On this page
To drive your own car in France you need four documents: your UK photocard driving licence, your passport, the car’s V5C log book and your insurance certificate. In the car, French law requires a hi-vis vest for each person and an approved warning triangle. Your car must also show the UK identifier, and your headlights must not dazzle oncoming drivers. Depending on your trip, you may need a Crit’Air sticker, winter tyres or chains, and child seats.
The legal minimum
- UK photocard driving licence (no international driving permit needed)
- Passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive, valid for 3 months after you leave
- V5C log book, or a VE103 for a hired or leased car
- Motor insurance certificate (no green card needed)
- UK identifier on the number plate, or a UK sticker
- Hi-vis vest for each person, kept in the cabin
- Warning triangle
- Headlamp beam adjustment for driving on the right
Build your own checklist
Your list depends on your car and your trip. Answer the questions below, then tick items off as you pack, and print the list or save it as a PDF.
Your driving in France checklist
- UK photocard driving licence
- Passport, issued less than 10 years before you arrive and valid for 3 months after you leave
- V5C log book, or a VE103 for a car hired or leased in the UK
- Motor insurance certificate (no green card needed)
- UK identifier: UK and the Union flag on the plate, or a UK sticker
- Hi-vis vest for each person in the car
- Approved warning triangle
- Headlamp beam deflectors, or your car's own setting
Checked against GOV.UK and official French sources on 9 October 2026. Rules can change, so check before you travel.
Documents you need to drive in France
Driving licence
A full, valid UK photocard licence is all you need for a holiday or a short stay. Service-Public, the French government’s official guide, says visitors whose licence was issued outside the EU must normally carry an international driving permit (IDP) or a translation, but it makes a specific exception for British licences. GOV.UK says the same: no IDP is needed for France with a photocard licence.
If you still have an old paper licence, or a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, GOV.UK says you might need an IDP. France uses the 1968 type. IDPs cost £5.50 and you get them in person at some PayPoint shops. Our driving licence and IDP guide covers this in detail.
You must be at least 18 to drive in France with a UK licence. If you stay in France for 185 days or more in a calendar year, France treats you as resident and the short-stay rules no longer apply.
Passport
Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive in France, and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. Check both dates, because an older passport can fail the first test even with years left before it expires. You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
V5C log book or VE103
For your own car, take the original V5C log book, not a photocopy. GOV.UK says it must show your current UK address. If it doesn’t, or you’ve lost it, apply for a new one well before you go: online applications take 5 to 7 working days, and postal ones up to 6 weeks.
For a car you’ve hired or leased in the UK, you need a VE103 vehicle on hire certificate instead. VE103s are issued for a fee by the BVRLA, the AA, the RAC and the Road Haulage Association, so ask your hire or leasing company to arrange one. GOV.UK doesn’t cover company cars separately, so ask your employer whether yours counts as leased.
Insurance
All UK motor insurance gives at least the minimum third-party cover required in the EU, and you don’t need a green card. But check two things with your insurer before you go: whether your fully comprehensive cover applies in France or drops to third party, and how many days abroad your policy allows. Take your insurance certificate with you. See insurance, green card and breakdown cover.
MOT certificate
Some websites say you must carry your MOT certificate in France. GOV.UK’s list of documents to take abroad doesn’t include it, and we haven’t found a French rule that requires it. Your car does need a valid MOT to be road-legal and insured, just as at home.
Hire cars collected in France
If you hire a car in France, you don’t need a V5C or VE103: the car is French-registered. Take your licence and passport. GOV.UK says the hire company may ask to see your licence record using a DVLA check code, which you can get online before you go. Many hire companies set a minimum age above 18, so check when you book. See hiring a car in France.
Health cover
For state healthcare in France you need a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) or a valid EHIC. GOV.UK says neither replaces travel insurance, which you need for things like being flown home or private treatment. State treatment in France isn’t always free.
