UK driving licence living in France
Discussion
Anyone have any experience of this? I've lived here for 10 years and have kept my UK licence. After getting flashed on my bike I paid the €90 but there was no talk of points. Recently though I was flashed in the wife's car and now of course there are forms asking for details of the driver.
Anyone got any experience of this? Could I give a UK address? I don't want to have to exchange my UK licence for a French one, it would feel like losing a bit of my nationality.
Anyone got any experience of this? Could I give a UK address? I don't want to have to exchange my UK licence for a French one, it would feel like losing a bit of my nationality.
The rules say that you must change your English Licence for a French one if you commit an offence that carries a loss of points. This is so they can take the points from you.
However, in practice, they very rarely follow this up, especially for the automatic cameras which are managed via a big processing centre in Rennes.
You're only likely to be told to change your licence if stopped on the spot by the police.
If they do ask you to change your licence and you don't, then you will get a fine of 90 €.
In short, do nothing unless you receive a letter or a visit from the police asking you to exchange your UK licence for a French one.
However, in practice, they very rarely follow this up, especially for the automatic cameras which are managed via a big processing centre in Rennes.
You're only likely to be told to change your licence if stopped on the spot by the police.
If they do ask you to change your licence and you don't, then you will get a fine of 90 €.
In short, do nothing unless you receive a letter or a visit from the police asking you to exchange your UK licence for a French one.
This is also my understanding. If you are stopped they will escort you to a cash machine to get their €90 providing the infringement is just a few kph over. Search in the Le Mans section to see what happens if you go crazy. With cameras just give them your old address on your UK license.
I also understand that sometime in the future you will get the opportunity to collect your French points on your UK license via the DVLA and vice-versa, but this has been talked about for over 4 years already. Just hope that it never comes to pass.
I also understand that sometime in the future you will get the opportunity to collect your French points on your UK license via the DVLA and vice-versa, but this has been talked about for over 4 years already. Just hope that it never comes to pass.
Thanks for the helpful replies chaps.
rdjohn, you say I should just give my old address with my English licence details but I was driving the wife's French registered car when I was flashed. Will they not smell a fish?
I have considered saying it was the old man who came over from the UK for a weekend and borrowed the car but not sure if I really dare!
rdjohn, you say I should just give my old address with my English licence details but I was driving the wife's French registered car when I was flashed. Will they not smell a fish?
I have considered saying it was the old man who came over from the UK for a weekend and borrowed the car but not sure if I really dare!
You decided to live in France get a French licence and take the rap.
I have had this argument with my sister she moved permanently to France but cherry picks what she wants in France/UK.
Wonder how the insurance company view you living/resident in France but holding a UK licence with (more than likely) out of date UK address?
I have had this argument with my sister she moved permanently to France but cherry picks what she wants in France/UK.
Wonder how the insurance company view you living/resident in France but holding a UK licence with (more than likely) out of date UK address?
I am not saying that I am absolutely correct, but again, my understanding is that your UK driving license is now regarded more like your UK passport; It allows you to travel freely in any EU country. You are not now required to change it for a French one, but the intention is that, in future, you will collect the penalties for infringements outside the UK, on your UK license.
I am French resident for tax purposes, but live out of France during the winter in the UK and Spain which was the aim of EU principles of free movement of people, goods and services. At one time you needed a resident's permit to live in France, but that has passed with the new regulation also.
While we were building here, I had a French registered car and was caught speeding by a camera in the southwest. It took 2 years for the FPN to catch up with me and so the basic fine had increased to €180. I visited the fines office and gave my explanation, paid the fine, but was never asked to convert my license. My wife was accused of jumping a red-light in another French registered car and was escorted by two CRS bikes to collect the €90 from the cash machine. Again, there was no demand to change her license. I present my UK license on French track days etc. etc. It is also a European driving license.
For the time being, I think that this is how it is meant to be. If you read the Le Mans threads, you will see that if you speed like crazy then the fine can go to €700 and the car impounded - remember that happened to Lewis Hamilton in France back in 2007.
Like all motoring offences the simple answer is to take more care. The appalling accident rate in France is sound justification for stricter enforcement.
I am French resident for tax purposes, but live out of France during the winter in the UK and Spain which was the aim of EU principles of free movement of people, goods and services. At one time you needed a resident's permit to live in France, but that has passed with the new regulation also.
