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DRIVING

France’s new digital driving licence: What is it and how does it work?

France’s pivot to an increasingly digital future is continuing apace and next thing to be 'dematerialised' is driving licences.

Published: 17 May 2023 15:37 CEST
Updated: 21 May 2023 08:30 CEST
France’s new digital driving licence: What is it and how does it work?
(Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)

France is set to roll-out a digital driving licence from the beginning of next year, the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTS) has confirmed.

What is it?

It’s exactly what it says in the headline. It’s a certified digital version of your French driving licence that you can access via a smartphone if you need it. If you don’t yet have a French licence, you cannot use this.

READ ALSO How to swap your driving licence for a French one

Can’t I just take a photo of mine?

No. Well, yes, you could. But no. The thing is, a photo on your phone won’t  be a certified digital version of your licence. Importantly, the police will be able to scan the official digital version of your licence to ensure it is legitimate, in a manner similar to the Covid-19 vaccine passports (remember those?).

Do I have to rid of my photocard or paper card?

No. In fact, you should keep hold of it. It is not mandatory to have the digital version in France. It’s just a more accessible version of it using equipment you’re likely to have with you, so you can leave the actual licence at home

“This dematerialised licence will never replace the physical version but will come as a complement to simplify the lives of citizens who are fond of digital administrative procedures,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, told Le Parisien. 

This “certified copy” will be useful “in the fight against identity theft, but also to facilitate obtaining, for example, a power of attorney,” he added.

Furthermore, the digital version will – for now – only be accepted in France, so if you plan to drive abroad, you’ll still need your physical licence. 

Okay, then, how do I get my digital driving licence?

You can’t yet. Digital licences will first be trialled in the Rhone, Hauts-de-Seine and Eure-et-Loir departments towards the back end of the year, before being rolled out nationwide from early 2024.

What about data security?

Good question. And one officials think they have the answer to. The only way to get hold of and store a digital driving licence will be via the official France Identité app. This already exists for Android phones on Google Store. 

An iPhone version is in beta testing and will, officials say, be available soon.

That’s good. But how do I get it when it becomes available?

Assuming the process is the same as for an ID card, after you have downloaded the app, you will need:

  • An modern chipped driving card in credit card format which contains a secure chip with your information (surname, first name, date of birth, photo, etc);
  • A smartphone compatible with NFC “contactless” technology. 

For most people, this won’t be a problem. If you have an iPhone, all models are compatible since the iPhone 7 launched in 2016. On the Android side, all phones capable of running Android 8 are – in theory – compatible.

Then you scan the photo side of your card using the app. 

After doing that, you need to transfer the data stored on your licence’s chip. You do this as you would making a contactless payment using your bank card, by putting your driving licence close to your phone. Be patient – the actual data transfer process takes a little longer than making a contactless payment, but not much. 

Once you see a blue tick appear on the screen, with the confirmation: “lecture terminée”, you can move on to step three, creating a confidential code to access your digital licence.

This step requires you to prove your identity – you can do this via the France Identité app, or through your secure log-in to health insurance site Ameli or by asking your friendly neighbourhood La Poste delivery person to confirm your identity.

What if I don’t want to use this?

No-one is forcing you, this is in addition to the physical licence, not instead of. If you prefer to keep things paper-based (well actually the licence photocard is plastic) you can carry on using your physical licence. 

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For members

LIVING IN FRANCE

Reader question: Will I need to do a French ‘integration’ class to renew my carte de séjour?

France's new immigration law contains extra provisions for 'integration' - including promising to adhere to French values and attending classes on French history and culture. Here's what they mean for foreigners in France.

Published: 19 April 2024 17:23 CEST
Reader question: Will I need to do a French 'integration' class to renew my carte de séjour?

Question: I read that France will now be requiring foreigners to sign a contract promising to respect French values, and to take civics classes – does that mean I will have to do that when I next renew my carte de séjour?

The short answer to this is – maybe, it depends on the type of card you have and what change you’re hoping to make.

