Is my Dutch driver's license a valid form of identification in Belgium or France?
I'm planning to travel to Namur, Belgium tomorrow, and that evening, I'll be going to Paris, France, from which I'll return the day after to the Netherlands.
Due to the recent tensions in France, security and checks have been increased, and the actual chance that I'll have to provide my identification papers is present. Therefore, I am trying to find out whether my Dutch-issued drivers license (valid until 2020+) will be sufficient when either the Belgian or French police asks me for my identification. It'll be a hassle for me to also bring my (Dutch) passport*, so I'd rather avoid that. I wouldn't have any problem with providing them with a photocopy of my valid passport.
I'm not planning to do any activities which require my identification per se, only visiting.
Is providing my Dutch drivers license a valid form of identification at the French/Belgian police / border control?
* I will be attending an indoor event where I will have to either leave my belongings at a counter, or bring it with me on the dancefloor. I dislike both options, and rather not bring my actual passport
How this ended: I brought my passport and carried it with me at all time, I haven't been in the position where any form of identification was required.
Best Answer
In France, there is no notion of a legally valid form of identification that should be presented to the police when asked and certainly no obligation to carry any given document. French citizens are perfectly entitled to live their whole lives without even holding (let alone carrying) a passport or ID card (it would not be very practical but it's not illegal per se). Foreign residents (and especially third-country nationals) are strongly encouraged to carry their residence permit and can face a lot of hassle (up to 16 hours of detention) if they don't have it with them during a police check but even in this case, it's not an offense not to carry it.
What matters is your status and if you can't document it, the police can keep you for some time to establish it. Obivously, this should almost never happen if you have a national ID card or EU passport on you but you won't find any law listing what is or is not a valid means of identification and official advice carefully dances around the issue. That's completely different from the situation in the Netherlands where not carrying the relevant document is an offense in itself, punishable by a fine.
As an EU citizen, you have a very strong right to be in France and you only need to convince the police that detaining you would be a waste of time because you're not on any list of wanted persons (which would ostensibly be the main justification for increased checks after recent events) and cannot be removed. That's why a Dutch driving license and a passport copy should be enough to satisfy any reasonable police officer during a random police check.
At the border, the situation is a bit more ambiguous. The police might be tempted to simply ask you to turn back, which is legally questionable but still happens and would obviously be a major inconvenience. For all the reasons I gave above, I don't think this would be particularly likely but I can't categorically rule it out either.
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Where is the Dutch driving license valid?
If you have a valid Dutch driving licence you can drive in any EU country and in Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. If your driving licence was issued by a country that is not part of the EU and you then exchanged it for a Dutch driving licence, you will also be able to use it in all of these countries.Is my drivers license valid in other countries?
If you stay in Qu\xe9bec for longer than 6 monthsYou must always drive with both licences \u2013 your driver's licence issued by another Canadian province or territory or foreign country, and your international driving permit. You are allowed to drive in Qu\xe9bec for as long as your international driving permit remains valid.Which driving Licences are valid in France?
Driving licenceIt must be valid and either written in French or accompanied by an official translation into French or an international licence. If you reside in France, you may use your foreign licence for one year, under certain conditions. Beyond one year, you must exchange your foreign licence for a French licence.How I FINALLY Got My Dutch Driving License!
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