Converting a driver's license to a German one

hey roark: Good ol' Austin. You?

right down the road in San Antonio

hey elfenstar and roark - houston here

For the Ami's here; what's the process if you have a DL from one of the disfavored US states (CA myself). From what I've gathered, there's the theoretical test that could be handled more or less inexpensively if one studies enough. It's the practical test that I have little information on. In particular, does one need to pay the exhorbitant 3K Euro fees for drivers training?

Also, I've heard that some Lander/cities (either Frankfurt or Hamburg, not sure which) do have DL reciprocity with CA, but wasn't sure this was accurate info, as the regulation would seem to be national rather than regional. Any thoughts appreciated.

Renfield

i had by law to only take the theoretical test and most driving schools said i had to take coursework too which was a lie. they wanted money of course! and yes, if you get the sample tests and study them, you can pass the theoretical test without problems. i studied 2 months. this is necessary, really! you can also take the test in english.

you more than likely can get away with taking a few hours of driving training (or none at all) and then take the test, but it depends on the driving school you get to. i would call around and call around until someone makes you a deal. if hamburg and frankfurt have their own rules, i don't know. never heard of that. best bet is to call the landsratsamt.

What I fail to understand is why British and Irish drivers can simply swap their license for a german one, when driving in the UK and Ireland is completely different to here. But Americans and eastern Europeans, whose system is much more similar to Germany's, have to take all these bullshit tests.

It think its called the wonderful europe zone.

We are all one happy family

GROUP HUG!!!

P

i would be scared as hell to drive a car in the uk. and driving a standard too? no way. uh-uh. i know several parents whose kids did a high-school exchange to england and they made them get their driver's license knowing it could just be tranferred. why the hell not. a new d.l. costs over €1,000!

but why do the brits drive on the other side? why was this decided?

We drive on the left because in the olden days horsemen held their sword/lance in their right hand. Being on the left-hand side of the road meant they were better able to defend themselves.

Don't know if that's 100% true or not. It's another one of those things that I heard or read somewhere, but can't remember exactly where.

BTW, we're not the only ones who drive on the left: Australia, NZ, Japan are some of the others that I know of. There may be other places in SE Asia where they drive on the left too. Hong Kong? Malaysia?

Does anyone know what the process is of changing a foreign license into an English one? I know that Australian licenses can be just be exchanged for an English one. If I do that, then I'll get a German license no worries. If I want to change from an Australian to a German License now, I have to do the theoretical and practical tests.

Details about driving in the UK as a visitor or New Resident can be found at

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm

Pootle

Here's some more info about driving on the left/right:

http://www.amphicars.com/acleft.htm

In short, the French seem to have introduced the driving-on-the-right thing.

Wow, I was right. Wonders never cease...

BTW, in Sweden they used to drive on the left too. They changed their system in the 50s or 60s if I remember rightly.

hazza: I had a belgian licence originally. all I had to do was send it in to the DVLA incl the appropriate fee and a "certified true copy" of my passport (your embassy or consulate will issue this for you - I usually have a few lying around). 2 weeks later my photocard licence came in the post. totally pain-free

you can also go to wimbledon in person to do this but that is significantly more hassle

Problem is that you have to have a UK address to get a UK license. That's why I ended up getting a German one - the UK wouldn't let me have one with a German address.

There's no 'anmeldung' in the UK though, so you can pretty much tell them anything, can't you?

yes you can tell them absolutely anything. but of course there is a £ 1000 fine if they find out you gave an address where you do not live...

Seems that the problem could go away fairly soon for us Europeans. Apparently the commission has put through plans to introduce a single European driving license.

See

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_83131...latestheadlines

Yeah, you can tell them anything, but it would be pretty pointless giving them a false address because then they wouldn't be able to send the license to you...

not if I actually knew somebody there.

The problem would arise if I need to show my passport. I have no UK residency permit, so questions would probably be asked if I tried to get one

So Hazza,
Did you manage to get your german licence this way ?
I read on the web site:
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drvingb.htm

that Australians get an "AUS" on their GB licence.

These codes will appear in the "Information codes" section of the driving licence if you have exchanged your licence from any of these countries: -
Australia - AUS

Does this then make any difference when you go to exchange it for your German licence?

Was reading in Autocar that a European Driving License will soon be introduced, including into the UK. Penalty points will not be applicable from abroad tho in the scheme - at least not yet.

I haven't got it yet, because what I hadn't realised was that my Aussie licence expired. I can renew it while I'm there over X-mas, and then take the relevant steps next year.

My canadian friend just picked up the 'international drivers license' when she was back in canada, 5 bucks for a new card. but that was it, and useable in Germany. Can't you just do that next time your home?

and ps
good for you for even having the guts to drive in germany..

(pps on the subject, i failed my driving exam yesterday.. try it again tomorow so wish me good luck.. need parking help)

Nope.

You are only allowed to drive in Germany for 6 months after you've been angemeldet if you have a licence from outside the EU - regardless of whether you have an international driver's licence or not. After that, you must get a German (or EU) licence.