Here’s the longer answer;

France’s new immigration law, passed back in January, brought in three main changes for foreigners in France – language tests, a contract promising to ‘respect the values of the French republic’ and expanded classes in civics (French culture, history and values).

Language tests

Undoubtedly the biggest change for most people is the language tests – we have covered this topic extensively HERE.

Contracts 

Then there is the Contrat d’engagement au respect des principes de la République française – which is a promise to respect the ‘values of the French republic’ such as personal freedom, freedom of expression and equality between men and women.

In practical terms, this is just a form that you will need to sign as part of the application process for a visa or residency card – you can find full details on exactly what you’re agreeing to respect HERE.

This applies to all types of visa and residency card, including renewals. It is not yet in force, but is expected to come into effect later this year.

Classes

Then there are is the contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR), which has a confusingly similar name. This involves extra courses in civics and language that certain groups can be required to attend.

The CIR is a lot more than just signing a form, you also agree to take several hours of classes – but the key thing is that many groups are exempt from this requirement.

The immigration law doesn’t actually change who is required to sign the CIR and do the classes, it just expands the scope of the classes themselves and adds a test at the end.

These don’t apply to people applying for visa, it’s only when you get your residency permit – carte de séjour/titre de séjour – that you may be required to meet with OFII (the French office of immigration and integration) and take the classes.

Exemptions – Let’s start with exemptions – if you are applying for or renewing any of the following carte de séjour types you do not need to do the classes; 

  • Visitors (carte de séjour temporaire “visiteur”)
  • Students (carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “étudiant”)
  • Trainees/interns (carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “stagiaire”)
  • Temporary workers (carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “travailleur temporaire”)
  • People who were born in France and have resided here for at least eight years (you fall under the jeune étranger né en France status of the carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “vie privée et familiale”)
  • People with serious illness (you fall under the ‘étranger malade‘ category of the carte de séjour temporaire portant la mention “vie privée et familiale”)
  • Seconded employees and their families (carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention “salarié détaché”)
  • Seasonal workers (carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention “travailleur saisonnier”)
  • Talent passport holders and their families (carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention “passeport talent”)
  • People who completed at least three years of French secondary school or one year of higher education in France
    EU/EEA/ Swiss nationals
  • Holders of the post-Brexit Article 50 TUE carte de séjour
  • People who qualify for the carte de résident due to service in the French foreign legion or military

So who does have to do the classes? – The new law does not change who has to sign the CIR (and by extension, agree to take the classes), certain groups have always been required to do this, including;

  • Workers on a salarié carte de séjour
  • Self-employed people on a entrepreneur/profession libérale status
  • Certain groups on the ‘vie privée et familiale‘ statuses, including parents of French minors and foreign spouses and partners (PACs) of French nationals.
  • Applicants for the carte de résident de longue durée-UE card, which is given to people after five years of residency in France
  • Refugees

You only have to sign the CIR and take the assigned courses once, and the certificate then applies to all future card applications and renewals. 

How to access the classes

In most cases, people do the classes shortly after arriving in France when they request their first carte de séjour (usually after three months of residence, although it can be longer for different card types).

It is part of the general summons by the OFII which can also include language classes and a medical test.

OFII: Your questions answered on France’s immigration office

However if you are swapping from a card type that is exempt onto a card type that is not exempt you may also have to do them – for example if you apply for the carte de résident de longue durée-UE after five years of residence and were previously on a ‘visiteur’ card.

In this case you won’t receive a summons from OFII, you will need to contact them and request the relevant form. You will be called to an interview and from this interview they will decide whether you need to do the classes or not – it depends on your level of French and whether you can demonstrate that you are integrated into French society and understand French values.

In the case of the carte de résident de longue durée-UE, the opinion of your local mayor or commune can be taken into account – so if you know your mayor you could ask them to write an attestation stating that you are well integrated into local life, which may help.

So that’s the long answer – we did warn you. 

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