Do you have a foreign license and want to insure yourself in France? Find out how to find car insurance quickly.
Holders of a foreign driving license can take out car insurance in France under certain conditions. How to find car insurance with a foreign license? What are the steps to take to get insurance? All answers and explanations.
Check
the validity of the foreign driving license
Do you have a foreign license and want to know if you
can use it to drive in France? A distinction should be made between European
permits and non-European permits. The first are issued in a country of the
European Economic Area (EEA) and valid in France as long as the driver has not
committed an offence. The second are obtained in another foreign country and
are only valid for one year from the installation of the holder in France.
During this period, it must be exchanged for a French driving licence. But
before considering the procedure for exchanging the foreign license, make sure
that it is valid, written in French or accompanied by an official translation,
from a country that provides for this exchange. This process can be done with
the prefecture or the sub-prefecture.
Car
insurance with a foreign license: cases that can cause problems
Motorists who have exchanged a foreign license less
than 3 years old or who have been forced to retake the driving tests have a
6-point probationary license. They are thus considered as “young drivers” in
the eyes of insurers, which can lead to higher rates. Holders of a 12-point
driving license are also young drivers in the sense of car insurance if they
have not been insured in the last 3 years.
Another special case: people who wish to take out
insurance in France with a foreign license outside the European Economic Area.
The only way for them to be insured during its year of validity is to take out
temporary car insurance.
What
if no insurer agrees to cover you?
To find car insurance with a foreign license, do not
hesitate to compete by using an online comparator. After filling out a quick
form, you will get several personalized quotes and can choose the one that
suits you best. The cost of such insurance depends on the status of the driver
(young driver, impaired, terminated). Prices usually start from 50 euros per
month. AXA, for example, offers third-party car insurance at 54 euros per month
and April at 135 euros per month. It is advisable to compare the proposed
contracts in detail.
If no insurer agrees to cover you, you can contact the
Central Pricing Office (BCT) which will set the rate at which the insurance
company you have chosen is required to insure you. In this situation, however,
you will not be able to benefit from additional guarantees. Remember that to
enter this organization, you must have suffered at least two refusals from
insurers.