Car registration, driver's licence in France

If you want to use a car with Ukrainian registration plates in France and other EU countries, according to European law, you can generally use it for 6 months from the date of entry into the EU. 

After this period has expired, you will need to leave the EU and re-enter its territory to start the period again. 

You can also have your car customs cleared and registered in France (the cost will depend on the type, age, fuel type of the vehicle, region, etc.) To save time, you can accurately calculate the cost of registering a car in France using this official online calculator (in French). However, if you still decide to change the registration of your car in France, you can do so by submitting an online application on the website.

At the same time, Ukrainian citizens who have been granted temporary protection in the EU have the right to use cars registered in Ukraine without registering them at their new place of residence for the entire duration of their temporary protection status. Similarly, the driving licences of such citizens are recognised by the French authorities for the entire period of their legal stay in France. In case of residence permit renewal, Ukrainian driving licences will be recognised for one year after obtaining a regular residence permit in France. After this period, an exchange for a French driving licence is mandatory to be able to drive more.

Important!

From July 2022, it will be possible to use an old-style Ukrainian driving licence, which is issued only in Cyrillic and has no expiry date, without the need to have an additional certified translation or an international driving licence.

Source: announcement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the document that provides for this is the Regulation on the use of Ukrainian national driving licences in the EU.

As of 01.01.2023, it is not possible to exchange a Ukrainian driving licence for a French one, so in order to obtain a French driving licence, you will have to pass an exam. The procedure for taking the driving test is available on the website.