Driving in Germany with Foreign License: 2026 Rules and Conversion
An EU or EEA licence keeps working in Germany until the date printed on it. A licence from anywhere else runs out six months after you establish your ordinary residence here, and you then need a German one. Whether that means an exchange, a theory test or the full driving test depends on a list in German law called Annex 11.
Key Takeaways (2026)
- EU and EEA licences are recognised until their printed expiry date under § 28 FeV. No exchange is required.
- A licence from outside the EU is valid for six months after you establish your ordinary residence, under § 29 FeV.
- The six month clock runs from when you actually start living here, not from the day you did your Anmeldung.
- Annex 11 to the FeV names the countries that skip the driving test. 13 US states are missing from it, California and New York among them.
- Liability insurance has to be in place before a car can be registered, and the office wants your eVB number.
Which case applies to you?
- My licence is from an EU or EEA country, so it stays valid until it expires.
- My licence is from outside the EU, so I have six months and then need to exchange it.
- I want to know whether I have to sit a test, which Annex 11 decides.
- My licence is from a US state, where the answer differs by state.
EU and EEA licences stay valid until they expire
If an EU or EEA member state issued your licence, § 28 paragraph 1 FeV lets you keep driving here on it, within the scope of what it entitles you to. You do not have to swap it for a German one. Plenty of people do it anyway when the card is close to expiry, since renewing a foreign licence from Germany is more trouble than exchanging it.
There is one catch that surprises professional drivers. § 28 paragraph 3 FeV applies the German validity rules to the lorry and bus categories C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E. Those are valid for five years, counted from the date the foreign licence was issued rather than from the date you moved. If more than five years had already passed when you shifted your residence to Germany, you get six further months from that move, and then the entitlement stops.
Ordinary car and motorcycle categories are not affected by that five year rule. If you only hold class B, the printed expiry date is the date that matters.
Licences from outside the EU run out after six months
§ 29 paragraph 1 FeV gives holders of a third country licence six months from the moment they establish their ordinary residence in Germany. During those six months you drive on the foreign licence as it stands. After them, you need a German licence, and there is no grace period built into the rule.
An extension is possible but narrow. The licensing authority may add up to six more months if you credibly show that your ordinary residence in Germany will not last longer than twelve months in total. The German wording is glaubhaft machen, which sets a lower bar than proof. A fixed term contract or a single semester exchange is the kind of thing that fits. A permanent job does not.
Once the six months are over, driving on the foreign licence is driving without a licence. § 21 paragraph 1 of the Straßenverkehrsgesetz treats that as a criminal offence carrying up to one year in prison or a fine. Even the careless version is punishable under § 21 paragraph 2, with up to six months or 180 daily rates. Start the exchange early, because appointment slots at the Führerscheinstelle are the usual bottleneck.
When does the six month clock actually start?
Almost every guide tells you the six months begin with your Anmeldung. That is a useful shorthand and it is often right, but it is not what the law says, and the difference can cost you.
§ 29 FeV ties the period to your ordentlicher Wohnsitz, and § 7 paragraph 1 FeV defines that as living in Germany for at least 185 days in a year because of personal ties, or personal and occupational ties together. The residence registration is evidence of that, and normally the easiest evidence to produce. It is not the trigger.
In practice this matters to anyone who moved before registering. Say you arrived in March, stayed with a friend while flat hunting and only registered in June. Your Anmeldung says June. The facts say March. A licensing authority looking at the file can count from March, which quietly removes three months from a window you thought you still had.
If your arrival and your registration are more than a few weeks apart, ask the Führerscheinstelle which date they are working from before you plan around it. Getting that answer in writing costs one email.
Which countries can exchange a licence without a test?
Germany does not judge foreign licences case by case. It works from a list. Annex 11 to the FeV names the issuing countries, the licence categories it covers for each, and whether a theory or practical test is still required. § 31 paragraph 1 number 3 FeV is the provision that switches the German driving test off for anything on that list.
The list currently names 30 countries and territories in its main table, including Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine and several Balkan states. Australia and Canada appear in their own blocks, and the United States has a block organised state by state.
| Outcome | Who this covers | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange, no test | Most listed countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore and South Africa. All 12 Canadian provinces and territories and all 8 Australian states and territories. 28 of the 39 US entries. | Hand in the foreign licence, collect a German one |
| Theory test only | Eleven US entries: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee | Pass the German theory test, no practical test |
| Full theory and practical test | Any country, territory or US state that Annex 11 does not name, and any licence category the entry does not cover | Register with a driving school and pass both tests |
Source: Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung § 31 and Annex 11, read from the consolidated text at gesetze-im-internet.de on 9 September 2026. Annex 11 is amended from time to time, so confirm your own entry with the local Führerscheinstelle before you book anything.