While we were building here, I had a French registered car and was caught speeding by a camera in the southwest. It took 2 years for the FPN to catch up with me and so the basic fine had increased to €180. I visited the fines office and gave my explanation, paid the fine, but was never asked to convert my license. My wife was accused of jumping a red-light in another French registered car and was escorted by two CRS bikes to collect the €90 from the cash machine. Again, there was no demand to change her license. I present my UK license on French track days etc. etc. It is also a European driving license.
For the time being, I think that this is how it is meant to be. If you read the Le Mans threads, you will see that if you speed like crazy then the fine can go to €700 and the car impounded - remember that happened to Lewis Hamilton in France back in 2007.
Like all motoring offences the simple answer is to take more care. The appalling accident rate in France is sound justification for stricter enforcement.
rdjohn said:
I am not saying that I am absolutely correct, but again, my understanding is that your UK driving license is now regarded more like your UK passport; It allows you to travel freely in any EU country. You are not now required to change it for a French one, but the intention is that, in future, you will collect the penalties for infringements outside the UK, on your UK license.
I am French resident for tax purposes, but live out of France during the winter in the UK and Spain which was the aim of EU principles of free movement of people, goods and services. At one time you needed a resident's permit to live in France, but that has passed with the new regulation also.
While we were building here, I had a French registered car and was caught speeding by a camera in the southwest. It took 2 years for the FPN to catch up with me and so the basic fine had increased to €180. I visited the fines office and gave my explanation, paid the fine, but was never asked to convert my license. My wife was accused of jumping a red-light in another French registered car and was escorted by two CRS bikes to collect the €90 from the cash machine. Again, there was no demand to change her license. I present my UK license on French track days etc. etc. It is also a European driving license.
For the time being, I think that this is how it is meant to be. If you read the Le Mans threads, you will see that if you speed like crazy then the fine can go to €700 and the car impounded - remember that happened to Lewis Hamilton in France back in 2007.
Like all motoring offences the simple answer is to take more care. The appalling accident rate in France is sound justification for stricter enforcement.
Good post, thanks for the info I am French resident for tax purposes, but live out of France during the winter in the UK and Spain which was the aim of EU principles of free movement of people, goods and services. At one time you needed a resident's permit to live in France, but that has passed with the new regulation also.
While we were building here, I had a French registered car and was caught speeding by a camera in the southwest. It took 2 years for the FPN to catch up with me and so the basic fine had increased to €180. I visited the fines office and gave my explanation, paid the fine, but was never asked to convert my license. My wife was accused of jumping a red-light in another French registered car and was escorted by two CRS bikes to collect the €90 from the cash machine. Again, there was no demand to change her license. I present my UK license on French track days etc. etc. It is also a European driving license.
For the time being, I think that this is how it is meant to be. If you read the Le Mans threads, you will see that if you speed like crazy then the fine can go to €700 and the car impounded - remember that happened to Lewis Hamilton in France back in 2007.
Like all motoring offences the simple answer is to take more care. The appalling accident rate in France is sound justification for stricter enforcement.
.Thanks for that, must have been pretty nerve wracking stuff!
I was doing 80 in a 70 zone and the annoying thing is that my GPS was packing up at that point otherwise I would have been warned. Also the warning panel was set way, way back from the road side and instead of being marked "control automatique" it was marked "controls frequents". All very ambiguous as only French roadsigns can be. A gendarme has confirmed to me that they're doing this now to catch more people out. So much for the safety side of things.
Anyway, as luck would have it I got talking at work to someone who works in the licencing department at the local prefecture. She told me that I need to fill out the forms saying that it wasn't my wife (the car owner) at the wheel and to give my English licence details and not to include payment (otherwise the wife would get points). She said that as it is all done at a computer centre in Rennes, no-one is going to bother me about having an English licence and there will be no points.
I was doing 80 in a 70 zone and the annoying thing is that my GPS was packing up at that point otherwise I would have been warned. Also the warning panel was set way, way back from the road side and instead of being marked "control automatique" it was marked "controls frequents". All very ambiguous as only French roadsigns can be. A gendarme has confirmed to me that they're doing this now to catch more people out. So much for the safety side of things.
