Paperwork
Exchanging Your Foreign Driving Licence in France
If your country has a bilateral agreement with France, you can swap your licence without retaking any tests — entirely online via ANTS. No agreement means sitting the full French theory and practical exams. You have 1 year from the date you establish official residence in France.
Moving to France with a foreign driving licence raises an immediate practical question: will I still be allowed to drive in a year’s time? The answer depends on which country issued your licence and your residence status. Here is the complete picture for 2026.
The Core Rule: 1 Year from Establishing Residence
A foreign driving licence is recognised in France for one year from the date your first residence permit becomes valid (or from the validation date of a long-stay visa, VLS-TS). After that, you need either a valid French exchange or you must sit the tests — full stop.
Start the process well before the deadline. ANTS processing can take up to 12 months for some nationalities, and a late start means months of driving illegally.
Countries with Bilateral Agreements: Exchange Without Tests
France has signed mutual recognition agreements with roughly 70 countries. Nationals of these countries can submit an exchange application online via ANTS — no theory, no practical exam, no driving school required.
Status for the main CIS/post-Soviet countries (2026):
| Country | Agreement with France | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Yes — active | Exchange via ANTS; check current status before applying |
| Ukraine | No (in progress) | Declaration of intent signed June 2025 |
| Kazakhstan | No | Confirmed by administrative court ruling |
| Belarus | Partial | Only licences issued before 01/01/1992 (USSR) |
| Moldova | Yes — from 01/03/2026 | Category B only, licences from 01/01/2020 onwards |
The definitive official list is the PDF published by the French Foreign Ministry at diplomatie.gouv.fr — updated 1 May 2026. Use the Service-Public simulator to check your specific licence type.
Russia: Agreement Still Active
The bilateral agreement between Russia and France remains in force as of May 2026, according to the official French Foreign Ministry reciprocity list. Russian nationals can exchange their licences via ANTS without retaking any tests.
Practical note: ANTS must verify authenticity with Russian authorities, which given current diplomatic conditions may take longer than average. Budget at least 6 months, and rely on the AEDP temporary certificate as your sole legal driving document in the meantime.
Ukraine: Temporary Protection Is Your Key
No formal bilateral agreement exists, but Ukrainian nationals in France are not left without options:
- Temporary protection holders (APS marked BPT): entitled to drive with a Ukrainian licence for the entire duration of their protection status, extended to 4 March 2027 (French Senate, 2025).
- Regular residents without temporary protection: 1 year from ВНП date, then full French exams.
- Upcoming change: A declaration of intent signed in June 2025 set the path toward a simplified exchange process. Keep an eye on our Telegram channel for updates as the situation evolves.
Kazakhstan: No Agreement
Kazakhstan is not on the French reciprocity list. The Administrative Court of Clermont-Ferrand upheld a prefect’s refusal to exchange a Kazakhstani licence on the grounds that no reciprocity agreement exists. This is binding precedent.
What to do:
- Drive legally for year one using your Kazakhstani licence plus a sworn French translation.
- Register at a driving school (auto-école) or prepare as a candidate libre (independent candidate).
- Sit the code de la route (40-question theory test; 35 correct answers required to pass).
- Sit the practical exam (32-minute test drive with an examiner).
Full driving school: €1,500–2,500. As a candidate libre: approximately €200–500 in fees.
Belarus: Only Soviet-Era Licences Apply
The existing agreement covers only licences issued before 1 January 1992 — meaning Soviet-era documents. Licences issued by the Republic of Belarus after 1991 do not fall under the reciprocity arrangement. If your Belarusian licence is post-Soviet, treat it the same as a country with no agreement and plan for the tests.
Always verify via the Service-Public simulator before making any decisions, as the list is updated periodically.
How to Apply via ANTS: Step by Step
The entire process is online only at permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr. Prefectures no longer handle these applications (since 2017).
- Go to permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr, create an account or log in via FranceConnect.
- Select: «Demande de permis de conduire» → «Échange d’un permis étranger».
- Upload scanned copies of all required documents (format requirements are specified on-site).
- Pay the €40 stamp duty (timbre fiscal) at timbres.impots.gouv.fr. Save the confirmation.
- Download and print the ADS (application receipt).
- Send your original licence by tracked registered post (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception) to the address ANTS provides.
- Track progress in your ANTS personal account.
- Until your plastic card arrives, keep the AEDP printed in your vehicle — it is your only lawful driving authority during processing.
Required Documents
- Original driving licence (both sides, colour scan — the physical original must be posted)
- Sworn French translation (traducteur assermenté) — mandatory for non-French, non-Latin-script documents
- Titre de séjour / APS (both sides, scan)
- Proof of address (justificatif de domicile) no older than 6 months
- Attestation de droits à conduire from the issuing authority (no older than 3 months), translated
- Digital photo and signature in ANTS format
- Attestation sur l’honneur (declaration that your licence has not been suspended or revoked)
- CERFA 14879*01 (completed within the ANTS portal)
- €40 timbre fiscal confirmation (from 12 May 2026)
Costs and Timelines at a Glance
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| ANTS stamp duty | €40 |
| Sworn translator | €30–80 per document |
| Minimum total (self-managed) | ~€70–120 |
| Full driving school (if exams needed) | €1,500–2,500 |
| Candidate libre (exams only) | €200–500 |
| Processing time (agreement countries) | 2 weeks – 12 months |
If Your Licence Has Expired
An expired licence cannot be exchanged. If expiry is approaching and you haven’t applied yet, renew it at your home country’s consulate in France before submitting to ANTS. Once expired, the only route is sitting the French exams from zero.
Useful Links
- Eligibility simulator: service-public.fr
- Submit your application: permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr
- Sworn translators: experts.justice.fr
Members of our Telegram community regularly share first-hand accounts of their ANTS experience: actual waiting times, finding an affordable sworn translator in Montpellier, what to do when documents are returned for correction. Lived experience beats any official guide.
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