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Driving licence exchange in France – Crit'Air, low-emission zones, tolls and Navigo

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

A non-European driving licence is valid in France for only a year after you settle, and the low-emission zones survived an attempt to abolish them in 2026. Here is how the driving licence exchange works, what your car and a Crit'Air sticker cost, and which pass to buy in Paris.

Woman in a trench coat on a Paris Métro platform beside a train
Photo: pio3/Adobe Stock

If you hold a non-European licence, the driving licence exchange is the deadline to watch: the licence is valid in France for 1 year from when you take up normal residence, and after that you need a French one. The news for drivers is that the ZFE (low-emission zones) survived: on 21 May 2026 the Conseil constitutionnel struck down the article that would have abolished them. Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Bordeaux each apply their own rules.

Do you need to exchange your driving licence in France?

Your licenceDriving on it in FranceExchange
EU or EEAWhile it is validOnly if it expires, you add a category, an offence costs points or a suspension, or it is lost, stolen or damaged
UK, issued before 2021While it is validAs for an EU licence
UK from 2021, or other non-European1 year from taking up normal residenceWithin 1 year of your first residence permit or VLS-TS validation
Non-European, student or RECE card holderDuring your studiesNot needed
Non-European, refugee, stateless or subsidiary protection1 yearWithin 1 year of the receipt recognising your protection

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

The deadline runs from the online validation of your VLS-TS (long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit), the OFII sticker on your first long-stay visa or your first titre de séjour (residence permit), and does not restart when you renew. EEA, Andorran, Monegasque or Swiss nationals with a non-European licence apply between the 6th and 18th month of residence; French nationals within 1 year of settling.

Exchange is only possible if the issuing country has a reciprocity agreement with France for that category – the official simulator tells you. If not, you must pass the French driving test. A motorcycle A licence is exchanged only as A2.

How does the driving licence exchange work?

You apply online on France Titres (ANTS), the national agency for secure documents. The electronic tax stamp costs €40 (€20 in French Guiana), for EU and non-EU licences alike. For a non-EU licence you also need a certificate of driving rights from the issuing authority, less than 6 months old, and translations by an approved translator.

Meanwhile you keep your licence and can drive on it; once you send the original, an ADS (secure deposit certificate) lets you drive for 4 months. Processing can take several months, and silence from the prefect for more than 2 months counts as an implicit refusal. A French licence obtained by exchange is valid for 15 years. The ANTS contact centre is on 34 00, or 09 70 83 07 07 from abroad, weekdays 9:00–17:00. Returning French nationals follow a separate procedure to restore French driving rights.

Bringing your car: registration and the CO2 malus

Settle in France with a foreign-registered vehicle and you must register it within 1 month, online with ANTS or through an approved car professional; you can no longer apply at the préfecture (prefecture). After the online request, a CPI (provisional certificate) lets you drive in France for 1 month.

You need the original registration certificate, proof of address under 6 months old, form cerfa 13750, a certificate of conformity or single-vehicle approval and, for a car over 4 years old, a contrôle technique (roadworthiness test) under 6 months old. A car bought elsewhere in the EU needs a quitus fiscal (VAT clearance) from the tax office of your département; one from outside the EU needs customs certificate 846 A (part 7 covers customs).

Part of the registration costAmount
Regional taxPer fiscal horsepower; the rate depends on your region
CO2 malus, 2026From €50 at 108 g/km up to €80,000 above 191 g/km, paid at first registration in France
CO2 malus on a used importReduced by an age-based discount; zero if first registered abroad before 1 January 2015
Transport-vehicle tax and weight malusWhere applicable
Fixed tax€11
Delivery of the certificate€2.76

Source: Service-Public, read 23 September 2026.

Crit'Air and low-emission zones: are ZFEs still in force?

Yes. Parliament voted to abolish them in article 37 of the law on simplifying economic life, but the Conseil constitutionnel struck that article down on 21 May 2026 (decision 2026-903 DC). The law was promulgated on 26 May 2026 without it, so the ZFE framework stands. According to the Ministry for Ecological Transition's ZFE portal, 25 zones are active – the page is undated, so check local rules.

The Crit'Air air-quality sticker costs €3.85, postage within France included. For a foreign-registered vehicle, order it online from the official Crit'Air certificate website, the only official seller. You need it in any ZFE and during prefectoral traffic restrictions in pollution episodes. Driving in a ZFE without it, or in a banned vehicle, risks a fine of up to €450, usually a €68 fixed fine.

CityZoneBanned
Grand ParisInside the A86 ring road (A86 excluded), 77 communesSince 1 January 2025, Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified: cars, vans and two-wheelers Monday–Friday 8:00–20:00 except public holidays; buses, coaches and lorries every day
LyonLyon, Caluire-et-Cuire, Villeurbanne, parts of Bron and VénissieuxCrit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified since 1 January 2025; Crit'Air 2 too in the central area from 1 January 2028
MarseilleInside the boulevard ringCrit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified, 24 hours a day, since September 2023
BordeauxInside the rocade (ring road)Unclassified vehicles only, since 1 January 2025

Source: City of Paris and the Ministry for Ecological Transition, read 23 September 2026.

In Grand Paris, an educational period without fines has been extended to 31 December 2026, and Crit'Air 3 vehicles get a '24-hour pass' for 24 days a year.

How do free-flow motorway tolls work?

On free-flow motorways you drive under gantries without stopping and must pay within 3 days (72 hours), with a toll tag, on the operator's website or in a Nirio shop. According to a transport ministry page last updated in June 2024, they include the A79 in Allier, the A13–A14 between Paris and Caen and the Boulay interchange on the A4. An unpaid toll costs a flat €90 on top of the toll; paying within 15 days of the notice cuts that to €10, and after 2 months it becomes a €375 fine.

What does public transport cost in Paris, Lyon and Marseille?

Fares are set locally. In the Paris region, Île-de-France Mobilités sells the Navigo pass, and your employer must reimburse at least 50% of your season ticket for commuting. Since 24 June 2024, metro line 14 has run to Orly airport.

City and ticketPrice
Paris region: Navigo Mois, all zones€90.80 a month, from 1 January 2026
Paris region: Navigo Semaine / Navigo Jour€31.60 a week / €12.30 a day
Paris region: Navigo Annuel€90.80 a month
Paris region: ticket Métro-Train-RER€2.55 (€2.04 with Navigo Liberté+), 2 hours with transfers; not valid at Orly or Charles de Gaulle airport stations
Paris region: Imagine R Étudiant or Scolaire€401.30 a year
Lyon (TCL): 1-month pass, ages 26–64€75.90 for zones 1 and 2; €91.80 all zones
Marseille (RTM): Pass 30 jours / Pass Permanent€49.50 / €40 a month over 12 months, from 1 July 2026

Source: Île-de-France Mobilités, TCL and RTM, read 23 September 2026.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Check whether your licence must be exchanged, and can beBefore you move
2Apply on ANTS with the €40 tax stampWithin 1 year of your first permit or VLS-TS validation
3Register a foreign-plated carWithin 1 month of settling
4Order a Crit'Air sticker and check your city's ZFE rulesBefore you drive into a ZFE
5Pay free-flow tollsWithin 3 days
6Buy a Navigo pass and claim 50% from your employerYour first week at work in the Paris region

Source: Service-Public, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Île-de-France Mobilités, read 23 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.