How to exchange a foreign driving licence

A user who holds a foreign driving licence that is recognised by the Principality of Monaco who is an officially recognised resident in the Principality and present 185 days or more per calendar year, must submit a request to exchange his or her licence at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office.

Official resident status is granted on the 186th day after a user’s arrival in the Principality.

Example: I take up residence in the Principality on 1 January 2023. I become an official resident on 6 July 2023. I have from 6 July 2023 to 5 July 2024 to request the exchange of my driving licence.

If this request is not made within one year of obtaining official resident status, the foreign permit will no longer be valid, and its holder will lose all rights to drive a vehicle in the Principality.

However, residents who have missed this one-year deadline are not required to take all of the theoretical and practical driving tests in the Principality. Instead, they can ask a driving school to arrange a driving skills test for the relevant categories (in this case, refer directly to section 4).

This test is carried out by a Driving Licence and Road Safety Inspector with the aim of assessing ability, behaviour and knowledge of the rules of driving.

Prior registration with a driving school in the Principality is mandatory and a minimum of 3 hours of driving lessons must be taken.

Anyone who holds a foreign driving licence that is not recognised by the Principality of Monaco must register with a driving school to be able to sit the theory and practical driving tests.

Please note: since 23/04/2022, all the categories shown on foreign driving licences are included on the Monegasque driving licence, provided they are still valid.

However, this change does not apply to foreign driving licences exchanged prior to this date, and only licence categories obtained following a driving test will be transferred.

There is a fee associated with this service - Please see

Requests to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Monegasque driving licence must be made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office, before the applicant’s first residence permit expires:

• Either, using the special online service
• Or using the appropriate form, duly completed and signed on the original by the applicant. The form may be:
  • Downloaded online:
    STC010 Demande de permis de conduire national ou international Interactif (385-0055_01-2023)

    PDF296.6 kB
  • Collected from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office 

It is only possible to make one application for exchanging a driving licence. All the categories and sub-categories for which the exchange is desired must be marked on the online service or on the form.

The request for a driving licence must be accompanied by a copy of the following documents:

• For Monegasque nationals:
  A valid Monaco national identity card (both sides) 
  Or a valid national passport with a proof of address (gas or electricity bill from the SMEG, rental agreement) dated of less than 3 months
• For residents: valid residence permit (both sides)
• The original of your valid foreign driving licence
• A points statement or an integral information from the issuing country confirming that the right to drive has not been suspended or withdrawn, dated of less than 3 months – the following information must be specified: surname, first name, date of birth and driving licence number for the person concerned
• Or a certificate from the issuing country confirming that the right to drive has not been suspended or withdrawn, dated of less than 3 months - the following information must be specified: surname, first name, date of birth and driving licence number for the person concerned 
• A recent, coloured ID photo, dated within the last 6 months, on a light background, frontal view, bareheaded, of size 35x45, not scanned 
• If you are over 70 or are entitled to drive certain categories of heavy vehicles:
  A medical certificate issued within the past 3 months issued by a doctor in the Principality of Monaco who is authorised to conduct medical examinations to determine fitness to drive a land Vehicle, in accordance with the model provided for that purpose; the certificate must include a photo, which must be overwritten by the doctor’s signature
  This may be:
  Downloaded online: 
  STC011 Certificat médical d'aptitude à la conduite de véhicules terrestres (385-0055_08-2023)

  PDF273.5 kB
  
  Collected from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office

Any administrative procedure undertaken at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office by a third party must be accompanied by a mandatesigned by the principal and by supporting documents showing proof of these persons' identities.

The mandate allows the representative to submit and track the progress of the principal’s application, but not to sign documents instead of the principal.

Documents must be in French or if they are written in a foreign language, be accompanied by a translation into French, by a sworn translator at the Monaco Court of Appeal or a French Court of Appeal

Where necessary, translations can be made in the country issuing the documents to be translated. In this case, they must be legalised or apostilled.

If the country issuing the documents to be translated is a signatory to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, the apostille for the sworn translation can be requested directly from the Court of Appeal where the translator is registered.

If the issuing country is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, diplomatic or consular legalisation of the translation will be required.

The list of sworn translators in the Principality of Monaco is available from the Monaco Court of Appeal, while the list of sworn translators at the French Court of Appeal can be found on the following website: www.annuaire-traducteur-assermente.fr

The Monegasque driving licence will be issued at the appointment arranged in point 3. In exchange, you will be required to hand over your original foreign driving licence, and the original medical certificate, if applicable. For applications submitted on paper, payment will be requested on collection.

If you apply to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Monegasque licence after the one-year deadline, you will need to take a driving skills test with a Driving Licence and Road Safety Inspector.

The completed application should be submitted to your driving school, including the form described in section 1 and the supporting documents listed in section 2. You will receive a payment receipt (invoice) within a few days.

Your driving school will register you for the driving skills test with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office. Your driving school will inform you of the day, time and place of the test to be taken, which will be carried out by a Driving Licence and Road Safety Inspector. It will be taking place with a vehicle from your driving school, in the presence of one of its representatives. You must take proof of a valid ID (Monaco identity card or residence permit) with you.

You will be informed of the results of the test immediately after its completion. In the event of postponement, the administrative fee must be paid in the form of a bank cheque made out to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office and given to your driving school.  You should then contact, after a legal deadline of 10 days, your driving school again to arrange a new appointment and take the rearranged test.

In the event of unexcused absence from a test, the administrative fee must also be paid in the form of a bank cheque made out to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office and sent to your driving school.

Once you have done this, you must contact your driving school again to take the rearranged test.  If the absence is for medical reasons, exemption from these administrative fees may be considered, upon presentation of a medical certificate bearing the date of the day of the test.