Anyway, as luck would have it I got talking at work to someone who works in the licencing department at the local prefecture. She told me that I need to fill out the forms saying that it wasn't my wife (the car owner) at the wheel and to give my English licence details and not to include payment (otherwise the wife would get points). She said that as it is all done at a computer centre in Rennes, no-one is going to bother me about having an English licence and there will be no points.
neil-f said:
Wonder how the insurance company view you living/resident in France but holding a UK licence with (more than likely) out of date UK address?
Doesn't seem to worry UK insurers for French living in the UK. I've had my French licence for 8 years living in England and it never was a problem to get insurance, just provide a recent proof of address and you're OK. Imagine France does the same. They'll even accept my Fench "NCD" upon proof from insurer translated via official channel.I have a UK licence now since I passed my bike test here but my wife is still on her French licence and still no worries (over 13 years for her).
So long as you pay your money and live where you say you live I guess you're OK.
Then again, none of us has ever been stopped by the UK police.
I got stopped by Le Plod driving the other day, gave them all my French details inc address, told them I lived in france and gave them UK driving license and they didn't even bat an eye, or ,make an 'ooh la lal!' noise or anything.
It's a "European" license after all so don't think they can inforce you to change.
I also just renewed my French insurance on my French car and told them again that we have UK licenses and again they said no issues.
It's a "European" license after all so don't think they can inforce you to change.
I also just renewed my French insurance on my French car and told them again that we have UK licenses and again they said no issues.
geordieexpat said:
I live in SW France and have one french reg car and 2 UK ones, fined for speeding, they said i may have to change my uk license to a french one for the points
nothing happened yet been in France since 2007
I still haven't heard anything back from the office in Rennes so haven't even paid the fine yet nothing happened yet been in France since 2007
I'm very interested in you having your Sag in France Derrick, do you have it on French plates? How does it work for the insurance if UK or homologation if French? (I still have designs on a Tuscan
)Strangly enough,the 2 Arial Atoms that were at the Val de vienne circuit on Wednesday the 1st of june. Were French owned uk plated and taxed but insured by Axa France. Nothing wrong with that you may ask,but when i asked when were they going to be French registered,the french guys replied they wont be as the Drire or whoever here in france wont recognise the Arial's. So they said they found a French insurance company that will insure them for as long as they want (axa). Make's one wonder !!! I presume they either take the to the Uk when a mot is needed or a CT here ?
Driller
The Sagaris is on UK plates - it has been to France once. And was hopeing to get there for Le Mans but work scuppered that, and looks like summer is well is up the spout
Its insured in the UK with european cover, as are my other car(s) and the one in France is insured in France with european cover and on french plates
Derrick
The Sagaris is on UK plates - it has been to France once. And was hopeing to get there for Le Mans but work scuppered that, and looks like summer is well is up the spout
Its insured in the UK with european cover, as are my other car(s) and the one in France is insured in France with european cover and on french plates
Derrick
I have been told, but I don't know whether it is true, that if you have committed an offence that could lead to a loss of points and you do not change your licence to allow that to happen, your UK licence is invalid. If that is so you will be driving without a licence.
Confiscation of licences by gendarmes seems to becoming much more common, especially for excessive speeding and drink driving. Once it has been confiscated you have no licence. You are not allowed to drive. Simple. If you are caught they may very well confiscate the vehicle.
Why allow yourself to get into such a situation.
Confiscation of licences by gendarmes seems to becoming much more common, especially for excessive speeding and drink driving. Once it has been confiscated you have no licence. You are not allowed to drive. Simple. If you are caught they may very well confiscate the vehicle.
Why allow yourself to get into such a situation.
One further point to consider with UK licences is that they expire after 10 years. This is so that you can renew your photo. The expiry date is under your photo. It is an offence in the UK not to renew it. This is quite different to the expiry dates on the reverse which require medicals etc when you reach 70. You can not renew with a French address. We are not that European.
allyn said:
I have been told, but I don't know whether it is true, that if you have committed an offence that could lead to a loss of points and you do not change your licence to allow that to happen, your UK licence is invalid. If that is so you will be driving without a licence.
This is not the case. Foreign licence holders are often caught on speed cameras and the points cannot be deducted. The compulsory exchange is only really followed up if you are stopped on the spot, and the box "Obligation d'échange" is ticked. Even then, they often don't bother.Your licence cannot become invalid in France unless you are banned by a court, or receive an "administrative suspension" from the Préfet. Even then, it remains valid elsewhere, and becomes valid in France again once the ban is over.
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