After that, you will need to register your car to get German licence plates.
If you bring a foreign car into Germany, you can continue driving with your foreign licence plates for up to 12 months. Often, however, you will have to pass a theoretical and / or practical driving exam first (see below). Depending on where it was issued, it may be possible to directly exchange it.
Automobile club ADAC offer this service for between 45 and 80 euros.Īfter six months, you must obtain a German driving licence from your local driving licensing office. If it was not issued in the EU, Andorra, Hong Kong, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland or Senegal you will need to obtain a translation to carry with it. You may also need to get your foreign driving licence translated. Your local driving licensing office will be able to help you with this. If you are staying for longer than six months, but less than 12, it may be possible to have the validity of your licence extended to cover your entire stay in Germany. If your driving licence was issued by a country outside the EU / EEA, you can continue using it in Germany for up to six months after you register. As above, if you wish to make an exchange, you will need to submit certificates attesting to your good health and eyesight. These categories of driving licence are only valid for five years after the date of issue, even if they were issued for a longer period in your home country. To qualify, it must be a full licence, rather than a provisional one or an international driving permit (IDP).Ĭategory C, CE, D, DE, D1 and D1E (Large goods vehicles & buses) There are exceptions for certain categories of driving licence (see below). If you hold a licence issued by an EU / EEA country, it will usually remain valid in Germany until its expiry date. The amount of time your foreign driving licence remains valid in Germany depends on whether it was issued by an EU / EEA member state or somewhere outside of Europe. Using a foreign driving licence in Germany If in doubt, it is best to always check with your local driving licensing authority ( Führerscheinstelle - usually housed within your local citizens' office) to see how things operate in your federal state. Despite the fact that driving licensing laws are set nationally, states tend to apply the law differently on a local level. Like most bureaucratic procedures in Germany, the process for issuing or exchanging a licence can vary greatly between federal states ( Länder). Expats who have recently arrived in Germany can continue to use their foreign driving licence for anything up to 10 years, depending on where it was issued.
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