Company Van/Previous Disqualification

[Soi disant]

So you're coming up to 70 then?

Well, yes. But in a time still measured in years, not months..

I've got an English friend who's lived in France for 15 years, he was 70 around 2 weeks ago and has now lost his licence and is unable to drive.
He blames Brexit, I blame the French for c*cking up the Uk to French licence exchange process.

The truth is probably that Brexit provided an insurmountable opportunity for both country's driver licensing agencies to do what they do best.

Can any blame be attached to your friend for not starting the renewal process as early as he could?

 

[snowhead]

Can any blame be attached to your friend for not starting the renewal process as early as he could?

He first applied over 2 years ago when the U.K Gov suggested it would be neccessary, so no, not for want of trying.
The easiest option would be to take a French driving test , but it's all done in French and he doesn't think he's fluent enough, despite being there on and off for over 20 years.
Just to add in the U.K you can only take the test in English, or Welsh in Wales.

 

[Mike Johnson]

In these wonderfully enlightened times I believe the driving test can be take in any language you want with the help of an interpreter all to do with human rights and equality.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I've got an English friend who's lived in France for 15 years, he was 70 around 2 weeks ago and has now lost his licence and is unable to drive.
He blames Brexit, I blame the French for c*cking up the Uk to French licence exchange process.

He should blame himself, the laws in both countries are quite clear.

 

[Soi disant]

Legal clarity does nothing to stop administrative lethargy.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Legal clarity does nothing to stop administrative lethargy.

How long did it take you to think that up, well I suppose it is April fools day.

 

[Soi disant]

Don't you call me April!

 

[snowhead]

He should blame himself, the laws in both countries are quite clear.

Yes they are quite clear.

French law doesn't allow exchange of U.K driving licences from the start of 2021
U.K law doesn't allow renewal of a U.K licence unless you are permanently resident in the U.K

So if you become 70 while permanently resident in France from Jan 2021 you're up the creek without a driving licence.

 

[brianmoooore]

There was nothing about that on the side of the bus.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Hmm permanently residence in France for 15years and has not taken up residency in the country he has adopted, he also did not see that coming with the advent of the UK leaving the EU? been driving on a UK licence all of that time ? Has he also got a UK registered car?

 

[snowhead]

Hmm permanently residence in France for 15years and has not taken up residency in the country he has adopted,

Yes I believe he has, but there was no requirement to exchange a U.K issued E.U driving licence, untill Jan this year, (at the end of the Transition period) just as there was no requirement for E.U nationals resident in the U.K to exchange their licences for a U.K one.
E.U nationals will now have to exchange for a U.K licence when theirs expires, as the U.K can no longer issue E.U licences.

And yes he saw it coming, as I posted earlier he applied for exchange over 2 years ago but the French licensing system got overwhelmed and the French did nothing about it, apart from stopping any exchanges.

His cars are registered in France.

 

[Mike Johnson]

If he has a Carte de Jour then he can apply for a French licence, irrespective if his licence is a UK issue, don't want to be unkind, but it sounds like he did nothing about it as well.

 

[snowhead]

The Carte de Jour is an E.U document so U.K citizens are no longer eligible to hold one.
All U.K citizens resident in France regardless of whether they have a Carte de Jour and regardless of it's status (permanent etc) now have untill July 2021 to apply for a new type Residency permit.
I assume because of that change licence applications based on the Carte de Jour will have been rejected.

I'm certain my friend and his wife have done everything they could do about it and will have applied for any and everthing they needed to at the first opportunity.

 

[Soi disant]

Yes they are quite clear.

French law doesn't allow exchange of U.K driving licences from the start of 2021
U.K law doesn't allow renewal of a U.K licence unless you are permanently resident in the U.K

So if you become 70 while permanently resident in France from Jan 2021 you're up the creek without a driving licence.

It's called democracy - it's what people wanted to happen.

 

[Soi disant]

There was nothing about that on the side of the bus.

Yes but what was on the bus was written by people who were known to be serial liars and who were also telling voters not to listen to anybody who knew more than them.

 

[Mike Johnson]

One would have thought that during his fifteen years of residency he would have applied for a CDJ and pretty obvious that this no longer applies to UK citizens as they are no longer a member of the EU, but ho hum defend him away, he made his bed and now has to lie in it.

 

[Soi disant]

IF he was one of the spectacularly bonkers ex-pats who voted to leave, I wonder how he feels now?

 

[Mike Johnson]

Please everyone ignore the above and let's not degenerate this forum into a Political debate on leaving the EU.

 

[Zerax]

U.K law doesn't allow renewal of a U.K licence unless you are permanently resident in the U.K

I'd love to know what checks are made on that one... I suspect it's just a tick box. Whereas I suspect that in France the local Mayor's office will pay you a visit to confirm ?

 

[Zerax]

One would have thought that during his fifteen years of residency he would have applied for a CDJ and pretty obvious that this no longer applies to UK citizens as they are no longer a member of the EU, but ho hum defend him away, he made his bed and now has to lie in it.

It always amazes me how many brits that live in foreign countries rarely bother to learn the language... I have a mate that's lived in the Canaries for over 20 years... and I know more Spanish than he does !