well this subject just gets more and more bizzare 
went of down to the prefecture at le-puy (dept 43) to get my licence changed for the french one.
very scary lady sat behind the counter, went through all the plesentrys then got down to it conversation went like this:-
me " i am english and would like to change my driving licence for a french permit as i am residant and have been here nearly a year."
scary lady looking very confused " you dont need to change your licence as england is in the eu all you need to do is keep your carte de sejour with you at all times and the carte gris for the vehicle, and anyway all the catogaries are all the same."
so it looks like i keep the english licence and my hgv so where does that now leave me in realation to the fimo and fcos problem?
and what if i go back to the uk to work for a while where does that leave me as it has my old uk address on it?
to say i am very confused is an under statement
but on the up side no points on my licence if i get nicked for speeding again 
if any one can shed some light on the subject let me know
chris
Hi Chris,
The FIMO/FCOS isnât actually related to your license. Your C+E license says that you can drive a truck, but the FIMO/FCOS certificate proves that you have undergone safety training (after all thatâs what the letters FIMO/FCOS denote). As usual itâs the paperwork that the French are interested in - surely youâve gotten used to the French adminstrative system by now? 
From what I understand you can still request a French license if you want one, but the lady is right in saying that you donât need to have one - I guess it just depends on how long you intend to stay here and whether you want to be considered as a true resident?
Craig
Here we go again,the french lady you spoke too is both right without being wrong,it is possible to drive in france on an english licence yes but if you work for afrench company whats this about a carte gris,you should ask and from what you say without delay for a form,hold on while I get the number(old irish joke)back now,sorry no number on it but dont take the chance,exchange it anyway,I,ve learned to take at face value what I,ve been told by one offical only to be told something different by onother.
froggy:
whats this about a carte gris,you should ask and from what you say without delay for a form
She means that you need to carry the registration papers for the vehicle at all times, but if youâre still driving a British car then youâll have a V5, not a carte grise. Incidentally have any of you other ex-pats here in France managed to get your British vehicle registered? I asked about my bike and from what Iâm told I gather itâs nigh on impossible?
Craig
craig,what I should of added was how would it look to an emplyer if you had to keep asking for the look every time a driver went out in a wagon and the same if working for the agencies.About your bike,if the same rules apply to a bike as do a car it your bike must conform to european standards most late models,then if so you need a controle technique(French mot)dont know about headlights on bike but it is normal to change them on a car I will change my car to french plates when the warranty runs out and from what I,ve read on other forums it should 
be quite simple
sorry that should read on the second line log book,too early in the morning now not used to these lie-ins.
hi guys
as far as i am concerned i now live here in france and have and have a 10 year carte de sejour so surely i have to change my licence but is it a real problem if i dont?
would am employer worry too much if i went too him with the fimo ticket and my uk licence and also would it create more problems with the flick(the french nickname for the the old bill) as i said before can cop the fine but no points or will it just cause more grief than it is worth? is it worth talking to the local gendarmes and asking the question?
i am sure they know what they are talking about at the prefecture but as you say is it down to one official interpreting the rule a different way to another.
as i only have a week left to change it time is getting short
on the other subject yes it is possible to register a uk vehicle.
firstly you have to get in contact with the vehicle manufactuer here in france to apply for the certificate of conformity and they will send you out a form, phone a dealer and they will give you the phone number.
on the form it will give you all the details they require for ford france it follows:-
photocopy of the v5
all the details off the manufactuers plate under the bonnet normally found by the radiateur
a copy of the facture for changing the headlights and then to be checked by a dealer and an attistation
and a check for ââÂŹ106,71
2nd. send the v5 back to swansea and get an export cert.
wait for that to come back then get the ct (controle technech) done this costs about ââÂŹ58 but lasts for 2 years and the center will keep hold of the stamp till the carte gris is issued at the prefectores but they only hold it for 2 weeks after the 2 week period it will have to be checked again and another stamp issued to be stuck on the carte gris.
after all the docs have been got it is off to the prefectures with copies of everything to then have the carte gris issuied then off to the friendly local car spares shop or agricultueral dealers to get the plates made up then stick em on the car.
shouldnt take much longer than 6 months simple really 
chris
froggy:
craig,what I should of added was how would it look to an emplyer if you had to keep asking for the log book every time a driver went out in a wagon and the same if working for the agencies?