If your US state is not on the list
This is the part that catches Americans out, and it is worth spelling out rather than rounding off. Annex 11 does not cover the United States as a country. It covers individual states, and it covers 39 entries in total, counting the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico alongside 37 states.
Thirteen states are absent from the annex altogether:
Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Vermont.
A licence from one of those states gets you nothing under § 31 paragraph 1. You sit the theory test and the practical test, the same as somebody who has never driven. Two of the thirteen, California and New York, are among the largest sources of people moving to Germany from the United States, so the gap is not a marginal one.
There is a smaller trap inside the listed states too. Annex 11 names the specific licence class it accepts for each state, along with footnotes that rule out learner and instruction permits. A Texas Class C is covered. A Texas Instruction Permit is not. Check the row for your state, not just the state name.
What does the exchange actually give you?
Where Annex 11 lists specific categories rather than the word alle, footnote 1 limits the result: only German class B is issued on the strength of those categories. So a South Korean class 1 or 2 licence, or a US state licence, converts into a German car licence. Lorry and bus entitlements do not travel with it, whatever the original card allowed.
Several entries carry a footnote requiring proof of eyesight under § 12 FeV even though no test is needed. British licences and Gibraltar licences sit under a footnote that lets the authority ask for an eyesight test when the German licence is issued. Budget for a short optician visit either way, since it is inexpensive and most offices ask for the certificate anyway.
One more thing worth knowing before you go: § 31 paragraph 4 FeV says the German licence is only handed over in exchange for the foreign one. Depending on the agreement with the issuing country, your old licence is either sent back through the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt or kept in official custody. If you were hoping to keep both cards, that is not how it works.
Do you need a translation, and does an IDP replace it?
The translation rule is narrower than most summaries suggest. § 29 paragraph 2 FeV waives it entirely when the licence is written in German, when it was issued in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, or when it conforms to Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. A lot of modern licences meet that last condition, so check yours before paying for anything.
Where a translation is required, the same provision says it has to come from an internationally recognised automobile club of the issuing country, or from a body appointed by the federal transport ministry. That wording is stricter than the everyday advice you will read elsewhere.
In practice, licensing offices are more accommodating than the text implies. Munich and Hamburg both list ADAC translations and publicly appointed sworn translators among the documents they accept for an exchange. That acceptance comes from the office rather than from the FeV itself, which is why it can differ between cities. Ask yours what it takes before you commission a translation.
The International Driving Permit is a separate misunderstanding. § 29 paragraph 2 FeV treats it as valid only in combination with the underlying national licence. It is a multilingual companion document, not a licence of its own, and it does not extend the six month window by a single day. Carry it alongside the original card if you have one, and do not rely on it instead of a translation.
Who cannot use a foreign licence in Germany at all?
§ 29 paragraph 3 FeV lists the cases where the six month allowance never applies in the first place. The entitlement is missing if you only hold a learner permit or another provisional document, if you are below the German minimum age for the category and the licence did not come from the EU or EEA, or if you already had your ordinary residence in Germany when the foreign licence was issued.
It also does not apply if a German court or authority has withdrawn or refused you a licence, if a court decision bars you from being granted one, or while you are subject to a driving ban or your licence has been seized. Those situations need to be cleared up with the licensing authority first, and § 29 paragraph 4 sets out how the right can be restored once the reasons no longer apply.
Car insurance with an English guide
Whether you import a car or buy one here, you need cover (German: KFZ-Versicherung) and an eVB number before the vehicle can be registered. The comparison form below comes from our partner Tarifcheck and is in German; the guidance around it is in English. Which portals offer English at all is covered in our comparison portals guide.
Compare car insurance and get an eVB number
Bringing a car in from another EU country
Moving a used car you bought privately inside the EU does not trigger customs duty, because the vehicle is already in free circulation. What you do have to do is register it at the local Zulassungsstelle. Bring these:
- Valid ID or passport, plus a residence permit if you are not an EU citizen
- An eVB number from a German insurer
- The Certificate of Conformity showing EU type approval
- The original foreign registration papers
- A valid roadworthiness inspection (HU, done by TÜV, DEKRA or similar)
- The purchase invoice or contract, and a SEPA mandate for the vehicle tax
VAT is the part people get wrong. It is only due in Germany when the vehicle counts as new, and § 1b paragraph 3 number 1 of the Umsatzsteuergesetz defines new for land vehicles as having covered no more than 6,000 kilometres or having been first put into service no more than six months before the purchase. That is an either/or, not a both. A three month old car with 12,000 kilometres on the clock is still new for VAT purposes.
