French driving licence: mobile app lets you keep original at home

YOU CURRENTLY NEED A FRENCH ID CARD TO DO THIS BUT CARTES DE SÉJOUR ARE SET TO BE ADDED THIS YEAR Drivers in France can now carry a valid electronic copy of their driving licence and

identity card via an official government mobile app. The France Identité app lets drivers regroup their identity cards and driving licences in one secure location as part of a wider push to

simplify checks. The app has worked for digital copies of French identity cards since 2021. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the national rollout of the app for driving licences

on February 14 after successful limited trials in Rhône, Hauts-de-Seine and Eure-et-Loir. “This solution will let people keep their identity data safe behind a high level of security,” said

Mr Darmanin. “The integration of driving licences into the France Identité app is essential to simplify driving habits”. The move to simplify habits by digitising documents also includes the

phasing out of car insurance stickers, which are to be REPLACED BY AN ELECTRONIC REGISTER FROM APRIL. There are also plans to create an electronic carte grise in 2024, however details on

this have not been finalised. The authorities point out that the app is voluntary and that there are no plans for it to replace physical driving licences or identity cards. HOW DOES THE

FRANCE IDENTITÉ APP WORK? At present it only works for holders of French identity cards and French driving licences, which must have been printed after 2021 in the ‘credit card’ format

(rather than the old paper format). Other identity papers, including _cartes de séjour _and passports are not currently accepted, neither are foreign driving licences. However, there are

plans to include _cartes de séjour _on the app later in 2024. The app, which is free to download, requires a smartphone with Android 8 or iOS 16. To upload your French driving licence into

the app you must connect to MES POINTS PERMIS and download your _rélévé d’information restreint_ (RIR) document. Next, allow the app to photograph and scan your identity card using your

smartphone’s NFC Tag reader. You can then scan the QR code from the RIR document to upload a digital copy of your driving licence to the app. READ MORE: CAN I REGISTER A NEW CAR IN FRANCE

WITH A FOREIGN LICENCE? DO POLICE OFFICERS NEED REASON TO STOP AND CONTROL DRIVERS IN FRANCE?