Swapping your Australian licence in France

Good news first: France's 2026 list accepts Australian car licences, whichever state issued them. The catch is the clock. Miss the one-year deadline and you're back at driving school.

The short version

France's official reciprocity list, updated 1 May 2026, includes Australia for categories A (motorbike) and B (car), without limiting it to particular states [1].
If you live in France, your Australian licence is only recognised for one year from the start of your normal residence, and you must apply to exchange it within that year [2].
You apply online through ANTS (France Titres), pay a €40 tax stamp and post your original licence once the file is complete [2].
A digital licence won't do. France only exchanges physical licences [1].
While you wait, a secure deposit certificate lets you keep driving for four months [2].

Which states qualify?

For years, Australians in France swapped notes in forums about which states were "on the list". As at the list dated 1 May 2026, the French foreign ministry simply lists "Australie: A et B" [1]. No Australian state or territory is singled out, unlike Canada and the United States, which have state-by-state sub-lists [1].

In plain English: a car licence from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory can be exchanged, as long as you meet the general conditions below. If an older forum thread or a friend's experience says otherwise, go by the current list, and check it again when you apply, as it's updated from time to time [1][2].

Your Australian licence	Can it be exchanged in France?
Full car licence (class C), physical card, still valid	Yes, for a French category B [1][2]
Motorbike licence	Exchanged as A2 only; full A needs training after two years [2]
Digital licence only (no physical card)	No [1]
Expired licence	No [1]
Licence obtained in Australia by swapping another country's licence	Usually no: you must have passed the test in the issuing country while living there [2]
Licence with heavy restrictions	May be refused [2]

Two Australian quirks matter here. First, several states now push digital licences. France won't exchange a digital licence, so make sure you bring your plastic card [1]. Second, if you migrated to Australia and converted, say, a UK or South African licence, France may refuse the exchange, because you didn't pass a test in Australia [2].

The one-year clock

This is where people come unstuck. For a non-EU foreigner arriving legally for the first time, the one-year deadline runs from when your normal residence in France begins [2]:

First residence card: within one year of the date it's issued.
Long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS): within one year of the visa validation date, or the date of your OFII sticker.

Renewing your card or changing status doesn't restart the clock [2].

During that first year, you can drive on your Australian licence [2]. The Australian Embassy in Paris advises long-term residents to carry an International Driving Permit with it, obtained before leaving Australia [4]. After 12 months, your Australian licence is no longer valid for driving in France [2][4].

What about students and working holiday makers?

Students on a student residence card can drive on their Australian licence for the length of their studies and don't need to exchange it [2][3]. If you switch to a non-student card, you need to apply within a year of receiving the new card [3].
Working holiday makers usually stay a year or less. The embassy says short-term visitors can drive on an Australian licence with either an International Driving Permit or a French translation [4]. If you later stay on with a residence card, the one-year rule kicks in, so plan ahead.

What you'll need

The ANTS application asks non-EU nationals for [2]:

Colour scans of both sides of your Australian licence.
A French translation of the licence.
Proof of identity and proof of address less than six months old.
Proof of legal residence, such as your residence card or OFII validation.
A digital photo and signature code from an approved photo booth or photographer.
An attestation of driving rights from the authority that issued your licence, dated less than six months before you apply, plus a translation.
An electronic tax stamp (timbre fiscal) of €40 [2].

The attestation is the item Australians most often forget. You need a licence history or driving record from your state's licensing authority, the body that issued your licence, showing when you got it and that it's not suspended. The embassy also lists a licence history letter from the state or territory authority among the documents to provide [4]. Order it online before you leave if you can, but remember it must be under six months old when you apply [2].

Translations

Documents in English must be translated. If done in France, the translation must be by a certified translator (traducteur habilité). If done abroad, it must be legalised or carry an apostille [2]. In Australia, DFAT issues apostilles.

Applying through ANTS, step by step

The embassy page still mentions applying at the préfecture, but the process now runs online through France Titres (ANTS) [2][4].

Create a France Titres account and choose the service for exchanging a foreign licence [2].
Upload everything, including your photo and signature code. Photos or scans are fine, though originals can be requested [2].
Pay the €40 stamp at the end, or buy it beforehand online or at a licensed tobacconist [2].
Wait for the SMS and email saying your file is complete. The email tells you how to post your original Australian licence by registered mail [2].
Download your ADS. Once ANTS receives your licence, you can download an attestation de dépôt sécurisée, valid for four months, which lets you drive in France until your French licence arrives [2].
Receive your French licence by tracked post. Allow around 15 days from the SMS that confirms it's validated [2].

Processing can take several months at busy times, so start the moment you have your residence card. If your ADS expires before your French licence arrives, ask ANTS for an updated one rather than driving without valid paperwork.

Before you post your licence, think about trips home. Your Australian card goes to France and may not come back. Ask your state licensing authority before you leave how you'd drive on a visit home, and whether a replacement card is possible.

If your licence doesn't qualify, or you missed the deadline

You'll have to get a French licence the long way [2]:

pass the theory test, the code de la route, at an approved centre
take lessons with a driving school (auto-école), which usually sells hours as a package
pass the practical test, which is booked through the school and can involve a wait in Paris

It's slow and costs a fair bit, which is the best argument for filing your exchange in your first few months.

Driving in France: what's different from home

Right-hand traffic. The obvious one, especially at roundabouts.
Priority to the right. Unless signs say otherwise, you must give way to traffic coming from the right, even from a side street [5]. That surprises every Australian.
30 km/h in most of Paris [5].
Kit in the car. You must carry a reflective vest and a warning triangle [5].

When you eventually move home, converting a French licence back is handled by your state or territory, each with its own rules. Our guide to Australian licences abroad covers the way back.

Got a question about ANTS delays or which translator people used? Ask in Cooee France, our Facebook group for Australians in France. Members compare notes on their exchange timelines.

Swapping your Australian licence in France: which states qualify