French Residence Permit and Exchange of Russian Driver’s License for an Entrepreneur from Moscow

Ilya is a 39-year-old entrepreneur from Moscow and the founder of an architectural bureau working with clients from Europe and Asia. Last year, he reached out to GARANT.in to legalize his status in France, where he had business partners and promising opportunities. We helped him obtain a residence permit under the Passeport Talent – Fondateur d’entreprise visa, which grants the right to live and conduct business in France.

The dossier preparation included a detailed business plan in French, a financial and economic justification of the project, translation and legalization of documents, housing rental, and coordination of the consulate appointment. Three months after the initial inquiry, Ilya received a national visa of category D, and upon arrival in France, he was issued a residence permit valid for four years. Ilya’s family—his wife and daughter—also began their relocation and reunification process.

Already in 2024, while in France, Ilya contacted us again—he remembered he had a valid Russian driver’s license and asked about the possibility of exchanging it. We reminded him that the exchange is only possible within 12 months of receiving the residence permit, and immediately took action.

The GARANT.in team organized:

• a sworn translation of the driver’s license;
• preparation of the complete document package (medical certificate, photos, proof of address);
• submission of the online application through the ANTS portal.

Thanks to the timely application, Ilya successfully exchanged his license without having to retake any exams and is now legally driving in France.

“I was prepared for a long bureaucratic process, but with GARANT.in everything went smoothly and stress-free. I especially appreciated that even such a detail as the license exchange wasn’t overlooked. Thank you for your attention to detail and support at every step.”
— Ilya M.

Conclusion

This case is a good example of how important support is—not just at the stage of obtaining a residence permit, but also afterward. GARANT.in continues to help clients with adaptation and important everyday matters, making the process of acquiring new migration statuses truly comfortable.