How to trade your foreign driver licence for a German one

If you have a foreign driving licence, you can exchange it for a German driving licence. This guide shows you how.

Can you already drive in Germany?

If you visit Germany

You can drive during your visit. Your foreign driving licence is valid in Germany.¹² If you have a motorcycle licence, you can ride a motorcycle. Temporary licences and learner’s permits are not valid.²

You usually need a translation of your driving licence. There are 2 ways to get a translation:

• Get an International Driving Permit 
  • United Kingdom: at the Post Office
  • United States: from the AAA or AATA.⁴ You can apply by post.
  • Canada: from a CAA Travel Centre,⁵ a vehicle registration office (like the SAAQ), or a Canadian embassy or consulate.⁶
• or get a certified translation…
  • from a certified translator like Red Tape Translation or LingoKing
  • or from your country’s embassy or vehicle registration office
  • or from a recognised automobile association like ADAC (Germany), AA (UK), AAA (US) or CAA (Canada).

You don’t need a driving licence translation if…¹

• Your driving licence is from the EU, EEA, Andorra, Hong Kong, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Senegal or Switzerland.²⁶
• or it follows these rules (Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Annex 6, page 146)
• or it’s in German

If you live in Germany

Foreign driving licences are sometimes valid in Germany:

• EU or EEA driving licences
  Your driving licence is valid in Germany until it expires.¹⁸ After it expires, you can exchange it for a German driving licence at the Bürgeramt. You don’t need to take driving classes.
  • Converted driving licences
    If you got a driving licence outside of EEA and Annex 11 countries, then converted it to a EU driving licence without taking a driving exam, your EU driving licence is only valid for 6 months after you move to Germany.²⁴ You might need to take driving classes to get a German driving licence.
• Ukrainian driving licences
  If you are a Ukrainian asylum seeker, your driving licence is valid in Germany.²³ If it expires after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s still valid in Germany.
• Other driving licences
  After you move to Germany and register your address, your driving licence is valid for 6 months.¹⁹ After 6 months, you must convert it to a German driving licence.

How to convert your driving licence

Basic requirements

You can convert any foreign driving licence. You can do this any time after moving to Germany.⁸ Depending on the country where you got your driving licence, you might need to take driving lessons or a driving exam.

There are a few conditions:

• You got it before moving to Germany
  You must have received your foreign driving licence before you moved to Germany. I renewed my Canadian driving licence after moving to Berlin. I had to show photocopies of my old Canadian licence, to prove that I had a Canadian driving licence before moving to Germany.
• It’s not expired⁷
  Your foreign driving licence must still be valid. Expired EU and EEA driving licences can still be converted.⁹
• It’s a full driving licence
  You can’t convert a temporary licence or a learner’s permit.²⁷

Sometimes, truck and motorcycle licences from non-EU countries can’t be converted. See the rules for your country.

When you convert your driving licence, they check where you got driving lessons. For example, if you converted your Iranian driving licence to a Spanish driving licence, they will follow the rules for Iranian driving licences, because that’s where you passed your driving exam.²⁵

1. Register your address

Register your address (Anmeldung) first. You need an address registration certificate to convert your driving licence.

How to register your address in Berlin

How to get a registration certificate

2. Check the requirements for your country

Where did you get your driving licence? The requirements are different for each country.

• EU and EEA countries
  You don’t need to take any exam, test or course.²¹
• Annex 11 countries
  • Pass a theoretical driving exam (only for some countries)
  • Pass a practical driving exam (only for some countries)
• Other countries
  • Take a first aid course
  • Get an eye test
  • Pass a theoretical driving exam
  • Pass a practical driving exam

3. Take a first aid course

If your licence is not from an EU, EEA or Annex 11 country, you must take a first aid course (Erste-Hilfe-Kurs). It takes around 9 hours and costs around €70.¹³

Where to take a first aid course in English:

• Fahrschule Oscar
• German Red Cross
• Erste Hilfe Station

4. Get an eye test

If your licence is not from an EU, EEA or Annex 11 country, you must get an eye test (Sehtest). It takes a few minutes and costs less than €10.

