I was led to believe this could be a protracted, overly-bureaucratic process.
I was warned the prefecture would want to see lots of documents ... i.e. proof of when I got my driver's licence (44 years ago) and where I was living (south-east Queensland) at that time. I was told I would also need an attestation from my home state of South Australia from the Motor Registry Office documenting how long I'd had an SA licence, my driving history there and some kind of proof that I was living in South Australia at that time. I would need lots of photocopies. I was also told I'd need court-certified translations of my licence history and the various "proof" documents.
When I went to the sous-prefecture at Marmande, armed with a manilla-folder of documents, the woman behind the counter asked me to hand over ...
1. my SA driver's licence
2. Two "Demand De Permis De Conduire" forms, filled out, signed and a passport photo attached.
3. EDF bill (proof of residency).
4. Photocopy of my Titre de Sejours (proof of identity).
That was it! She didn't want to see anything else!
She gave me a photocopy of my "Demand De Permis De Conduire" to show a gendarme if ever I were stopped. She told me my application would be processed in due course.
I resigned myself to a long wait. I needn't have bothered.
Today, just over three weeks later, my French driver's licence arrived by registered mail. No charge.
France is full of surprises.
I was warned the prefecture would want to see lots of documents ... i.e. proof of when I got my driver's licence (44 years ago) and where I was living (south-east Queensland) at that time. I was told I would also need an attestation from my home state of South Australia from the Motor Registry Office documenting how long I'd had an SA licence, my driving history there and some kind of proof that I was living in South Australia at that time. I would need lots of photocopies. I was also told I'd need court-certified translations of my licence history and the various "proof" documents.
When I went to the sous-prefecture at Marmande, armed with a manilla-folder of documents, the woman behind the counter asked me to hand over ...
1. my SA driver's licence
2. Two "Demand De Permis De Conduire" forms, filled out, signed and a passport photo attached.
3. EDF bill (proof of residency).
4. Photocopy of my Titre de Sejours (proof of identity).
That was it! She didn't want to see anything else!
She gave me a photocopy of my "Demand De Permis De Conduire" to show a gendarme if ever I were stopped. She told me my application would be processed in due course.
I resigned myself to a long wait. I needn't have bothered.
Today, just over three weeks later, my French driver's licence arrived by registered mail. No charge.
France is full of surprises.