Hey Froggy, thanks for clearing that up - I thought it was just me that couldnât see what you meant!
If you drive for a French company youâll need to have the papers for the unit and the trailer at all times under law. I worked for a fairly rough outfit down in Vitrolles (thankfully only for a short time) but even they insisted that you always had the correct papers with you, handing over the trailer papers at every changeover, the same as they do in virtually all european countries. If my memory serves me correctly we just carried a copy of the carte grise rather than the actual paper, although I suppose if les poulets want to be awkward they could insist that you carry the original. I know that when I do work with companies like Volvo and Merc they normally only give me a copy of the truck papers, but I guess theyâve got a bit more clout with the authorities than a small haulier?
As for the registration biz, I know the theory, but I also know a British guy up here in 62 has been struggling for years to get his Yamaha FJ registered and it just wonât happen. Maybe it depends on how well you know the people at the M.I.N and the prefecture? Have any of you guys actually donât the deed yet?
Craig
am in the throws of it now for the old mans mondeo its the st24 and not worth a carrot back in the uk, and i now have a suzuki vitara to do as well bought for ÂŁ1200 to buy the same over here be looking at more like ÂŁ5000.
a mate of mine has just done an old 93 audi 80 and said it wasnt too much stress.
if the bike is a problem take it back to the uk, my mate has got a nice yami 1300 somethingorother for sale french registered and goes like the proverbial off a very shiney shovel
chris
hi ya caveman ,how did you get on with it all,any joy?Let us know how you did,regards froggy. 
Have I come to the right place, is this the French forum?
Good.
First of all you are all right and on the other hand all right. But some of you are wrong. That is the French system.
FCOS and, I assume FIMO, is obligatory for all SPL drivers of French reg trucks. Nothing to do with licence.
Licences for cars do not have to be exchanged unless you have points awarded. Then you must change to allow them to go on a French licence.
Licences for trucks should be exchanged although I met a Portuguese driver at the FCOS course who still had is own licence after 10 years because his prefecture said it was ok. No problem on the course though, see above under FCOS.
Cartes Grises must be carried for all French reg vehicles including trailers at all times.
Changing reg on cars depends on the age and make of the vehicle. If itâs on the computer in Paris itâs relatively simple although you may need manufaturer documentation. My Citroen Saxo, although RHD, needed no manuf. docs., no test, not even headlight check. In fact Iâm still on RHD heads after 2 years. It wasnât even picked up at the CT. Will change for my own benefit though. Canât see the kerb when I dip the lights!
My friend with an English Volvo had loads of trouble and had to have correspondence with Sweden to get the CG. At one time the prefecture told him âthis car does not existâ which elicited a very frustrated reply to the effect âcome outside and Iâll show it to youâ.
This all boils down to the fact that, as has been said, there is no consistancy, even within the same prefecture, never mind different ones.
At one point I presented documents to Perigueux to be waved away by the official who said I had to go to the Hotel des Impots for some other documents. I waited 5 minutes 'till that official was busy and then re-presented to his mate. Bam, Bam, Bam - no problem!
Canât remember the exact procedure, Craig, but you need to go to the Mairie, the Hotel des Impots, the Mines (DRIRE) and the prefecture. Not necessarily in that order. Sometimes your local garage man can help but mine also suggested I wake the operator of the newly renovated village weighbridge and weigh the thing! Everybody else said âdonât botherâ so didnât.
Got to go to bed. Taking my Dutch friend to the (English) computer shop in Eymet(24) tomorrow, 180 mile round trip, to set her up on the internet. Will be stocking up on Shredded Wheat etc. at the English shop. That town is so English they even have a cricket club!
