https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The European parliament has adopted a new law making EU-issued driving licences valid for just 15 years, requiring drivers undergo a medical test before renewing. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251024/driving-in-france-new-eu-law-ends-licences-for-life Fri, 24 Oct 2025 13:29:51 +0200 driving-in-france-new-eu-law-ends-licences-for-life The EU Commission on Wednesday presented proposals for new EU driving licence rules which could make it easier for people from non-EU countries to swap their licences. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230301/foreign-drivers-could-get-simpler-way-to-exchange-licence-under-eu-proposal Wed, 01 Mar 2023 18:21:29 +0100 foreign-drivers-could-get-simpler-way-to-exchange-licence-under-eu-proposal Notorious for their slow speed, French administrative procedures have become more streamlined in recent years - and now a French government website claims it can speed up common processes like exchanging foreign drivers' licences and renewing residency permits. https://www.thelocal.fr/20221220/explained-the-website-that-speeds-up-french-bureaucracy-by-up-to-50 Tue, 20 Dec 2022 17:50:38 +0100 explained-the-website-that-speeds-up-french-bureaucracy-by-up-to-50 From booking medical appointments to paying your taxes, dealing with the historically difficult French bureaucratic machine has arguably never been easier than it is today - when you can do much of it online. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210720/online-services-which-make-dealing-with-french-bureaucracy-easier Tue, 20 Jul 2021 15:18:32 +0200 online-services-which-make-dealing-with-french-bureaucracy-easier Good news! A post-Brexit deal was finally agreed in June 2021 that permits Britons living permanently in France to swap their driving licences for a French one. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210630/reader-question-can-expired-uk-driving-licences-be-swapped-for-french-ones Wed, 30 Jun 2021 18:18:38 +0200 reader-question-can-expired-uk-driving-licences-be-swapped-for-french-ones Once of the more painful post-Brexit sagas for Brits living in France appears to have been resolved with an announcement on Thursday of an agreement on the recognition of UK driving licences. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210624/post-brexit-deal-announced-for-driving-licences-of-brits-in-france Thu, 24 Jun 2021 20:11:48 +0200 post-brexit-deal-announced-for-driving-licences-of-brits-in-france Brexit is forcing Britons living throughout the EU to exchange their UK licences for an EU one in their country of residence. But the rules they face in each country are quite different and many may need to take a new test. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210428/how-do-rules-for-exchanging-uk-driving-licences-compare-for-brits-around-europe Wed, 28 Apr 2021 17:43:05 +0200 how-do-rules-for-exchanging-uk-driving-licences-compare-for-brits-around-europe The post-Brexit situation for Britons living in or visiting France is complicated, and not helped by a series of persistent myths, rumours and wrong information. Here we separate the facts from the fiction. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210423/the-myths-you-shouldnt-believe-about-brits-rights-in-france-after-brexit Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:56:02 +0200 the-myths-you-shouldnt-believe-about-brits-rights-in-france-after-brexit The issue of British driving licences and Brexit has been complicated and frustrating for many UK citizens living in France. The ongoing impasse over a post-Brexit agreement between the France and the UK has left many British citizens living in France confused, and in some cases without valid driving licence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210401/im-8km-from-the-nearest-supermarket-the-britons-in-france-struggling-without-driving-licences Thu, 01 Apr 2021 19:03:17 +0200 im-8km-from-the-nearest-supermarket-the-britons-in-france-struggling-without-driving-licences French President Emmanuel Macron is looking to dramatically decrease the cost of getting a driving licence in France. But how much do you have to fork out at the moment? https://www.thelocal.fr/20190212/how-much-does-it-cost-to-a-drivers-licence-in-france-from-scratch Tue, 12 Feb 2019 17:44:27 +0100 how-much-does-it-cost-to-a-drivers-licence-in-france-from-scratch