced effective 12 May 2026 by article 128 of the loi de finances 2026 to cover manufacture and dispatch of the new permis. Before 12 May 2026 the exchange was free of charge. No exemption is published. ### What is the deadline to apply? The délai d'un an (1-year deadline) runs from the acquisition of résidence normale in France. The clock starts at: first titre de séjour issuance for non-EU nationals; VLS-TS validation or OFII vignette date for long-stay-visa holders; OFPRA receipt for international-protection seekers. The deadline does NOT restart on titre renewal or status change. Past 1 year, the exchange path closes and only the French-test path remains. ### Can I drive while my application is being processed? Yes, in two phases. During instruction (review of the dossier, which can last several months) you keep the original foreign permit and continue driving on it. After sending the original by courrier recommandé, you download an Attestation de Dépôt Sécurisée (ADS) from your ANTS account — it is valid 4 months and authorises driving while the new permis is manufactured (typically around 15 days). ### Do I need to translate my foreign permit? Yes if it is not in French. Translation must be officielle — done by a traducteur habilité (sworn translator) in France, or by an embassy or consulate abroad. Documents produced abroad may also require légalisation or apostille depending on the issuing country. ### How long is the resulting French permis valid? 15 ans (15 years) for standard categories. Exceptions: medical conditions requiring restriction shorten validity case-by-case; permis lourd categories tie validity to driver age (5 years for drivers under 55, for instance). At expiry the renewal is administrative — no exam in standard cases. ### I lost my original foreign permit while waiting — what now? Contact ANTS via the aide-et-contact page on the ANTS portal, or by phone — 34 00 (free, from France) or 09 70 83 07 07 (from abroad), Monday-Friday 9 am - 5 pm. Recovery typically requires a fresh attestation des droits à conduire (less than 6 months old) from the original issuing authority confirming the licence was valid at the time of loss. ### My EU licence is about to expire — must I exchange or can I renew it in my home country? Once you have résidence normale in France, an approaching validity expiry is on the mandatory-exchange trigger list — meaning the renewal must take the form of an exchange for a French permis, not a renewal in the issuing EU country. The exchange is processed via the same France Titres - ANTS portal, with the droit de timbre de 40 € (effective 12 May 2026). ## Sources - [Direction de l'information légale et administrative (service-public.gouv.fr) — F1460, vérifié 04 mai 2026](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1460) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Tier-2 (pays conventionnés) exchange procedure: eligibility (valid non-European permit, résidence normale in France, valid titre de séjour for non-EU/non-French nationals, exam passed in original country, no sanctions, minimum age, medical compliance), full document pack (Image couleur recto verso du permis de conduire original; Justificatif d'identité; Justificatif de domicile de moins de 6 mois; Code photo et signature numérique; Attestation des droits à conduire de moins de 6 mois; Traduction officielle légalisée/apostillée; Titre de séjour ou vignette OFII for non-EU; proof of residence in issuing country at issuance for non-nationals), online submission via France Titres-ANTS at https://permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr/, instruction `peut durer plusieurs mois`, original sent by courrier recommandé, ADS valid 4 months, new permis delivered by Lettre suivie environ 15 jours after validation. Fee: `Échange d'un permis de conduire étranger contre un permis français : droit de timbre de 40 € à partir du 12 mai 2026 [...] Vous devrez régler un droit de timbre de 40 € (20 € en Guyane). C'est ce que prévoit la loi de finances pour 2026.` Page header notice (cue): `Les informations présentées sur cette page restent valables et seront actualisées le 12 mai 2026, date de la mise en service du timbre sur le site de France Titres - ANTS.` Délai d'un an from acquisition of résidence normale (first titre de séjour / VLS-TS validation / OFII vignette / OFPRA receipt); deadline does NOT restart on titre renewal. - [Direction de l'information légale et administrative (service-public.gouv.fr) — F1758, vérifié 04 mai 2026](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1758) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Tier-1 mandatory-exchange triggers for EU/EEA permits: `L'échange de votre permis de conduire européen contre un permis français est obligatoire uniquement dans les cas suivants : La validité de votre permis arrive à sa fin; Vous demandez une nouvelle catégorie du permis (extension); Vous commettez en France une infraction routière entraînant une perte de points; Votre permis est perdu, volé ou détérioré.` Resulting French permis validity: `À partir de cette date, le permis est valable 15 ans` for standard categories. - [Direction de l'information légale et administrative (service-public.gouv.fr) — F1757, vérifié 22 août 2025](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1757) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Tier-1 default rule for EU/EEA permits: `Vous pouvez conduire en France avec un permis européen (UE/EEE)... tant qu'il est en cours de validité.` Conditions to drive on a home EU/EEE permit: have a valid permit; meet minimum age for the vehicle category; respect medical prescriptions noted on the permit; not have been sanctioned by suspension, restriction, or annulation. British permits issued before 2021 treated equivalently. - [Direction de l'information légale et administrative (service-public.gouv.fr) — A18887, publié 22 avril 2026, mis à jour 30 avril 2026](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18887) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Fee announcement: `Vous devrez régler un droit de timbre de 40 € (20 € en Guyane) à partir du 12 mai 2026.` Statutory basis: article 128 of loi de finances 2026 (loi n°2026-103 du 19 février 2026). Original effective date 4 May 2026 was reported (`a été reportée au 12 mai`). Fee `permet de couvrir les frais de fabrication et d'acheminement du nouveau permis de conduire`. - [Direction de l'information légale et administrative (service-public.gouv.fr) — simulator R64185, vérifié 1er mai 2026](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/simulateur/calcul/PermisEtrangerPermisFrancais) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Official simulator `Vérifier si votre permis de conduire non européen (UE/EEE) est échangeable contre un permis français` accepts country of issue (~200+ countries), licence category, US-state for US licences, Canadian province / territory for Canadian licences. Returns `exchangeable` (pays conventionné — eligible for tier-2 exchange) or `non échangeable` (pays non-conventionné — French test path). Completion time: `Réalisation : Moins de 1 minute`. - [Direction de la Sécurité Routière (securite-routiere.gouv.fr) — liste_reciprocite_hors_ue_et_eee_au_1er_mai_2026.pdf, dated 1er mai 2026](https://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2026-04/liste_reciprocite_hors_ue_et_eee_au_1er_mai_2026.pdf) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Canonical liste de réciprocité (treaty-country list) published as PDF by the Direction de la Sécurité Routière, dated 1er mai 2026. Establishes which non-EU/EEA states have a reciprocal driving-licence exchange agreement with France under the Arrêté du 12 janvier 2012. Country class membership in this list determines tier-2 (exchangeable) vs tier-3 (non-conventionné) routing. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/france/echange-permis-conduire/