Transfer of a foreign driving licence

With a foreign driving licence, you may drive in Germany six months after your first registration. After that, you must transfer your driving licence.

Description

Important:

If you have a driving licence issued in an EU or EEA country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), other requirements apply, which are described in detail under "Applying for an EU/EEA driving licence transfer".

Notes on delivery/collection:

  • The foreign driving licence must be checked for authenticity by the State Criminal Police Office. This check takes two to three weeks. During this time, you must surrender your driving licence.
  • You must hand in your foreign driving licence when you receive your German driving licence.
  • If a theory or practical test is required, we will inform your driving school as soon as we have the card driving licence. The driving school can then register you for the test. Once you have passed the test, you can collect your new driving licence from us.

You can submit the application in person or online.

Prerequisites

You are registered as having your main residence in Munich.

Required documents

For all foreign driving licences and driving licence classes:

  • Identity card or passport
  • biometric passport photo
  • Original foreign driving licence
    (must still be valid at the time of transfer)
  • Translation of the foreign driving licence
  • Translations are offered, for example, by automobile clubs or publicly appointed and sworn translators
  • Proof of the duration of possession of the foreign driving licence
    (not necessary if the duration of possession can be seen from the driving licence)
  • Proof of having passed the driving test, if this is necessary for the issue of the category(ies) applied for
  • Confirmation of first registration in Germany on the basis of an extended registration certificate
    (not necessary if your first registration was in Munich and you have lived here permanently since then)

For certain foreign driving licences and driving licence classes:
You can find more information in the "List of countries", which is available for download.

  • Confirmation from the driving school where you are registered.

For categories A, A2, A1, AM, B, BE, L, T:

  • Eye test certificate from an ophthalmologist or optician
  • Proof of training in "first aid"

For C classes:

  • Certificate of vision examination by an ophthalmologist or occupational physician (form available for download)
  • Certificate of medical examination for health suitability (form available for download)
  • Proof of training in "first aid"

For D classes:

  • Certificate of vision examination by an ophthalmologist or occupational physician (form available for download)
  • Certificate of a medical fitness examination, either by an officially recognised examination centre for driving fitness or by a company/occupational physician
  • Proof of training in "first aid"

Note on the period of validity of certificates:

Not older than one year at the time of application:

  • medical examination for health suitability
  • Examination of health suitability by an officially recognised examination centre for driving suitability or by a company/occupational physician

Not older than two years at the time of application:

  • Eye test by an ophthalmologist or optician
  • Examination of eyesight by an ophthalmologist or company/occupational physician

Without time limit:

  • Training in "first aid"

Duration & Costs

Processing time

About eight weeks

Fees

  • exam-free, without a probationary period: 36.30 euros
  • examination-free, with a probationary period: 37.10 euros
  • subject to an examination, without a probationary period: 43.90 euros
  • subject to an examination, with a probationary period: 44.70 euros

Applicable questions can only be answered individually upon presentation of the driving licence.

Payment methods available

Questions & Answers

The transfer of a German driving licence on the basis of foreign driving licences issued by countries outside the EU and the EEA requires the passing of both the theoretical and the practical qualification test in Germany.

An exception to this are the so-called Annex 11 states; if one of these states mentioned in Annex 11 has issued a driving licence category listed there, a German driving licence can be acquired without a test.

However, the intergovernmental agreement between the Annex 11 states and Germany and the possession of a driving licence from one of these states alone is no guarantee of a test-free exchange.

It must be proven that the respective foreign driving licence was issued by a state listed in Annex 11 and for a category listed in Annex 11; driving licences from states not listed in Annex 11 that were subsequently exchanged in an Annex 11 state without a test will not be recognised.

A transfer is also not possible if a temporary driving licence has expired and the renewal took place when the centre of life ("normal place of residence") was already in Germany.

Legal basis

Driving Licence Ordinance
Road Traffic Act

Landeshauptstadt München

Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Hauptabteilung II Fahrzeugzulassungs- und Fahrerlaubnisbehörde

Postal address

Landeshauptstadt München
Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Hauptabteilung II Fahrzeugzulassungs- und Fahrerlaubnisbehörde

Eichstätter Straße 2
80686 München

Fax: +49 89 233-68757

Address

Garmischer Straße 19-21
81373 München

By appointment only

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