Converting a driver's license to a German one

I did this recently and thought I'd mention it here because I was suprised by how easy it was, considering we're in Germany:

I'd put off exchanging it for the last 3 years because I thought I'd probably have to fill in loads of forms, and it probably wouldn't be worth the effort anyway since the address on the british one was still valid.

That all changed recently when the address became invalid, so I braced myself for the bureaucracy and headed off down to the Führerscheinstelle at the KVR in Implerstrasse. After waiting around 15 minutes in the waiting room my number came up and I went into the office... only to be told I was in the wrong place - they only exchanged German licenses and I should have gone to the office in Eichstätterstr on the other side of town!

The woman was quite nice about it though - she gave me a little note saying I didn't have to wait again and I was allowed to go straight in to the other office ahead of the 20-odd people who were already waiting there.

In the end, all I had to do was give them a photo, my passport and my old license, pay the fee (35 euros) and sign in the box. I didn't have to fill in any forms - they got all the info from their computer with my passport number - so I was in the office for no longer than about 10 minutes.

I got the new license about 4 weeks later. They took my old one off me, but I kept a photocopy of it just in case. I'm wondering if it's worth contacting the UK authority and telling them I've lost it...

Sounds interesting... I still have some points and an old ban left on my British licence, I wonder if they carry them over? And what would then happen if you were to return to Blighty and exchange your German licence for a British one?

I feel a good scam coming along...

this don't work for us americans though. i almost couldn't transfer my u.s. license into a german once 'cause i waited too long. after 3 years of being registered in germany (didn't deregister after my language course), then it's too late. your old license is invalid & you have to the german driving test. there they make their €1000 and not knowing is not an excuse.

Attention all Canadians:

All provinces and territories have an exchange arrangement with Germany for automobile drivers' licences.
You may exchange your Canadian licence for a German one at your local German Strassenverkehrsamt without undergoing testing. However it is not written if you have to give away your Canadian one in exchange. I will let you know how I manage since I need to get a German driver's license soon.

This info was taken from the Canadian Embassy website:

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/canada-europa...abroad04-en.asp

Did you know that Germans have to undergo testing when they apply for a Canadian drivers license? That should give them their own dose of red tape!

Unfortunately that doesn't help those of us who've been here longer than 3 years. When I first moved here, they didn't have that rule, you had to take the test. Then they changed it, that you could just exchange the licence, as long as you hadn't been here longer than 2 or 3 years (can't remember now). Guess who had been here just a little too long? :cry:

Showen, I thought you were Irish? At least you sounded it when I met you briefly at the cinema last week.

Anway, if you are, and you have an Irish drivers license, you don't have to worry about being here too long to exchange it. Holders of European drivers licenses don't have to change them.

Showem is Canadian...

AM is correct, I am Canadian, with no Irish ties. As we said about 5 words to each other at the movie Spud (brief being a very accurate description) I'm not surprised that wasn't enough to pick up the subtleness of the Canadian accent...

Spud,

Didn't you need a letter from your mother (country) saying that you hadn't been disqualified from driving?

I did a pre-emptive paperwork query once, just to see how dificult it would be to change from another EU country. They said I needed this letter, but not the new licence. You can drive as long as you want on any other EU licence.

I believe this has the added advantage of not acumulating those pesky demerit points when you've done something untoytownish.

No, all I needed was my passport, a photo, and the old license. I didn't have to fill in anything - all the info was pre-printed on the forms from the database and I just signed in the box.

Spud,

You mention a 35 Euro fee to change your British license. I've been told that this is for the translation fee, and that the actual license document may have a separate cost.

I hold a Canadian passport, and my residence changed 7 months ago. I've been driving a car ever since my arrival in Munich, but I read that I had 6 months to exchange my driver's license without have to take a test. Does anyone know what happens after you pass the 6 month barrier? Do I have to take 2000 Euros worth of retarded courses even though I have 8 years of driving experience ... or is it a 200 Euro test?

No, the fee was only for exchanging the license. There was no translation because my previous license was from the EU.

I had one of the old style british drivers licenses (A4 sheet of paper, no photo), which was legally still valid to drive in Germany with, even though it had the wrong address on it.

The only reason I ended up changing it here was because I wanted a credit-card sized one and the UK license agency wouldn't let me have a UK one with a German address on it. The only other way to do it would be to get a UK one with a "care of" address in the UK, but I didn't want to do that.

Technically, what I did was pretty much the same as if a German went in to replace his old paper license with the credit-card one. The difference was I had to go to a specific office.

I have no idea what you'll have to do to change your Canadian license, but it will undoubtedly be more complicated, particularly if you've exceeded the 6-month limit.

BTW, If you have gone over the 6-month limit, I wouldn't recommend driving any more till you get a new license...

if people know they can only drive for 6 months, then why wait 7 to try to get a german license? sorry, but isn't the threatened €1500 new driver's license fee worth checking into this? i hope you can get around the rules. i really do 'cause the german's don't take "i didn't know" for an answer. i would call the consulate. i know on the u.s. page they have info for this there.

i came at a time when you could drive for 1 year, then had up to 3 years to get the new license. bone head that i was, i failed to deregister when i first left germany so i was technically registered for 3 years 2 months although i was only present in germany for 2!

