A Moroccan driving licence is valid in France only for one year after you establish normal residence there. It must be exchanged for a French licence through the ANTS online service, with a EUR 40 tax stamp. Morocco appears on the official list of States concerned. Information checked on 21 October 2026 on service-public.gouv.fr and securite-routiere.gouv.fr.
Costs & fees
| Electronic tax stamp for the exchange | EUR 40 (EUR 20 in French Guiana) | Paid at the end of the online procedure, or bought on the tax website or from an approved tobacconist, according to page F1460. |
| Translation of the licence and documents | Set by the sworn translator: check with them | Translations made in France are done by an accredited translator or by the embassy of the issuing country. |
| Statement of driving entitlements | Set by the issuing authority: check with it | The official pages read do not name the issuing body or give an amount. |
Timeline
Find out whether the exchange is compulsory and by when
According to Service Public page F1460, a licence issued outside the EU and EEA is valid in France for only 1 year from the date you acquire normal residence. To keep driving after that period, exchanging it for a French licence is compulsory. For a newly arrived foreigner in a lawful situation, the period runs from the issue of the first residence permit (or the validation of a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit). Renewing a permit or changing status does not restart the period. For a French citizen, the application is made less than a year after settling in France. For a European national, it falls between the 6th and 18th month of residence.
⚠️ Warning: Holders of a student residence permit or an RECE card have no exchange to request, according to page F1460.
Check that the Moroccan licence can be exchanged
The reciprocity list published by the Ministry of the Interior (updated 1 May 2026) includes Morocco, with the entry "Toutes" (all) in the column for the French licence categories that can be obtained. The licence must also meet the conditions of page F1460: be valid, have been issued by the country of normal residence before settling in France, correspond to an equivalent category, and be written in French or come with a translation. The list states that electronic or dematerialised licences are not exchanged: a physical licence is required. A Service Public simulator lets you test whether a licence is exchangeable.
Gather the documents to scan
Documents are supplied as photos or scans; the original may be requested. For everyone: the original licence in colour, front and back, its translation if needed, proof of identity, proof of address less than 6 months old, the digital photo and signature code, a statement of driving entitlements less than 6 months old (with translation if necessary) and the electronic tax stamp. For a foreigner: proof of lawful residence (residence permit or OFII sticker in the passport). For a French citizen: proof of the date of return to France, and the defence and citizenship day documents between ages 17 and 25. A translation made in France is done by an accredited translator or by the embassy of the issuing country in France; a translation made abroad must be legalised or apostilled, according to page F1460.
File the application online on ANTS
The application is made on the ANTS (France Titres) website, in the exchange online service. You log in with FranceConnect, the France Identité app or France Titres credentials. The EUR 40 electronic tax stamp (EUR 20 in French Guiana) is compulsory: it is paid at the end of the online procedure, or bought on the tax website or at an approved tobacconist. According to the online service page, only the exchange of a licence obtained abroad involves a payment, of this amount.
Drive during processing and send the original
According to page F1460, you may drive during processing, which can take several months. At the end of processing, a text message and an email ask you to send the original foreign licence by registered post, unless it has been suspended or cancelled. A secure filing certificate (ADS), downloadable from the ANTS site, is valid for 4 months. It allows you to drive while waiting for the French licence, within the period for which the foreign licence is recognised. The original is requested because the rules provide that the foreign licence is handed over when the exchange is requested, according to the Ministry of the Interior reciprocity list.
Receive the French licence
The French licence is sent by tracked letter, about 15 days after the validation text message, according to page F1460. If tracking shows delivery but the letter has not arrived, you can contact ANTS through the online form or on 34 00 (not a premium-rate number), or on 09 70 83 07 07 from overseas territories and abroad, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. The licence obtained is valid for 15 years from issue, except for medical restrictions or the so-called heavy categories.
Know what applies if the exchange is not possible
If the conditions for exchange are not met, page F1460 states that you must take the driving test in France. A few points from the page: motorcycle licence A cannot be obtained by exchange, an A2 licence is issued and training is required after 2 years to obtain licence A; if the foreign licence was a probationary one, the French licence is too. Where the licence was suspended, withdrawn or cancelled in the issuing country, or where the right to drive was cancelled in France before the foreign licence was obtained, the page excludes exchange.
In depth
The starting point of the deadline varies with the situation. For a foreigner, page F1460 uses the issue of the first residence permit, or the online validation of a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit. For a European national, the application falls between the 6th and 18th month of residence. For a French citizen settling in France, it is made less than a year after settling; proof of the date of return to France is then requested, along with the defence and citizenship day documents for those aged 17 to 25.
The reciprocity list shows Morocco with all categories. It also reminds applicants that driving entitlements must originally have been obtained through a theory and practical test and must not be suspended in the licence's country of origin. Page F1460 adds a requirement for a person who does not hold the nationality of the issuing country: proof of normal residence in that country when the licence was issued, for example a consular attestation, an employment contract or payslips. For a heavy-vehicle licence, a medical fitness opinion or a declaration waiving the heavy categories is requested.
The reciprocity list is updated by the Ministry of the Interior: the one read for this guide is dated 1 May 2026, and a more recent version may exist. The reverse direction, exchanging a European licence in Morocco, has its own guide: /en/guides/morocco-driving-license-mre-exchange-renewal.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕A foreign licence is valid in France for only 1 year from acquiring normal residence: exchange is compulsory to keep driving afterwards.
- ✕Renewing the residence permit or changing status does not restart the one-year period.
- ✕Electronic or dematerialised licences are not exchanged: the physical licence must be handed in.
- ✕An expired licence is not exchanged: it must be valid when the application is filed.
- ✕Motorcycle licence A cannot be obtained by exchange: an A2 licence is issued.
- ✕Holders of a student residence permit have no exchange to request while their right of residence lasts.
🔗 Official links and resources
Service Public: exchanging a licence obtained outside Europe
Page F1460: conditions, deadlines, documents and how the procedure works.
List of States whose licence can be exchanged (May 2026)
Reciprocity list from the Ministry of the Interior, updated 1 May 2026.
Service Public simulator: can my licence be exchanged?
Tool to check whether a non-European licence can be exchanged.
Online service for exchanging a foreign licence
Service Public page that links to the ANTS online procedure.
ANTS (France Titres): driving licence
ANTS (France Titres) website, where the online exchange is made.
❓ Frequently asked questions
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