Essentially, international driver's licences are useless in this country, unless your driver's licence is printed in an obscure language, when it serves as a translation - but nothing more.

Okay...so I am Canadian...been here three months...no longer have a valid address back in Canada...so I might as well exchange my Ontario driver's license for a German one. The fact is...I am not driving at this point...but should I decide to learn to drive manual this summer ( )...I don't want any hassles.

Questions for TT:
1. What exactly do I need to take with me to the Strassenverkehrsamt to make this as painless as possible? Passport, Anmeldung, old Canadian driver license, blood, urine sample...what? Someone mentioned 'translations' on here...translations of what? My license is small credit card sized without much information on it.

2. Where is the Strassenverkehrsamt? Is it part of the KVR?

3. What does the German license look like? Does it have a photo so it can be used as photo ID? I am reluctant to give away my only other form of photo ID from Canada.

3. Anything else I should know? Tips?

For other Canucks (specifically those from Ontario) who want to know the situation:

Canadians Abroad

Furthermore, when and if you return to Ontario with your German license...by rights you should be able to exchange it as well:

Out-of-Province Exchange

The German license should also be accepted if I want to drive a rental car in Canada...should it not? That is about the only time I will be driving in Canada...unless I move back (and if spring does not make an attempt at arriving soon...I just might )

If you have a valid address in Canada then get a second license and try the tricky swap mentioned by isaak.

You can also try to replace your 'lost' license while overseas:

Replacing a Driver's License - Drivers Outside Ontario

Although I am not sure how feasible that really is.

@ Blimeygirl ...

I hope I can answer some of your questions ..

Your Ontario driver's license can be exchanged within 3 years, (only Alberta & Ontario have the option of exchange),
although, if you plan on driving ... it's highly recommended that you do it within 6 months.

First, you'll need to have your driver's license translated, the ADAC can do it for a small fee.

Bring with you 30€, Canadian passport, Anmeldung, passport photo & valid Ontario driver's license (with translation) to:

Strassenverkehrsamt
Eichstätter 2
80686
Tele: 233 0360

Good luck,
Cheri

Have a look at:
http://www.muenchen.de/Tourismus/Anreise_F...8706/index.html

Scroll down to: Umschreibung einer ausländischen Fahrerlaubnis. There is even a section specifically for canadians:
http://www.muenchen.de/Rathaus/lhm_alt/mde...usl_kanada.html

All in german i'm afraid. But there is a little section in English:
http://www.muenchen.de/Tourismus/Transport...1avalidity.html

Stumbled across this too: important traffic rules
http://www.muenchen.de/Tourismus/Anreise_F...ehrsregeln.html

Hazza,

I think we are in the same boat and was thinking to do the same trade.
Aussie licence => UK licence => German.

How did you go with it all?

Anyone done a license conversion recently? What are the queues like??

Am summoning up the energy to head down to the license place one day next week. I know I can still drive on my UK license, but then theres a nice comment on the DVLA Website - It is a legal requirement to inform DVLA when you change your name and/or address. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £1,000

I dont want to register my parents address on my driving license as you never know who might come knocking - so I guess its time to convert to a german one.

P

Bit of a quandery here. German licenses are not actually tied to any address. If you move in Germany you don't need to advise the licensing authorities. (However, as people are registered to an address in Germany they only need your name and date of birth off the licence and they can backtrack to your address, wherever it may be).

In the UK your license, which is valid Europe-wide, must be registered to an address.

I've known at least two people with UK licenses who have tried to convert them to German but have been told that because the UK license is valid Europe-wide there's no need to do this (and were refused a conversion).

The UK licensing authorities require you to register your address, and fine you if you don't (assuming they find out!). They won't accept a non-UK address.

Catch 22 - What now?

YL6

Ahh,

just spoken to the DVLA - you dont need to keep the address valid on your UK license if you are no longer a UK resident - and they have no facility to link the license (even as just a note on a file) to a german address.

What a shite organisation! - opps then again its british goverment

Have other TTers who live here still got licenses registered to their parents address?

P

Yep, and I'll be hiring a 40k sports car using it on Friday...I may just never come back.

Just got my pink card...was fairly easy...but be prepared for long waits at the KFZ. You also need a translation of your old license available from ADAC at Heimeranplatz.

Had to turn in my old Ontario license...but that's cool. If I go back I can just exchange my new German one back for an Ontario license.

Now if only I knew how to drive standard...

