How to Exchange Your Foreign Driving Licence in Germany Before Six Months Run Out

Many expats drive happily on their home licence and then find out, too late, that it stopped being valid in Germany. If your licence is from outside the EU and EEA, you have a deadline. Here is how to beat it.

The rule in short

1. A licence from a non-EU country stays valid for six months after you set up your normal residence in Germany (§ 29 FeV, the Driving Licence Ordinance).
2. After that, you need a German licence. You get it through the Umschreibung (licence exchange) at your local Fahrerlaubnisbehörde (driving licence office).
3. If you drive after the six months without a German licence, it counts as driving without a licence. That is a criminal offence, not a parking ticket, and it can also cause trouble with your car insurance after an accident.
4. The office can extend the six months by up to six more months, but only if you can show you will not live in Germany for more than 12 months in total. For most people who moved here to stay, this does not help.

EU and EEA licences are different. They stay valid until they expire, and you do not need to exchange them.

Check which group your country is in

This decides how much work you have:

1. Countries on the Anlage 11 list (Annex 11 of the FeV): you get your German licence with no test, or with only one test. The UK is on the list, and in August 2026 Ukraine and Montenegro were added. For the US, it depends on the state.
2. All other countries: you must pass the theory and the practical test again. You do not have to do a full driving school course and there are no minimum lessons. But the practical test is taken with a driving instructor, so most offices ask you to name a driving school in your application.

Search for "Anlage 11 FeV" on your city's page or on the ADAC site to see your country and the classes it covers.

What you usually need

Every office has its own list, but these show up almost everywhere:

1. Passport or ID card, and your residence permit if you have one.
2. Your Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate) or proof of your address.
3. Your original foreign licence. It must still be valid.
4. A biometric photo, 35 x 45 mm.
5. A translation of the licence, if it is not in German. Some offices accept English, some do not. Nuremberg, for example, wants it from ADAC or a sworn translator.
6. For licences that need tests: a first aid course certificate and a Sehtest (eye test) no older than two years.

The steps

1. Find your office. In a big city it is the city office. If you live just outside, it may be the Landratsamt (district office). Munich city and Landkreis München, for example, are two different offices with different fees.
2. Apply early. Landkreis München says processing takes at least 12 weeks and recommends applying up to six months before your deadline. Nuremberg recommends at least three months.
3. Book an appointment or use the online application if your office has one. Landkreis München, for example, offers it through the BayernPortal.
4. Do the tests if you need them. Register with a driving school, learn for the theory test with an app, take a few lessons to learn the German test style, then do the practical test.
5. Collect your card. You hand in your foreign licence. The office keeps it or sends it back to your home country.

Tips

1. Do not wait for month five. In my experience the slow part is not the test, it is getting all papers and appointments in line.
2. Fees are not the same everywhere. Berlin charges 37.50 euros without test and 45.10 euros with test. Nuremberg charges around 58 euros. Test and driving school costs come on top.
3. An international driving permit does not help. It is only a translation. It does not extend the six months.

Checked in October 2026. Rules and fees change, so please check your local office's page before you go. This is not legal advice.

Sources

1. § 29 FeV, foreign driving licences (German)
2. ADAC: Exchanging a licence from a non-EU country (German)
3. Landkreis München: Ausländische Fahrerlaubnis umschreiben (German)
4. Service Berlin: Umschreibung einer ausländischen Fahrerlaubnis (German)
5. Stadt Nürnberg: Fahrerlaubnis aus Drittstaaten (German)