UK sticker or UK number plate
A UK-registered car must show the UK identifier when you drive abroad. Whether you need a separate sticker depends on what’s on your number plate:
| Your number plate shows | UK sticker needed in France? |
|---|---|
| UK with the Union flag | No |
| GB with the Union flag | Yes |
| A Euro symbol (EU flag) | Yes |
| The flag of England, Scotland or Wales | Yes |
| Numbers and letters only | Yes |
Put the sticker on the back of the car, not on the number plate. Old GB stickers are no longer valid, so remove them or cover them up. If you’re driving on to Spain, you need a UK sticker there whatever your number plate shows. More in UK sticker for France.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Driving in France kit: what’s required and what isn’t
Ready-made France driving kits often include items that aren’t required by law. French law requires only two items you must carry, plus rules about the car itself. This is what the law says about each item:
| Item | Required? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hi-vis vest | Yes | One for each person in the car, CE-marked, kept in the cabin where you can reach them, not in the boot. Put them on before anyone gets out after an emergency stop. Not wearing one, or not warning other drivers when you stop on the road, costs up to €750 (usually a €135 fixed fine). Not showing it at a police check costs up to €38. |
| Warning triangle | Yes | An approved triangle, kept in the car. Place it at least 30 metres behind the car when you’ve stopped somewhere dangerous, unless doing so would put you at risk. Same fines as the vest. |
| Working lights | Yes | All lights must work. A faulty light can cost up to €450 (usually €68), and at night the police can stop you driving on if your main lights, brake lights or indicators don’t work. |
| Headlamp beam deflectors | In effect, yes | UK headlights dazzle oncoming drivers in France. Fit deflectors or use your car’s own setting. See headlamp beam deflectors. |
| Crit’Air sticker | In low-emission zones | Compulsory in zones such as Paris, Lyon and Grenoble. €3.11 plus postage from certificat-air.gouv.fr only. €68 fine without one. |
| Winter tyres or snow chains | In mountain areas in winter | From 1 November to 31 March, in signed mountain areas. |
| Child seats | For children under 10 | A seat suited to the child’s size. Fine up to €750 (usually €135). |
| Breathalyser | No | Not compulsory, and there’s no fine for not carrying one. |
| Spare bulbs | No | Not compulsory, but recommended: a failed bulb must be replaced straight away. |
| Spare wheel | No | Recommended, with the tools to fit it. |
| First aid kit | No | Not on France’s list of compulsory equipment. Useful to have anyway. |
| Fire extinguisher | No | Not on France’s list of compulsory equipment. |
| Spare glasses | No | Not on France’s list of compulsory equipment. You must respect any conditions on your licence, such as wearing glasses. |
The car must also have a working horn and wipers, tyres that aren’t worn, a clear windscreen and front side windows, and number plates front and back, just as the MOT requires at home. See our full France driving kit guide.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Extra requirements for your trip
Driving into a city: Crit’Air
Can you drive in France without a Crit’Air sticker? Yes, on most roads. You need one inside low-emission zones (ZFE), and in some areas during high-pollution days. In the zones it is compulsory for every vehicle, including foreign cars passing through once. In Paris the rules apply inside the A86 ring road, 8am to 8pm on weekdays except public holidays. Buy it only from certificat-air.gouv.fr, where you upload a scan of your V5C and pay €3.11 plus postage. See the Crit’Air sticker guide.
Order your Crit’Air sticker more than two weeks before you travel. Ours took exactly two weeks to arrive.
Mountains in winter
From 1 November to 31 March, in mountain areas marked by signs, your car must have winter tyres with the alpine symbol (3PMSF), or you must carry snow chains or snow socks. Tyres marked only M+S are accepted only if you also carry chains.
Children
Children under 10 must travel in a child seat suited to their size, in the back. They can sit in the front only in a rear-facing baby seat with the passenger airbag switched off, or when the car has no usable rear seats, or the rear seats are all taken by children under 10. From 10, children wear an ordinary seatbelt. See driving in France with children.
Motorbikes
Riders and passengers must wear an approved helmet with four reflective stickers (fine up to €750, usually €135) and CE-marked gloves (usually a €68 fine). Riders must carry a hi-vis vest, on them or in a storage compartment, and wear it after an emergency stop.
