France on a UK Licence — No IDP, but You Switch Sides and the Limit Drops
United Kingdom
France
No IDP is needed with a UK photocard licence, GOV.UK says. A paper licence may need swapping for a photocard or backing up with an IDP. Expect right-hand traffic, a 0.05 alcohol limit instead of 0.08, a UK sticker on your own car and a Crit'Air sticker for central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble.
Short answers first. You do not need an IDP to drive in France on a UK photocard licence; GOV.UK’s France advice says so directly. Your own car needs a UK sticker. The legal drink-drive limit falls from 0.08 to 0.05. The minimum age to drive a car in France is 18.
If you are searching for how things changed after Brexit, the practical result for a visitor is mostly in the details below: the type of licence you hold, the sticker on the car, and the extra conditions hire firms attach.
Photocard, paper licence and the IDP question
GOV.UK says a UK photocard licence is fine in France. A paper licence is the problem case. The advice says you may need to update it to a photocard, or else get the correct version of the international driving permit alongside it. If your licence still has the old paper counterpart, sort that out weeks before you travel, not on the ferry.
Rental is a separate matter. GOV.UK warns that hire car companies often ask for more than the law: a year of driving experience, a higher minimum age and an IDP. Read the booking conditions for your pickup desk. The Driving Permit Checker is a quick way to confirm the licence side.
Taking your own car across
The page GOV.UK points to for this is its “driving abroad” guidance, and the one line that matters is the sticker: check whether you need a UK sticker, which has replaced the GB sticker. The RAC’s France guide, which GOV.UK recommends for the rules of the road, lists the other legal requirements.
In the car, France requires a warning triangle and a reflective vest. If the car is right-hand drive, remember that you sit on the kerb side, so overtaking blind is much harder. Let a passenger help you judge gaps.
Crossing from left to right
Roundabouts turn clockwise, junctions look the wrong way round to a British eye, and the classic mistake is pulling out of a petrol station onto the left. Spend your first hour on larger roads where the lane layout is obvious.
Speeds are quoted in km/h on every sign:
| Road | France | In mph |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway | 130 | 81 |
| Rural road (default) | 80 | 50 |
| Town | 50 | 31 |
Some departments have reinstated 90 km/h (56 mph) on selected secondary roads, but only where a sign says so. Britain’s 70 mph motorway limit is about 112 km/h, so the French figure is a good deal higher and the cameras are not forgiving.
Fines are handed over on the spot
GOV.UK says French police give on-the-spot fines for driving offences, speeding included. Up to 20 km/h over the limit is a fixed EUR 68 fine; 21 to 30 km/h over is EUR 135. A phone in the hand, a missed seatbelt and a red light each cost EUR 135, and the phone and red-light offences also bring points. See the Speeding Fine Calculator for your own case, or read how foreign fines are chased.
Drink-drive limit and winter rules
Police carry out roadside checks for alcohol and drugs, and penalties include fines, loss of licence and prison. With the limit at 0.05, one drink can be enough to cause trouble, so treat the rule as zero.
If your trip crosses mountain regions between 1 November and 31 March, winter tyres or chains must be fitted in certain areas, and not complying can mean a fine. GOV.UK sends you to the French public services site for the vehicle types, tyre types and areas covered.
Pollution stickers in three cities
Vehicles in central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble must show a pollution sticker (Crit’Air) from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. Checks can happen at any time, depending on pollution levels. Some older vehicles do not qualify for a sticker at all and cannot be driven in central Paris during those hours. Apply through the French Ministry of Environment website well ahead of the trip.
On the road: breakdowns and port approaches
On a motorway, the orange emergency phones are how you ask for help after an accident or when you witness one. For long drives, GOV.UK suggests planning around unknown roads, weather and fatigue, with regular breaks, and points to the Bison Futé site for traffic black spots. Motorways Radio on 107.7 FM broadcasts in French and English.
Around Calais and other ports, GOV.UK reports attempts by people to enter vehicles, sometimes after obstacles are placed on the road. Keep doors locked, keep moving where it is safe, and if you cannot proceed call 112. Campervans should avoid isolated, dark parking areas.
Emergency numbers
112 works everywhere. France also has police on 17, ambulance on 15 and fire on 18. At home you would dial 999, so save these before your first drive. More on local rules is in the France driving guide.
Sources
- GOV.UK, France travel advice, safety and security (road travel, licences, penalties, winter tyres, air pollution sticker, road safety): gov.uk
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
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Winter tyres in France — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in France whenever conditions are wintry — 1 Nov - 31 Mar (mountain law, designated departments).
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — France sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: 3PMSF on all four tyres, or snow chains / snow socks carried for two drive wheels; M+S alone no longer accepted (34 departments, signed communes only)
- Studded tyres: restricted
- Penalty: No sanction in force as of 17 Feb 2026 (penalty decree not yet published). Ignoring a B26 chain sign: 2nd-class fine, up to EUR 150. The obligation is enforceable only where B58/B59 signs are installed.
In French the rule is pneus hiver, and snow chains are chaînes à neige — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Checked against national legislation, 20 Oct 2026 · Full France tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Not with a photocard. GOV.UK's France advice says you can use a UK photocard driving licence in France. If you still hold a paper licence you may need to update it to a photocard or carry the correct IDP as well. Hire companies can ask for more than the law does, including a year of driving experience, a higher minimum age and an IDP.
France drives on the right. Britain drives on the left, so the side switch is your main adjustment, and roundabouts run clockwise.
France enforces 0.05, lower than the 0.08 limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. GOV.UK describes it as a third lower than England and Wales, and police run regular roadside checks for alcohol and drugs.
GOV.UK tells drivers to check whether they need a UK sticker to take a car outside the UK. These stickers have replaced the old GB ones. Look at the current GOV.UK guidance before you leave, because it depends on how your plates are set up.