France’s ‘virtual licences’ for foreign drivers: five questions answered

Plans to expand a 2016 law which includes virtual driving points for foreign drivers that can be lost as if they were on a French licence are advancing in France. 

While the decree announcing new changes is yet to be publicly announced, Connexion readers have asked several questions about the incoming measures.

We answer five of the most received queries below. 

Will this apply to visitors as well as residents in France? 

In many cases, residents in France need to exchange their licence for a French one within 12 months of moving, and if they do not will need to apply for a French licence from scratch, taking the theory and practical tests. 

EU/EEA licences, as well as UK licences first issued before 2021 are exempt, and drivers can keep these until they expire, at which point they need to be exchanged for a French licence.

If a foreign licence is lost, damaged, stolen – or if the driver commits a driving offence that would see points lost on their licence – before this date, it must be exchanged for a French one.

Not doing so does not invalidate the licence but can result in a fine, usually £135. 

The 2016 law states that “every holder of a driving licence issued by a foreign authority, driving on French territory,” is affected, but it was intended to apply largely to visitors.

How will I be informed of a loss of points? 

In the event of a driver being stopped and fined by police officers, they may inform you directly if you are expected to be subject to a loss of points. 

For other offences, it may not be so simple.

France is part of information agreements with many other EU/EEA member states, meaning licence holders from these countries are informed about offences committed on French roads. 

French driving authorities can use EU member state databases to track addresses of foreign drivers and issue fines.

For countries where no such agreements exist – including the UK since Brexit – it remains unclear how they would be contacted.

There are plans for closer cooperation between the UK and EU on driving rules which could possibly see driver information agreements renewed. 

Some fines make their way to non-EU licence drivers following speeding offences in France, however this usually only happens if the driver was using a hired vehicle at the time and the hire firm names them.

The French driving authority, Antai, which manages penalties for driving offences, is said to be looking into possible ways of reaching foreign licence holders. 

Will I be able to check ‘virtual points’ online? 

Full plans are yet to be released, but based on current schemes this should be possible.

“Foreign licence holders who have committed violations and are subject to administrative or judicial restrictions on their driving rights,” in France can check their status using the ‘mespointspermis’ website, said the interior ministry in 2026, responding to a senator's earlier question on the virtual licence points. 

Drivers can access the website “using the file number,” given to them during correspondence over the incident. 

It is possible that drivers who lose points on their virtual licence will be able to access the information online, potentially using the ‘mespointspermis’ website.

Note this is how French drivers who have moved abroad and subsequently exchanged their French licence for a foreign one can keep track of their own virtual French licence. In this case they can use the NEPH code found on the back of the old licence if they have kept a record of this. 

What will the penalties be? Will they follow me to my home country?

Drivers will face the same penalties and sanctions for an offence as if they were a French licence holder. 

This can include fines and prison sentences as well as points losses. 

However, when the number of points held on the virtual licence reaches zero – the point at which a French licence would be revoked – penalties will differ.

French authorities cannot revoke a licence issued by a foreign country, as they can for a French licence.

However, the interior ministry said that “a specific sanction has been established for foreign licence holders: a ban on driving within the territory for a period of one year.” 

These penalties would not affect drivers’ ability to use their vehicles outside of France.

How many points will I lose? Will I get them back? 

This virtual licence would work the same way as its French equivalent. Starting with a set number of points, drivers could lose these until they fell down to zero, at which point the one-year ban comes into effect.

It is expected that the licence would have the same number as a French one (12 points), but such details will likely be confirmed in an upcoming decree giving more details of the scheme.
After this one-year ban drivers would have the right to drive in France re-established.

Drivers will also be able to re-accumulate points over time via automatic recovery..

For example, for single-point losses this will be earned back after six months without an offence.

If drivers go three years without committing an offence in France, their points are fully returned. This is reduced to two years if previous offences were minor (only 1st - 3rd class offences). 

It will also be possible for drivers to do a course in France to recuperate some lost points.