ANTES driving me insane. Advice re Exchange of license?

Hello, It sounds like you've been through a frustrating process trying to exchange your Portuguese driver's license for a French one. Dealing with bureaucracy can be challenging, especially when there are communication issues. Since they seem to be stuck on the signature form, maybe you could try visiting the office in person to clarify the situation and ensure that the correct form is submitted. It might help to have someone fluent in French accompany you to make sure everything is understood correctly. Good luck with your license exchange!

Sadly, there IS no such office. ALL requests must now been made through the ANTES online website.

This is an attempt to save money on a national basis. Previously you submitted the documents at the local police station.

I have had a native french speaker assist me and they simply REFUSE to give a direct answer, even when I number them.

For example:

" 1) J'ai le formulaire. Numéro Cerfa 14879'91.

2) il est rempli avec une photo jointe.

3) c'est la 4ÈME FOIS QUE JE DEMANDE À QUELLE ADRESSE L'ENVOYER.

4) On m'a dit que l'adresse se trouvait dans le coin supérieur droit. CE N'EST PAS.

5) J'ai joint une copie du formulaire précédemment.

à moins que j'aie le mauvais formulaire, je n'ai pas besoin d'un nouveau formulaire mais seulement de l'adresse à laquelle l'envoyer.

S'il vous plaît dites-moi l'adresse à envoyer:

   Demande de permis de conduire. Echange d'un permis per un E'tat appartenant à l'UE ou I'EEE."

This is the 4th time I have stated bluntly, I do not need a form. I need the address to mail it to.  I have actually appended the form in question only to have them say: "We see you need a signature form".

Hi, you might be helped by this very professional France-based Anglo/French lawyer, who covers everything from taxes to property. I suggest to drop her a line. She's very reasonable and pragmatic.

****

I hope she can help.

Regards

Sean

@Sepharad Maybe this is an omen telling you to apply for a French license as someone coming from outside the EU would. It would probably take less time to get your license than going through this Hell.

Hi

There is a school in paris they

help exchange drving license charging fees they speak english as well

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Apparently there is a group on Facebook called "Strictly Legal France" that is extremely helpful.

Another group is called "Driving in French - French License Application".

Helpful solutions regarding frustrating situations like you're facing.

I feel your pain!

Go on the facebook page "Vehicle Registrations and Law in France" and get Lily Penny's email address.

She'll do the entire thing for you for 30 euro.

That way you'll keep your sanity and not lose precious hours of your life that you can never get back!!

Trust me. I'm Irish, living in France.

@Sepharad

It took a year for me in 2017. 

@Sepharad, the address may be the email address in the email they sent you. That would be my guess without seeing the document they sent you.  I started with the Prefecture, and it took three times to get that right. They had asked for a license translation but did not say it had to be done by an approved translator in France and certified by the US Embassy. Which said go to the internet for a translator, and I had a translation overnight. We know they have trouble understanding us, but we also must assume that they are saying what we think they are saying.

I use Google Translate on all documents, even when I understand what it says. I also translate everything I write back to English before hitting send. It has helped me understand the Government and the people much better. They operate in a very rigid system, and if you confuse them or do not understand why you do not understand them, you lose. The driver's license ended well when I figured out they did not understand the US system and I was sending the wrong thing and in the wrong order.     

Hi

I do these all the time. This is a process UNIQUELY done on ANTS. There are no cerfa forms used since this process (driving licenc exchzange process) went online.

The address is:

Centre de Numerisation ANTS

CS 40209

37172 Chambray les Tours Cedex

Hope you find your way through ok!

They keep asking for me to MAIL a "signature page" and offer to send me another one.

They insist the address is ON the page and then attach no page.

All of my online forms have been filed and I have had no response.

I have asked specifically for the mailing address of their mystery form (if not the Cerfa) and each of the 5 requests receives an obscure response, but no address, only an offer to send another form. It's like I am talking to a BOT.

Their latest response: ask your question over again.

I will mail off the form I have today. Thank you for the address.

If I get no response I will send you a note Nichole.

@Sepharad

Are you talking about the photoform when you say 'signature page'? I think one of the issues is confused nomenclatures of items. Also, to make things even more confusing, when you use the US word 'mail' meaning to send a physical item somewhere, in French this means email; as does mél, e-mail, courriel (short for courrier électronique). It's not easy, hey?! So when you hear that they are sending something by 'mail' or 'mél', it's actually email.

In British English we say 'to post' when we are talking about snail mail, and in French they say 'envoyer par La Poste' or 'par courrier'.

Hope that has helped and not hindered!

Also, I am wondering what form of contact you are using to speak to ANTS? Through their message system?

NB Driving licence exchange requests are taking 6-8 months systematically right now, and they say this when you request one. And that's vastly improved over the last few years!

@nicole8535

We definitely are speaking different languages...even when we both are speaking French.

My First application was with the grudging help of France services. My documents were posted by them directly to ANTS, who later said that the application was improper as it requested a NEW license rather than an exchange.

My second application took almost 3 hours with a native French speakers assistance. At the completion of the submission I was informed that I had to submit "The signature page, which is attached, by mail".  There WAS no attachment.

All communication is by their question posting system and response by email. This is because several calls to their phone number never once was picked up. It rang endlessly.

I responded that they had attached NOTHING, but that I have CERFA form #14879'01 -Demande de permis de conduire, marked Echange d'un permis delivre par un etat appartenat a I'UE.

This IS a photo and signature page. I sent them a scan of the page and asked them that this was the form they required (since they attached NO form) and what address it was to be mailed to.

They responded that the address was "in the upper right corner."

I again sent them the scan (which has no address) and said the form HAD NO ADDRESS anywhere on the form. They then sulked and stopped responding.

I posted a question to ANTS AGAIN asking for the address, for this page (and an additional photo), they should be mailed to, which launched more circular questions but NEVER the address which you so graciously sent me.

Finally they said I should start over for the third time and post my question.

Deciding I was dealing with the mentally deranged, I drove 14 hours to Portugal to renew my license, and now will begin again the estimated 7 month process.

Please contact me! I've done dozens of these so can help from the start - so much easier!

@Syedzuhairhaider14 What is the name of the school? Do you have an address or contact information?