Heyupluv
Free Member
Hi
Just a little bit of information or an update on our driving licence application in France.
Some or most of you may already know this info....but it may help some person thinking of living in France that are driving a vehicle over 3500kg or want to drive a vehicle over 3500kg.
As a most of you know we are applying for our exchange French driving Licence (the wife and myself).
Having filled all the forms requested by the Prefecture, all the photo copies and photos needed,….. We were then told it would take a month for our new French driving licence.
The wife has now received a letter from the prefecture requesting a copy of her original driving licence for when she passed her driving test (in 1968), The copy of the pink licence we submitted when we applied for the licence shows a date from 1976 to 2017 when the pink licence was issued.
Now in England a motor car licence issued before 1997 allowed you to drive over 3500 kg up to 7500 kg
In France it is the same but the date is different, the date is 1975,…… ( 22 years sooner )…… .........that is why they are asking for the proof/copy of original driving licence.
Now I have just telephoned the DVLA in England to ask them to send a copy of the wife’s original Driving licence and proof of her passing her test in 1968
NO NOT POSSIBLE......this is what the young lady said ”when we took over the DVLA driving licence department in 1976 and issued the pink licence, all information and original driving licence and test dates has been destroyed” (meaning the little red licence book and before)
And because she has no proof, and as she has not kept the little old red driving licence book, stating a date before January 1975, means she will not be allowed to drive anything over 3500kg,
As I can not see the French Prefecture allowing her to drive over 3500kg on just word of mouth.
The only solution is to keep her original UK licence, and as I do most of the driving now
The issue of the wife getting any points deducted and an automatic licence exchange, for a traffic offence should not arise
Mel
Just a little bit of information or an update on our driving licence application in France.
Some or most of you may already know this info....but it may help some person thinking of living in France that are driving a vehicle over 3500kg or want to drive a vehicle over 3500kg.
As a most of you know we are applying for our exchange French driving Licence (the wife and myself).
Having filled all the forms requested by the Prefecture, all the photo copies and photos needed,….. We were then told it would take a month for our new French driving licence.
The wife has now received a letter from the prefecture requesting a copy of her original driving licence for when she passed her driving test (in 1968), The copy of the pink licence we submitted when we applied for the licence shows a date from 1976 to 2017 when the pink licence was issued.
Now in England a motor car licence issued before 1997 allowed you to drive over 3500 kg up to 7500 kg
In France it is the same but the date is different, the date is 1975,…… ( 22 years sooner )…… .........that is why they are asking for the proof/copy of original driving licence.
Now I have just telephoned the DVLA in England to ask them to send a copy of the wife’s original Driving licence and proof of her passing her test in 1968
NO NOT POSSIBLE......this is what the young lady said ”when we took over the DVLA driving licence department in 1976 and issued the pink licence, all information and original driving licence and test dates has been destroyed” (meaning the little red licence book and before)
And because she has no proof, and as she has not kept the little old red driving licence book, stating a date before January 1975, means she will not be allowed to drive anything over 3500kg,
As I can not see the French Prefecture allowing her to drive over 3500kg on just word of mouth.
The only solution is to keep her original UK licence, and as I do most of the driving now
The issue of the wife getting any points deducted and an automatic licence exchange, for a traffic offence should not arise
Mel
Last edited: