Driving license

If you hold a driving license from your home country, you can get it exchanged with a French driving license. You have one year to do this procedure from the date of beginning of validity of your first residence permit. Your driving license must be valid, it must have been issued before your arrival in France and your home country must have an exchange agreement with France (see list in French). To request the exchange, go to the prefecture of place of residence.

While waiting for the exchange, you can drive during one year with an international driving license. For more information, go to com or expatica.com.

After this one-year period or if you don’t hold a foreign driving license, you must pass the driving license exam in France. You can learn to drive a car (permis B) from age 15. The exam is divided in two parts: theory (called le code in French) and practice (the exam can only happen after 20h of driving with a driving school). To apply for a driving license training, you must go to a driving school. For more information, go to french-property.com.