Driving licence with a foreign licence, residence or origin

This overview is no substitute for advice from the driving licence office (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde). For questions about your individual case – especially about converting a foreign driving licence (Umschreibung) – contact the authority at your place of residence directly.

Residence in Germany

You can only get a German driving licence with an ordinary residence in Germany (ordentlicher Wohnsitz). As a rule, this means that you live here for at least 185 days a year; there are special rules for students (§ 7 FeV). The authority at your main residence is responsible. In Berlin, an application with only a secondary residence is possible only in exceptional cases.

You already have a foreign driving licence

• EU or EEA driving licences remain valid in Germany (§ 28 FeV).
• With a driving licence from another country, you may drive for six months after moving here; for a stay of less than twelve months, the period can be extended by up to six months. After that you need a conversion (§ 29, § 31 FeV).
• A non-EU driving licence that you obtained while you were already living in Germany is not recognised by Germany.
• Learner's permits and provisional foreign driving licences are not valid here.

In the application you must state whether you already hold, or have applied for, a foreign driving licence (§ 21 Abs. 2 FeV).

Theory exam in your language

In addition to German, you can take the theory exam in 12 foreign languages: English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Croatian, Spanish, Turkish and Standard Arabic. From 1 April 2027, Kurmanji and Ukrainian will be added. Many learning apps offer the official translations – see Learning theory. In the directory you can filter for driving schools that teach in other languages.

ID documents

For the application you need an ID card or passport. If your Berlin driving school submits the application online (FAO), according to the LABO an electronic residence permit alone is not sufficient – a copy of your passport is then also required.

Probation period

If you move to Germany with an EU driving licence, the German probation rules apply; the time you have already held the licence is credited.