Driving licence translation: when it is mandatory and how to obtain it

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on 2 October 2026

Does a European driving licence need to be translated?

No. A licence issued by an EU Member State, a European Economic Area country or Switzerland is automatically recognised in France, for as long as it is valid in the country that issued it. No exchange is mandatory, so no translation is necessary.

Two exceptions are worth knowing: if you commit an offence in France resulting in a restriction of your right to drive, or if your licence expires and needs renewing, an exchange becomes necessary. Here again, a European licence written in an EU language is normally processed without translation.

Before ordering a driving licence translation, simply check the country of issue. This one question settles one in three of the requests received by the Directory of Sworn Translators of France.

Key point — a European, EEA or Swiss licence is neither translated nor exchanged for as long as it is valid.

Non-EU licences: the three conditions for an exchange

For a driving licence issued outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, the exchange depends on three cumulative conditions.

A reciprocity agreement. An exchange is only possible if the issuing country has signed an agreement with France. Without such an agreement, no translation will make any difference: you will have to retake the theory and practical tests. For the United States, reciprocity is assessed state by state — a licence issued in Virginia does not confer the same rights as one issued in California.

A one-year deadline. A foreign licence is only recognised for one year from the date you acquire normal residence in France. For a newcomer, this period runs from the start date of the first residence permit, or from the validation of the long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit. If no application has been submitted by then, the right to an exchange is lost.

A sworn translation. If the licence is not written in French, the application submitted on the ANTS website must be accompanied by a translation made by a translator registered on a court of appeal list or, in some cases, issued by the consulate of the issuing country.

Exchange applications are made exclusively online, on the ANTS website via FranceConnect. Processing takes several months: this is not something to start in the week your licence stops being recognised.

Key point — the one-year deadline cannot be extended. Order the translation as soon as you settle in France, not as the deadline approaches.

The licence never travels alone: the supporting documents

Many applicants have their driving licence translated and stop there. Yet ANTS almost always requires an additional document issued by the authority of the country of origin, certifying that the licence is genuine and that the holder is still entitled to drive. Depending on the country, it is called a certificate of driving entitlement, certificate of authenticity, certificate of good conduct or certificate of no convictions.

This document is written in the language of the issuing country, so it must be translated too. A translation of the licence alone is not enough to complete the conversion, and the file comes back incomplete after several months of processing.

Check the full list of documents on the ANTS website before ordering, and have everything translated at once. It costs less than two separate orders and, above all, it avoids losing months on a deadline that cannot be extended.

The international driving permit: a supplement, never a replacement

This is the most widespread misunderstanding on the subject, and the most costly. The international driving permit does not replace the original licence. It is nothing more than an official translation of its details, intended to make them understandable to a foreign authority. It is always the original licence that is authoritative.

In practice, you must carry both documents: the original licence and its translation. This translation may take the form of an international driving permit or, depending on the country, a sworn translation. Either one accompanies the licence; neither ever replaces it. Presenting only an international driving permit at a roadside check amounts to driving without a licence.

The international driving permit is therefore not translated: it is a document you apply for from ANTS, not one you have translated. And it does not exempt you from the exchange. A person who acquires normal residence in France cannot go on driving indefinitely on an international driving permit: in that situation, it is neither recognised nor exchangeable. It remains useful for a short stay, not for settling in the country.

Key point — the international driving permit is a translation, not a licence. It replaces nothing and does not exempt you from the exchange.

What a driving licence translation must contain

A driving licence contains little text, but every item has legal significance: the holder’s identity, date and place of birth, licence number, date of issue, expiry date, issuing authority, vehicle categories and any restrictions. An error in a category or a date blocks the processing of the file.

The translation reproduces exactly the visible items and indicates, where they appear, stamps, handwritten notes, codes and special features of the document. The sworn translator does not rule on the validity of the licence: they translate the document presented to them.

What to send to have a licence translated

• The front and back, every time. This is the number one omission for this document. The back seems to contain only tables and codes, but that is precisely where the categories, the validity dates for each category and the restrictions appear. A translation based on the front alone is unusable.
• All pages, for an old paper licence, including those bearing a stamp, a handwritten note or an extension of category.
• The target language and the receiving body. A translation into French for ANTS and a translation into English for renting a vehicle abroad do not meet the same need.