Caravans, trailers and motorhomes
Towing and motorhomes bring extra rules on speed, size and weight. See caravans and motorhomes in France.
Before you leave home
- Three weeks or more before: order your Crit’Air sticker if you’ll drive in a low-emission zone, and check your V5C shows your current address.
- Two weeks before: check your insurance covers France for the length of your trip, and arrange European breakdown cover. Apply for a GHIC if you don’t have one.
- The week before: check your passport dates, buy beam deflectors and a UK sticker if you need them, and put a hi-vis vest for each person and the triangle in the car.
- On the day: allow extra time at the border for EU Entry/Exit System checks, which take fingerprints and a photo.
Driving in France myths
- “You need a breathalyser.” Not any more. It’s not compulsory and there’s no fine.
- “Spare bulbs, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher are compulsory.” None of them is on France’s list of compulsory equipment.
- “A GB sticker is fine.” No: GB stickers have been replaced by UK stickers.
- “The limit on ordinary roads drops to 70 km/h in the rain.” No. On two-way roads without a central reservation, the 80 km/h limit stays the same in the rain.
- “You need an international driving permit.” Not with a UK photocard licence.
What you need to drive in France: the complete checklist FAQs
What do I need while driving in France?
In the car you need your UK photocard licence, passport, the car's V5C (or a VE103 for a hired or leased car) and your insurance certificate. French law also requires a hi-vis vest for each person in the car, kept in the cabin, and an approved warning triangle. Your car must show the UK identifier, its lights must all work and your headlights must not dazzle oncoming drivers.
Do I still need a breathalyser kit to drive in France?
No. A breathalyser is not compulsory in France and there is no fine for not carrying one. The alcohol limit of 0.5 g per litre of blood still applies.
Do you need to take spare bulbs when driving in France?
Spare bulbs are not compulsory, but they are recommended. All your lights must work, a failed bulb must be replaced straight away, and a faulty light can cost up to €450, usually a €68 fixed fine.
Can I drive in France without a Crit'Air sticker?
Yes, on most roads. You need one in low-emission zones such as Paris, Lyon and Grenoble, and in some areas on high-pollution days. In a zone without one, the fine is €68 for a car. Buy it only from certificat-air.gouv.fr, at least three weeks before you travel.
Does everyone in the car need a hi-vis vest in France?
Yes. Carry a hi-vis vest for each person in the car, driver and passengers, and keep them in the cabin where you can reach them, not in the boot. Anyone who gets out at the roadside after a breakdown or accident should put one on first.
Do I need my MOT certificate to drive in France?
GOV.UK's list of documents to take abroad doesn't include an MOT certificate, and we haven't found a French rule requiring one. Your car must still have a valid MOT, as at home.
Do I need my V5C to drive in France?
Yes. Take the original V5C log book, showing your current address. For a car hired or leased in the UK, take a VE103 certificate instead. For a hire car collected in France, you don't need either.
Can I drive in France with a paper licence?
GOV.UK says you might need an international driving permit with a paper licence, and France is a 1968 permit country. Permits cost £5.50 at some PayPoint shops. With a photocard licence you don't need one.
Do I need a UK sticker if my number plate has GB on it?
Yes. Only number plates showing UK with the Union flag avoid the need for a sticker. Plates with GB, a Euro symbol, the flag of England, Scotland or Wales, or no identifier need a UK sticker on the back of the car.
Is a first aid kit or fire extinguisher compulsory in France?
No. Neither is on France's list of compulsory equipment for cars. Both are useful to carry, and other countries you drive through may have their own rules.
Does a ready-made France driving kit cover everything?
Most kits include a hi-vis vest, a warning triangle, beam deflectors and a UK sticker, which covers the equipment you need in France. They often add items that aren't required, such as a breathalyser, a first aid kit or spare bulbs. A kit doesn't include your documents or a Crit'Air sticker.
How long can I drive in France with a UK licence?
For a holiday or short stay, your UK licence is valid. If you stay in France for 185 days or more in a calendar year, France treats you as resident and the short-stay rules no longer apply.