Can resident of France ride a 125cc motorbike on UK driving licence?
This is possible but you may need to take a seven hour practical test
Riding a 125cc scooters or motorbike in France may require a seven-hour practical test
FernandoV / Shutterstock.com
Can a resident of France still ride a 125cc motorbike on a UK car driving licence?
This question arises due to Brexit, as official French sources online only mention the right to drive a 125cc scooter or motorbike on a French or EU car licence.
Note that to do so also requires you to undertake seven hours of theoretical and practical training, which various centres organise as a single day’s course.
However, the logic to this is that most people moving to France with a non-EU licence are required to take steps to exchange it for a French one quickly, in the year after their move.
In the case of Britons still driving on a valid UK licence issued before 2021, as part of the UK/France reciprocal agreement on driving licences, they can also ride a 125cc scooter or motorbike if they take the formation de sept heures, a French road safety department spokesman said.
Those who have moved over with a UK licence issued from 2021 onwards are required to exchange the licence in the first year and cannot ride a scooter on them. They would either have to obtain a French car licence, or pass a separate test for the A1 licence (for scooters and motorbikes up to 125cc) instead.
Related stories
Ad
Contrôle technique for two-wheelers: Common sense or pointless?
A guide to the French driving test
London cabs set for Paris streets in new ‘exclusive’ transport option