I got my German drivers license in the beginning of June, which BTW sucked, it is really simple to get one in my town, one hour in one day, here it took forever.
Anyway that isn't what this is about, they told me they needed my VA drivers license to make a copy for the police, so I asked them to make a copy and give me my license back, they wouldn'T because they said they must mail it to the police station, and there the police copy it. I thought that was pretty stupid, and so they said they would send it back to me in 6 weeks. It has been a little over 2 months now (I know 2 weeks difference, but I don't understand what is taking so long, unless I think about how sow German workers are, because no matter what they do they never get fired, anyway that is another thing). So should I go to the drivers license place and complain (because I think they never told the police I wanted it back) or go to the police station and if I go to the police station which one? And what do I say if the did destroy my license, which the girl when she took it from me assured me that it would be sent bak to me.
Which Btw, if anyone says well it isn't legal to have both, I know, but if you cut off a corner of US DL, it technically is no longer a legal document, but the lady told me they wouldn't do that because she knows in America people don'T have passports and use only their DL as identification.
What should I do?

Is it possible for you to apply for a lost passport replacement in the States? I guess you would need a usable and trusty address in VA. Good luck!

you need to go back to the DMV and ask where your license is. don't bother with the police. would you know who to ask anyway?
also, what a crock the whole "only the police can copy it thing"! it is unbelievable how thick red-tape can be in mü. i went through the whole german license thing, but in esslingen/stuttgart and it was not nearly as bad. however, they confiscated my oregon dl when they gave me my german one. you cannot possess two valid ones (but you knew that). i however, still have my texas i.d. and that is good enough in texas.
when i go out, i use my european d.l. and i get strange looks, but have had no problems whatsoever when back home.

@ jml, did you read the post correctly?

@EF yeah I read the post but I figure it might be easier to apply for a replacement stateside - especially if you've got a valid US address - than to track it down with the locals.

Never had to do it, but I guess that asking anyone at any DMV equivalent anywhere in the world to track down a (foreigners) license 2 months after the fact so they could have valid ID in their home country is probably like drying paint with your nose breath...yeah you could try it but you'd get crap all over your face...ahh nevermind me I woke up on the cynical side of the bed this morning

I have a UK driving licence with my parents address on it (although I do "live" in Germany). so thats a 1000 pounds fine if i get found out?
Do I now have to change my old GB licence to a DE one??? I prefer not to/ and
still confused about us Brits with bigUK paper licence being legal to drive here.

Hi. I have an Australian Drivers Licence and an International Drivers Licence. I heard that the INternational Drivers Licence is valid for 6 months from date of entry into Germany. After that time I believe Ihave to obtain a German drivers licence.

Has anyone done that before? What does it entail? The cost? And can you do it in English?

Thanks for your help.

ps I thought about obtaining a UK licence but I think you need to be a resident there as a condition.

Here's the deal with keeping your old driver's license - you can keep it provided you have a letter from your employer saying that you still need it(I don't need it but I wanted to keep it, just in case I went back before it expires) and then you have to pay either 35€ or 50€(I forget) to keep the darn thing.

I would say the old VA license is gone - you'll never see that again.

Poots,
mine still runs off my parent's address and I'm not planning to convert it until the 10 year renewal is up. I do have the new UK photocard licence though and you have to have the photo updated every 10 years.
Katrina

I have live in Germany for almost three years now and read that I must change my US drivers license over before three years unless I want to take the course. I am from one of the states where I have to only take the theoretical exam. Does anyone know where I can get copies of the books that this exam will cover? I also heard that I can take this exam in English, is this true? Has anyone done this recently? How many questions are on it? How difficult is it? Is there an online book I could download? How long does the exam take??

Thread merged by Admin

You can take it in english, I'm afraid I don't know of any books in english on the test but you can take an oral theory test. costs a lot more though.

You'll also need an approved eyetest and a certificate of completion of a first aid course. The first aid course requirement may be waived, you 'll have to ask a driving instructor. It was for me but I already had an EU licence.

You can buy a set of all the question sheets and then just practice like a maniac. The actual question sheets in the test may have different combinations of the questions as the practice sheets. The questions are multiple choice.

You have to answer 30 questions with a maximum of 10 error points. The questions are weighed with different error points and you are not allowed to get 2 question worth 5 error points wrong.

Good luck!

I just found this link!. But I have one more question, do I need an eye test before I arrive or do they admisiter it there?

http://home.att.net/~texhwyman/regeln.htm

You need to get the eyetest beforehand but most opticians can do it for you.

Has a driving school arranged the test for you? I'm not sure if you can just turn up at the TÜV and ask to sit the test.

What about if you have points on your english licence? I have 6 from a speeding
offence. Do they carry them onto your german licence if you exchange?

And if you happen to be from the US, you must come from a State that Germany has an agreement with for a license swap. Very few States have a complete swap for both the pratical and the written.

i had to take the theoretical test. i studied for around 2 months, well my goal was 5 practice sheets a night (more on the weekend), repeatedly until i could answer the questions with no errors. i had 50 or so practice sheets to tackle.
i passed the test with no errors, but you have to study.

you can buy the practice sheets at any driving school, costs around €60. test is however in BRITISH english (there were 2 or 3 things I did not get, but managed). or maybe a TTers offers theirs on sale.

Has anyone swopped a US license for a German one and then gone back to the state DMV and claim it was "lost" to get a new American one to have both?