Expat-services portal Selectra refreshed its flagship guide on 4 May, clarifying the 12-month grace period and bilateral exchange list for non-EU driving licences. Key take-away: after one year of French residency, a licence from the US, UK, Canada, Australia or another reciprocal state must be swapped for a French permis via the ANTS online portal—otherwise any motor-insurance claim can legally be refused. While Selectra zeroes in on driving-licence rules, VisaHQ’s France desk (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can simultaneously handle the visa, residence-permit and other immigration paperwork that often runs in parallel; its consultants pre-check documents, book prefecture appointments and send renewal alerts, making it easier for newcomers to hit the licence-exchange deadline without missing a beat. The article dispels online rumours about a new €40 duty (that fee applies only to EU-to-French exchanges from 12 May and not to third-country swaps, which remain free). It also notes that processing times have slipped to nine months in Paris, meaning newcomers should apply immediately after securing proof of address. For global-mobility programmes the update is more than trivia: company-car policies often exclude drivers holding an invalid foreign licence. In the event of an at-fault crash, the employer could be sued alongside the employee. HR should therefore audit assignees’ licence status during on-boarding and set calendar reminders at the six-month mark to start the exchange paperwork. Employers can help by reimbursing translation costs and providing template ‘attestation de résidence’ letters, which ANTS now accepts in lieu of utility bills for company-leased flats. A short compliance checklist added to relocation packs could avert expensive liabilities later.
