Exchanging UK driver's license in Nantes

[kikinuts]

Hello,

I recently signed up for my motorbike license and the driving school got my inscription sent back from the Préfecture de Nantes with a refusal. It would appear that I have to change my driver's license to a French one first. OK, so I phone the Préfecture to ask what documents they require so I don't have to go back and forth to Nantes which is an hour away and spend time waiting at the préfecture for nothing. I just got a snotty woman on the end of the phone who said it depends on the case and refused to give me a list of ANY documents required. I haven't got any further since. I found a list on monservicepublic.fr which will hopefully avoid me having to "nip" back home to get missing bits and pieces.

However, one of the required documents is a UK driver's license. The site then tells you to make sure beforehand that the préfecture don't require official translation of the document (it apparently depends on the préfecture). Of course, it's difficult to find out such information when the préfecture hangs up on you.

So, if anyone has had to exchange their UK license in Nantes, could you please let me know if you need to have an official translation done?

Thanks,

Kiki

[Bevdeforges]

You could try asking the question at your mairie. The mairies often have lists of the various documents required at the prefecture for things like drivers licenses and exchanging licenses and the like.

Or, if you're really nice to the people at the mairie (always excuse yourself for disturbing them - it's a cheap move that wins your friends quickly), they may call their special prefecture number to ask the question for you. (I've had them do that before - it doesn't always work, but it's well worth a try.)

This is one place where the centralized French government is a big advantage. Technically, the mairie is the local representative of the whole French government - and you can often get them to find out what you need to know.
Cheers,
Bev

[Sarah B]

Originally Posted by kikinuts

Hello,

I recently signed up for my motorbike license and the driving school got my inscription sent back from the Préfecture de Nantes with a refusal. It would appear that I have to change my driver's license to a French one first. OK, so I phone the Préfecture to ask what documents they require so I don't have to go back and forth to Nantes which is an hour away and spend time waiting at the préfecture for nothing. I just got a snotty woman on the end of the phone who said it depends on the case and refused to give me a list of ANY documents required. I haven't got any further since. I found a list on monservicepublic.fr which will hopefully avoid me having to "nip" back home to get missing bits and pieces.

However, one of the required documents is a UK driver's license. The site then tells you to make sure beforehand that the préfecture don't require official translation of the document (it apparently depends on the préfecture). Of course, it's difficult to find out such information when the préfecture hangs up on you.

So, if anyone has had to exchange their UK license in Nantes, could you please let me know if you need to have an official translation done?

Thanks,

Kiki

Hi
I don't live in Nantes but help people change their driving licence all the time. Our Préfecture is about an hour away too. Rather than dropping everything off yourself, try posting it (registered with avis de réception). If it's not right they'll send everything back to you with a list of what is missing, ie. the translation. Then you can get it done, if needs be.
If you get your French driving licence then you're OK and you haven't had to make the trip to the Préfecture.
Note that it normally takes about a month, depending on the Préfecture, to get your licence back. If there's something missing, you'll get something back quite quickly.
Good luck
Sarah

[Bevdeforges]

Before posting your documents in to the prefecture, try checking the website for the departement. I managed to find this page: Duplicata de permis de conduire, permis de conduire international pour aller à l'étranger, permis de conduire étranger / Permis de conduire / Vos démarches en ligne / Accueil - Portail de l'Etat en Loire Atlantique

Although the one dossier says it's for those wanting to do exchanges for licenses from outside the EU, you could probably at least contact one of the offices/phone numbers listed there to get some information. But like our local prefecture - they don't do any of this after 12:30 on the days they are open.
Cheers,
Bev

[kikinuts]

Thanks for your replies. I managed to get my license changed in the end.

Had the nice lady on the end of the phone taken 2 minutes to ask where I was from, she could have given me the list of docs on the phone. As it happens, I took my entire life file with me and so made sure I had any document they might ask for. I still had to wait in the queue twice because even though I had everything I needed on me and forms filled out, the lady insisted I sat down, took another ticket and came back to the desk. That all went fairly swiftly, just had to go back to Nantes to pick up my license a week later (damn quick!). I knew I should have taken my book with me...2 hours wait!!!!