Where to get an eye test:

• At the optometrist (Optiker). Fielmann gives free eye tests.
• During your first aid course. Some first aid schools give eye tests.¹⁷

5. Take driving lessons

Driving lessons are optional, but they are a really good idea. If you come from North America, the rules here are completely different. You are not ready to drive in Germany.

English-speaking driving schools in Berlin

If you don’t take driving lessons, read Route to Germany’s guide to driving in Germany.

6. Get a Bürgeramt appointment

Book a Bürgeramt appointment. In Berlin, appointments are hard to find. The nearest appointment could be in a few weeks.

Book an appointment (EU or EEA driving licence)

Book an appointment (Annex 11 and other countries)

7. Go to your appointment

Go to your Bürgeramt appointment, and bring all the required documents:

• Foreign driving licence
  Bring the original licence, not a copy. If it’s not an EU or EEA licence, it must still be valid.⁷
• Photocopy of your driving licence
• Passport or Personalausweis
• Passport photo
  You can get biometric pictures for around €10.
• Registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung)
  This proves that you live in Berlin. Other proofs of residence might be accepted.³
• A Girocard or cash
  You must pay the fee of €37.50. Visa and Mastercard are sometimes accepted.¹⁰

If your licence is not from an EU or EEA country, you must also bring…

• Certified translation of your driving licence
  If your driving licence is not in German, you need a certified translation or an International Driving Permit. In Berlin, they also accept driving licences in English.²⁰ Get a certified from Red Tape Translation, Lingoking or ADAC. It costs around €60. In some cities, they only accept certified translations, not International Driving Permits.¹⁵

If your licence is not from a EU, EEA or Annex 11 country, you must also bring…

• Eye test certificate
• First aid course certificate

The appointment only takes a few minutes. It costs €37.50.¹⁴ The Bürgeramt will send your documents to the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde, and they will verify them with your country’s embassy.

In Berlin, you keep your foreign driving licence while you wait. They only take it later, when you get your German driving licence.²²

8. Wait

In Berlin, you must wait 2 to 4 months.¹¹ In other cities, it takes 2 to 6 weeks.¹⁶ You don’t need to do anything; they will send you a letter when your new driving licence is ready.

Current processing times in Berlin – See when they start processing on your application.

9. Pick up your German driving licence

After a few weeks, you get a letter. It tells you to pick up your new driver licence at the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde. Get an appointment, go to your appointment, wait your turn, show them your passport, and get your new driving licence.

What to do next

• Read Route to Germany’s guide to driving in Germany. If you come from North America, this is very important.
• Buy a car
• Use car sharing services

Sources and footnotes

1. bmvi.de, bussgeldkatalog.de, bmdv.bund.de ⤴

2. bmdv.bund.de ⤴

3. berlin.de ⤴

4. aaa.com ⤴

5. caasco.com, caaquebec.com ⤴

6. travel.gc.ca ⤴

7. berlin.de, ebureaucracy.com ⤴

8. Red Tape Translation, personal experience (2016) ⤴

9. berlin.de ⤴

10. reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

11. reddit.com/r/berlin, toytowngermany.com, awesomesauceasshattery.wordpress.com, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, ebureaucracy.com ⤴

12. bussgeldkatalog.de ⤴

13. da-direkt.de, Fahrschule Oscar ⤴

14. berlin.de ⤴

15. Reader from Munich (October 2024) ⤴

16. reddit.com/r/germany ⤴

17. Fahrschule Oscar ⤴

18. Directive 2006/126/EC, Article 2, Article 7, Article 11, bussgeldkatalog.de ⤴

19. bmdv.bund.de, bussgeldkatalog.de, bussgeldkatalog.org, ADAC ⤴

20. Bürgeramt (2024) ⤴

21. berlin.de ⤴

22. Emily Archer (November 2024) ⤴

23. germany4ukraine.de (June 2026), ADAC (June 2026) ⤴

24. § 28 Abs. 4 FeV, ADAC (June 2026) ⤴

25. Reader feedback, § 28 Abs. 4 FeV, ADAC (June 2026) ⤴

26. ADAC (June 2026) ⤴

27. § 28 Abs. 4 FeV ⤴