Salut, David.
i keep reading this topic about euro licences and what i have its all in france so can anyone tell me if it is the same in spain as i have been for a rake of jobs and all they have asked for is my hgv licence
Maybe the forum admin should think about(hello forum admin)ex-pat euro site,I think there are alot of us about and more are coming.As for for licences in spain its my understanding that the licence should be changed before someone has been a resident in euro land for a year otherwise in law they could be asked to take all the claases again.The french have there own laws which could stop any non french HGV driver working in france for lack of two extra bits of paper.
froggy:
Maybe the forum admin should think about(hello forum admin)ex-pat euro site,I think there are alot of us about and more are comingâŚ
Froggy,
Donât agree at all (hello forum admin), I donât want to be divorced from our mates across the Atlantic and Oz, but I DO think that maybe this thread should be in the Ex-Pat forum rather than Euro.
Roules bien grenouille,
Salut, David.
hello dave, yeah can go for that ,this subjuct should be on the ex-pat forum it just seemed to carry on from the orginal question and we all replied to it,just to add I sent my licence in yesterday and hope (fingers crossed)that it comes back in french and minus the 3 points I got a couple of years ago on the A17 sleaford bypass,speed camera!
froggy:
I sent my licence in yesterday and hope (fingers crossed)that it comes back in french and minus the 3 points I got a couple of years ago on the A17 sleaford bypass,speed camera!
Counting on the French not counting eh?
By the way, went to Eymet today, got the friendâs computer sorted no bother but horrors, the English Shopâs cupboard was practically bare!!
No Shredded, Shreddies, McVities or Brown sauce. In fact not one single item on my list. He said the English take too much time off over Christmas and he hasnât had a delivery since.
Come on you lot, where are you? All Iâve got is plenty of cold turkey!
Salut, David.
BondiTram:
the English Shopâs cupboard was practically bare!!
No Shredded, Shreddies, McVities or Brown sauce. In fact not one single item on my list. He said the English take too much time off over Christmas and he hasnât had a delivery since.Come on you lot, where are you? All Iâve got is plenty of cold turkey!
Salut, David.
Ah, I knew that there was some advantage in living this far north: the landscape may be a little lifeless and the weather cold but at least it doesnât take long to go over and stock up on provisions
Craig
hi guys (and admin staffers)
have come to the conclusion that i cant be (zb) to change my licence, and if i need to earn some beer tokens its just as simple to go back to the uk and do a bit over there, but will still try and sort fimo out.
as for shopping the security muppets at stansted airport must wonder what is going on on the ryan air flights to clermont ferrand now finished, and st etienne cause when family and friends come over they get the usual shopping list:
bacon
pg tips tea bags
custard creams
hp sauce
bisto
and if im lucky real beer IPA green king
hows this for a plan maybe us english expats in france should try and get together put names to faces, shoot the merd and have a few beers? what do you guys think?
chris
edited for language if you need to put in stars its a good clue itâs not allowed mrs mix
caveman:
usual shopping list:
bacon
pg tips tea bags
custard creams
hp sauce
bisto
and if im lucky real beer IPA green king
hows this for a plan maybe us english expats in france should try and get together put names to faces, shoot the merd and have a few beers? what do you guys think?
chris
Chris,
You may find the bacon shuttle is illegal, you donât want to end up on a petition.
As regards getting together. Yes, fine but we do all live pretty far apart. However, Iâm going up to Calais for March 26th and will certainly give Craig a call beforehand and in September I will be going over to Grenoble for the World Petanque Championships and you will be on my route so maybe then.
Salut, David.
dont want to sound thick but what is a petition?
the bacon is the only thing i miss from home that and the ipa 
we also use the bacon in the resturant for the petit dej anglais and it goes down a storm too even at 10ââÂŹ a pop
it is true about the distances look on the map of france and what is only 4 inches away can take a day to drive, will have to come up with another plan. 
salut
chris