The quality of the scan matters all the more as the documents are then uploaded to the ANTS website: an illegible document gets the submission rejected and everything has to be done again — several weeks lost on a one-year deadline that cannot be extended.

Turnaround times and prices for a driving licence translation

Translating a driving licence is quick: the document is short and standardised. The turnaround time depends mainly on the availability of an expert in the language concerned, and it is longer for less common languages.

A licence in a common language is delivered within 48 hours and costs around €60 to €65. For a rare language, allow around €80 and a week.

The difference is due to the layout as much as the text. A credit-card-format licence is standardised and quick to process. Old pink paper licences, folding in two, with tables of categories, stamps and handwritten notes added over the years, require considerably more reconstruction work.

These amounts apply to the translation of the licence alone. If the ANTS file also requires a certificate of driving entitlement or a certificate of no convictions, have everything quoted at once.

The real issue lies elsewhere: ANTS takes several months to process an exchange application, and the one-year deadline for submitting the file cannot be extended. The translation must therefore be ready well before the deadline.

Does a licence translation need an apostille?

Rarely. A sworn translation and an apostille do not meet the same need: the translation concerns the language, the apostille authenticates a signature or seal. A driving licence does not systematically require an apostille, and an apostille will never replace the translation requested.

Some applicants ask for an apostille on their licence translation because they read somewhere that it was necessary. In almost all cases, nobody requires this formality. The logic is simple: the original licence is authoritative, the translation renders its content without replacing it, and so there is no reason for it to be authenticated separately.

If the person you are dealing with mentions a legalisation, certification or apostille, ask exactly which document it relates to: the licence, the translation, or another document in the file. Note that since 1 May 2025, the apostille has been issued in France by notaries rather than by the courts of appeal; legalisations have followed the same route since 1 September 2025.

Key point — an apostille on a licence translation almost never adds anything to the file. Check before paying for one.

Keeping the translation with the licence

The translation and the copy of the source licence form a set: the authority may ask to see both in order to compare the translated details with the licence presented.

An often overlooked point: if the licence is renewed, amended or replaced, the translation of the old document does not cover the new one. The licence number, dates and sometimes categories change, and a new translation is needed.

Having a French licence translated for use abroad

The Directory of Sworn Translators of France also handles the reverse direction, for French nationals living abroad or travelling to distant destinations. The most frequent requests concern South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

A sworn translation into English is sufficient in most cases: it is the most widely accepted version. Some countries, however, require a translation into their own language. Check with the local authority or the rental company before ordering, as an English translation refused on arrival cannot be put right on the spot.

Frequently asked questions

Does a European licence need to be translated to drive in France?

No. A driving licence issued by an EU, EEA State or by Switzerland is recognised in France for as long as it is valid, without exchange or translation.

Does an international driving permit exempt me from the exchange?

No. An international driving permit is neither recognised nor exchangeable for a person who acquires normal residence in France. It accompanies a national licence during a short stay, nothing more.

What happens if I miss the one-year deadline?

The right to an exchange is lost. You have to retake the theory and practical tests in France, with no exemption. That is why the licence translation should be ordered as soon as you settle in France.

How much does a driving licence translation cost?

A licence in a common language costs around €60 to €65 and is delivered within 48 hours. For a rare language, allow around €80 and a week. Old paper licences, with tables and handwritten notes, require more work than a credit-card-format licence.

Is translating the licence enough for the ANTS exchange?

No. ANTS almost always requires an additional document issued by the authority of the country of origin — a certificate of driving entitlement, of authenticity or of no convictions — which must also be translated. Check the full list of documents before ordering.

Do both sides of the licence need to be translated?

Yes, every time. The back shows the vehicle categories, the validity dates for each category and the restrictions. A translation based on the front alone is unusable for ANTS.

Sources

• Service-Public.fr — Exchange of a driving licence obtained outside the European Economic Area
• Order of 12 January 2012 laying down the conditions for the recognition and exchange of driving licences issued by States belonging neither to the European Union nor to the European Economic Area
• ANTS / France Titres — online exchange procedure
• Decree No. 2021-1205 of 17 September 2021, amended by Decree No. 2024-1200 of 23 December 2024, on legalisation and the apostille