{"id":15779,"date":"2019-10-08T22:32:41","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T05:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.german-way.com\/?page_id=15779"},"modified":"2022-04-16T15:45:35","modified_gmt":"2022-04-16T22:45:35","slug":"driving-license-reciprocity-for-non-eu-expats-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.german-way.com\/for-expats\/living-in-germany\/driving-license-reciprocity-for-non-eu-expats-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving License Reciprocity for Non-EU Expats in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"
The License Procedure Depends on How Long You’re Staying in Germany and Where Your Current License Comes From<\/h5>\n

Canada\/USA: If you are a citizen of Canada or the United States, see this page: North American German License Reciprocity<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

By Elisa Stella of ELP-Expat<\/a>: Expatriate Support<\/em><\/p>\n

Driving licenses from countries that are not members of the European Union or the European Economic Area (EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) must be converted into a German driving license if you are staying in Germany longer than six months. After having registered your residence in Germany (Anmeldung<\/em>), a non-EU\/EEA driving license is generally valid for a period of six months. After that, the license is no longer valid for driving in Germany or other EU nations.<\/p>\n

In order to drive legally in Germany after this time, you need a German license. The conditions for obtaining the German driving license depend on the country in which your original driver’s license was obtained. An extension of the six-month limit is possible if the license holder can prove that they will not have “ordinary residence” in Germany for more than 12 months. (Some EU countries automatically allow you to drive for up to a year with your foreign license. Germany does not.)<\/p>\n

\"Audi<\/a>

Very few German driving schools (Fahrschulen) have automatic-transmission cars. Stick-shift cars are the norm in Germany. If you have to take driving lessons, can you master a clutch and a five-speed transmission? If you take your road test in a car with automatic transmission, your license will not be valid for driving a stick-shift vehicle.<\/strong> PHOTO: Hyde Flippo<\/p><\/div>\n

None of the information given in this article refers to temporary licenses or learning-permit licenses, no matter where they’ve been issued. They simply cannot be converted into a German license. In such cases you will have to attend a Fahrschule<\/em> and go through the normal procedures (and costs) of obtaining a German driving license: taking lessons and learning to drive the German way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The (Automatic) Shifting Debate<\/strong>
\nStick shift or automatic? Currently, if you want to take lessons at a German driving school, most of them will have only cars with a manual transmission (stick shift), no automatic shift. But Germany has introduced automatic-only driving licenses reflecting today’s new technology, for example, the advent of electric cars which have no normal transmission of any kind.
\nA Fahrschule<\/em> that offers automatic-shift cars: 123 Fahrschule<\/a><\/strong> (NRW, 12 Standorte)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Do I have to go to a driving school? What about examinations?<\/h5>\n

How you convert your license is based on the respective mutual agreements between Germany and issuing foreign states. If there is no reciprocal agreement between your home country and Germany, you will have to pass both the German theoretical and practical (driving) examinations in order to get a German driving license. But Germany has agreements with 20-plus non-EU\/EEA countries that exempt their citizens from taking those tests (or some of them).<\/p>\n

Driving license holders from some non-EU member states are exempted from taking an exam in Germany if the EU-wide minimum standards are ensured in the country where the foreign driving license was issued. If there’s a reciprocal agreement between Germany and your home country, the procedure is much easier: no examination required.<\/p>\n

If you’re one of the lucky ones, you only have to provide the German authorities with your current driving license, its certified (beglaubigt<\/em>) translation<\/a> in German and, if not clearly indicated on it, the so-called \u201cKlassifizierung\u201d made by the ADAC regional club, which confirms the type of vehicles you’re allowed to drive with your home license.<\/p>\n

In some cases – for instance if your license was issued in five of the Australian territories – an eyesight-test and a medical evaluation are required.<\/p>\n

To know if the country which issued your license has an agreement with Germany, you can refer to the official document Anlage 11 FeV<\/a> (in German). Also see the table below<\/a> for a list of non-EU countries with which Germany has reciprocal license agreements.<\/p>\n

For driving license holders from non-EU countries that are not listed in the list of states in the \u201cAnlage 11 FeV\u201d, the German license is issued only after a theoretical exam and a road test. You don\u2019t have to attend classes at a driving school, but many people decide to take at least some lessons at a Fahrschule to ensure they can pass the driving tests, especially if they have never driven a car with a manual transmission (Schaltgetriebe<\/em>). You decide if and when you are ready for the exam. A driving instructor must accompany you during the road test. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Countries Having Reciprocal License
\nAgreements With Germany<\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Countries for which Germany will convert the foreign license to at least a German Class B license (allowing you to drive a passenger car) without a written or practical road test. NOTE: Canada and some US states also have reciprocal agreements with Germany. See North American German License Reciprocity<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
COUNTRY<\/strong>
\n1 Andorra
\n2 Australia*
\n3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
\n4 French Polynesia
\n5 Guernsey
\n6 Isle of Man
\n7 Israel
\n8 Japan
\n9 Jersey
\n10 Macedonia (former Yugoslavia)<\/td>\n		COUNTRY<\/strong>
\n11 Monaco
\n12 Namibia
\n13 New Caledonia
\n14 New Zealand
\n15 Republic of Korea (S. Korea)
\n16 San Marino
\n17 Switzerland
\n18 Serbia
\n19 Singapore
\n20 South Africa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Taiwan: Only the practical road test is required. No written test.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
* Applicants from the Australian territories of Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia are required to pass an eye test.
\nNOTE: For a more detailed list (in German), see Staatenliste zu den Sonderbestimmungen f\u00fcr Inhaber einer ausl\u00e4ndischen Fahrerlaubnis<\/a>. For Canada and the US, see this German Way page: North American German License Reciprocity<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
How does the license conversion actually work?<\/h5>\n

The application for the German driving license must always be submitted to the Verkehrsamt<\/em> (DMV), sometimes called the F\u00fchrerscheinstelle<\/em> (driving license office) responsible for the place of residence where the driver lives in Germany.<\/p>\n

Gather the documents required for your case – as described above – and make an appointment. The German authority may retain your original license. A return is usually only possible upon return of the German license, but there are sometimes exceptions. Every German F\u00fchrerscheinstelle seems to have its own policy.<\/p>\n

Below you’ll find links to selected websites of the Verkehrsamt or F\u00fchrerscheinstelle in some major German cities:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Berlin: F\u00fchrerschein<\/a>
\n\u2022 Cologne (K\u00f6ln): F\u00fchrerschein<\/a>
\n\u2022 D\u00fcsseldorf: F\u00fchrerschein<\/a>
\n\u2022 Frankfurt: F\u00fchrerschein<\/a>
\n\u2022 Hamburg: F\u00fchrerschein<\/a>
\n\u2022 Munich (M\u00fcnchen): F\u00fchrerschein<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Get a German Driver’s License<\/h5>\n

Now that you know what kind of reciprocity you have, learn the steps you need to take to get your license to drive in Germany: Getting a German Driver’s License<\/a>, part of our Expat “How To” Guides<\/a><\/p>\n

Next<\/strong> | Getting a German Driver’s License<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Related Pages<\/strong>
\nAT THE GERMAN WAY<\/p>\n