French driving license - driving in UK, post Brexit

[rdjohn]

I am French resident for tax, but I still have a home in the UK, so I currently drive in Europe using my UK license. Post Brexit, it seems that I need to exchange to a French license. However, I will be 70 next September, which poses a dilemma.

From what I have read, a French license says something like GB70 because a French license is for life, whereas a UK one needs to be renewed every three years from age 70.

Does anyone know if you are allowed to drive in the UK with a French license once you are 70-years old? Is it ever possible to have a UK license concurrent with a French one?

[Rushjob]

You cannot have UK / French licences concurrent, I'm in the process of changing mine from UK to France and I made an error attaching a picture of my licence from 2017 rather than my current one issued in 2019 by DVLA and I got a rather stroppy letter from the French authorities saying they had checked and I had a later licence than the one I'd declared and was a very naughty boy
There's no issues with my father in law driving in the UK at 80 with his Spanish licence ( he is a British Citizen ) so the only thing that may effect you is possible needing an International Driving Permit.....

[rdjohn]

I did not think that you would be able to “cheat” by sending them an old license.

Can anyone over 70, with a French license, verify the point about the legality of regularly using a French driving license in the UK?

[Rushjob]

From the uk gov.uk website


Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence
You can drive any type of vehicle listed on your full and valid licence
If your vehicle is insured in the EU, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia or Switzerland, you should carry either:

an insurance ‘green card’
other proof of insurance
To be valid, your other proof of insurance must be a document issued by the insurer of the vehicle and include the:

name of the insurer
number plate or other information to identify the vehicle, for example the vehicle identification number
period of insurance cover
If your vehicle is insured in a country outside the EU, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia or Switzerland, you must either:

carry a green card - if your country is a member of the green card system
insure your vehicle in the UK - if your country is not a member of the green card system

This is using the start point of a visitor to the UK who passed their test in the EU/EEA - there is no mention of age being a factor, the only time age is a factor in driving licences is for persons too young for a class of vehicle, not too old - I was a traffic sgt in a former life and can neither remember nor find any stipulation for old age so you can drive as long as the licence is valid for that class of vehicle at that time on that road for that person for that purpose, likewise insurance must meet the aforementioned criteria.

[Rushjob]

Oh, and I've just phoned my mate Derek who's 82, has a french licence and has driven and hired cars in the UK in the last 12 months with no issues. HTH

[rdjohn]

Thanks Rushjob, I feel a lot happier with that assurance.

When I Googled this morning I was directed to a few expat websites that all suggested a French license would be invalid for over 70s in the UK - they were from 14-years ago.

We shall both be submitting our online forms next week.

[Rushjob]

Mine, the third submission is in at the mo, my first paper dossier vanished, my second paper dossier was returned after about 15 months saying we're not doing paper ones any more and my third attempt through ANTS is stymied due to me clicking on the wrong jpeg!!

It's great fun.

I got controlled by the Gendarmerie last Sunday, he queried my UK licence and I just gave him my tax of woe and the dossier number for my ANTS application - his response - Bonne Chance!

Same to you, let us know if you're successful and don't forget the medical certificate to keep your C1 + E and D1 + E.

[Mike-tf3n0]

I am 76 and resident in France with a French licence. Last year I had to make a quick trip to the UK and needed a hire car whilst there. There were no problems about my licence but one well known rental company said they don't rent to people over the age of 70 as their insurers will not cover them, all the other rental companies were happy to rent to me.

One other point, if you are resident in France but still driving on a UK licence the likelihood is that you will now have to take a French test to change to a French licence. You are supposed to exchange your licence within the first six months of you arrival in France.

[Fatt McMissile]

rdjohn said:

I am French resident for tax, but I still have a home in the UK, so I currently drive in Europe using my UK license. Post Brexit, it seems that I need to exchange to a French license. However, I will be 70 next September, which poses a dilemma.

From what I have read, a French license says something like GB70 because a French license is for life, whereas a UK one needs to be renewed every three years from age 70.

Does anyone know if you are allowed to drive in the UK with a French license once you are 70-years old? Is it ever possible to have a UK license concurrent with a French one?

The "70" is a code, the age thing, a coincidence.

Raisons administratives:

70. Echange du permis n°... délivré par... (signe distinctif UE/ONU dans le cas d'un pays tiers, par exemple : 70.0123456789. NL).

https://www.permispratique.com/Tous-les-codes-rest...