The registration appointment itself has its own paperwork and its own queue. Our step by step guide to registering a car in Germany as a foreigner covers the office visit in detail. If you are financing the purchase, compare a car loan for expats, and our cost of living guide puts the running costs in context.
Insurance has to exist before the car is registered
Third party liability cover is compulsory for the keeper of a vehicle kept in Germany under § 1 of the Pflichtversicherungsgesetz. The registration rules then close the loop: § 3 paragraph 1 number 2 of the Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung only permits a vehicle to be registered if that cover already exists. You cannot register first and insure afterwards.
The document that proves it is the eVB number, a short code your insurer sends you once the policy is set up. The registration office queries it electronically, so there is nothing to print. Getting one online takes a few minutes, which is why it is worth sorting before you book the appointment rather than on the morning of it. Our eVB number guide explains the code itself, and the car insurance comparison covers choosing the policy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive in Germany with a foreign license?
If your licence comes from an EU or EEA country, yes, and it stays valid until the expiry date printed on it. No exchange is needed. If it comes from anywhere else, you may drive on it for six months after you establish your ordinary residence in Germany. After that you need a German licence.
How long can I drive on a non-EU license in Germany?
Six months from the day you establish your ordinary residence, under § 29 paragraph 1 of the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung. The licensing authority can add up to six more months if you credibly show your stay will not run past twelve months in total. The law says credibly show, not prove, so a work contract or a study place is usually the sort of evidence they look for.
When does the six month period actually start?
It starts when you establish your ordinary residence, which § 7 paragraph 1 FeV defines as living in Germany for at least 185 days a year because of personal or work ties. Your Anmeldung is the document that normally proves this, but the clock follows the facts, not the paperwork. If you moved in March and registered in June, the authority may still count from March.
Do I need to take a driving test to convert my license?
It depends on where the licence was issued. Annex 11 to the FeV lists the countries, and § 31 paragraph 1 number 3 FeV switches off the German driving test for licences on that list. Some entries need a theory test, most need none, and anything not on the list means both the theory and the practical test.
Which US states can exchange a licence without a test?
Annex 11 contains 39 US entries. 28 of them exchange with no test at all. Eleven require the theory test only: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon and Tennessee. Thirteen states are not listed at all, including California and New York, and a licence from those states means the full theory and practical test.
Do I need a translation of my foreign license?
Not always. § 29 paragraph 2 FeV drops the translation requirement if the licence is written in German, if it was issued in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, or if it matches Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Otherwise you carry a translation from the internationally recognised automobile club of the issuing country or from a body appointed by the federal transport ministry.
Does an International Driving Permit replace the translation?
No. An International Driving Permit is only valid together with the national licence it was issued against, which is how § 29 paragraph 2 FeV words it. Treat it as a multilingual companion document, not a stand-alone licence. Several licensing offices accept only a certified translation, so carrying both the original licence and a translation is the safer choice.
Do I need German car insurance before registering an imported car?
Yes. § 3 paragraph 1 number 2 of the Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung only allows a vehicle to be registered if liability cover under § 1 of the Pflichtversicherungsgesetz already exists. Your insurer issues an eVB number, a seven character code the registration office reads electronically. You can arrange the policy and the eVB online; the comparison form itself is in German, our guide explains the steps in English.
Which insurers accept a foreign driving licence?
The GDV model conditions for car insurance (AKB 2015, version of 30 April 2025) do not exclude foreign licences. What they regulate is your starting no-claims class: a contract starts in SF 1/2 instead of SF 0 if you have held a car or motorcycle licence for at least three years and that licence was issued in the EEA or can be exchanged in Germany without a further theory or practical test (sections I.2.2.1 and I.2.5). Whether a specific insurer accepts your licence and on what terms is that insurer's own decision, so ask in writing before you sign.
Authority sources
- FeV § 29 validity of foreign licences, the six month rule and the translation requirement.
- FeV § 7 the 185 day definition of ordinary residence.
- FeV § 31 and Annex 11 the exchange rules and the country list.
- StVG § 21 penalties for driving without a valid licence.
- FZV § 3 insurance as a condition of vehicle registration.
- UStG § 1b when an imported vehicle counts as new for VAT.
- Bundesministerium für Verkehr the ministry responsible for driving licence law.
- Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt the federal authority that returns surrendered foreign licences to the issuing country.
- Munich Führerscheinstelle a worked example of the documents one licensing office asks for, including which translations it accepts.
- ADAC guidance on importing a vehicle.