What's this about 6 months? I thought it was 2 years? Or is it 2 years for EU citizens?

I had been told that I could wait at most 1 year to exchange my license, but then yesterday I read on the Canadian Consulate webpage that "If you will be in Germany for longer than 6 months, you must obtain a German driver's license prior to the end of your first six months in Germany". I wasn't sure if that meant you would have to undergo testing beyond 6 months or if the right to drive with a foreign license expired. The matter was clarified to me this morning - the latter was the case.

After paying 36 Euros for a translation at the ADAC Munich headquarters, I headed to the KFZ (2nd floor). They did not check anything whatsoever relating to how long I had been in Germany. They only checked the expiration date on my license. All Canadian provinces and some US States (ex: California is not included) have agreements to exchange licenses. I paid an additional 35 Euros to get my German license (no testing, no courses required). I suggest to any North Americans to get this done before reaching 1 year of residency in Germany. Again, the only date that mattered to them was the expiration date of my license but I would go to be on the safe side.

A colleague at the office is from India, and has an Indian license. Not so lucky for him - he has to take an exam. He's also taking courses, but I think thats only cause he's not comfortable driving in Germany since he has not driven in 3 years.

One last detail. You don't get your german license on the spot. In 5-7 weeks I am getting a notice in the mail to pick up my german license. At that time I absolutely have to relenquish my Canadian license, which I am keepign in the meantime. I suggested to my girlfriend, who has been in Germany for 2 months, to renew her license in Canada before coming to Germany. This way she has two licenses from Canada with valid expiration dates. (They don't take it away like they do in Germany). So in 5-6 weeks, she's going to give away the old one and keep the new one .. this way no headache when she returns to Canada ... I, on the other hand, am going to play the "I lost my license" trick in Canada and get a new one in July

why did you have to pay for a translation? i didn't. they had a list at the dept. of motor vehicles and looked up what i could do with my oregon d.l. i had to take the theoretical test, luckily, 'cause driving practice was already recognized, thus saving me nearly DM 1200! all in all i paid around DM 250 for my license (new photos: needed a heller background).

it was there after applying for my license, did i almost get stuck with having to do the whole thing 'cause on my registration form (they do call the einwohnhermeldeamt) it said i had been in DE for 3 yrs. 2 months. i got the rejection letter after the application was filled out. luckily my case worker believe i had only been inthe coutny for 2 years (stamps in passport).

so isaak, i would only say it's over, when you hav the thing in your hand!

I went to get the translation first because I did not want to waste another day running around from one department to another accross town - since I was not sure if it was a requirement.

I wasted a total of 3 days running around Munich to get my car "Tuv-ed" and registered ... so I didn't want to waste more time through the german bureaucratic obstacle course.

At the KFZ (German version of the Department for Motor Vehicles - where you get drivers licenses, plates ...), not only do they have a full time job with benefits for a license plate sticker presser, they also have a full time job with 41k for a license sticker remover -LOL- Do you think that that position required 6 years of professional training like a german chimney cleaner? Sorry to offend some, but thats just too hilarious.

Holy Moses!
I've been driving around for 5years on my UK licence. Have I been breaking a rule? If so, will I be jailed?
Now I'm scared to go to this DVLC place or whatever it's called in Germany to swap it for one of theirs. :shock:

I'm in the process of getting a German licence. I have to take the tests (both practical and theory). The whole thing pisses me off, though because I've driven in Australia for 9 years and was allowed to drive in Germany for the first 6 months. As soon as I got used to the road conditions here and driving on the wrong side of the road, I wasn't allowed to drive anymore. I want to be able to drive here, so I really don't have a choice, but to follow these stupid laws.

Pointless.

No, you can drive with the UK licence for as long as you want. They used to have a 2-year limit on it, but they dropped it.

hey spud, i think you're now confusing people. there is a rule if you plan to stay here longer than 6 months you have to get a german driver's license. why is granny exluded from this rule? she admits she's been driving around on her u.k. one for 5 years. so she is driving illegally b/c she doesn't hvae the german d.l. maybe you uk folk can just exchange it for a german one, still granny needs to do it.

i feel sorry for hazza 'cause the whole thing is expensive, BUT (and maybe this is too late hazza) I was told i had to do the theoretical part, but that didn't mean i had to take the classes! the driving schools of course never told me this 'cause they just wnated my cash, but in the regulations it said i only had to take the TEST. of course i bought the forms, in english, and i was allowed to take my test in english. i paid DM120 for those f*... forms, but i saved DM750, but not having to take the classes. didn't have to take first aid either.

Not if you're an EU national.

OK, for EU nationals:
1. 6 months limit for license does not apply
2. What about the 2 year limit?

There is no limit. If you have had a valid drivers licence from an EU country for 2 or more years before coming to Germany, you can use it as long as you like without having to exchange it.

Have a look here:
http://www.muenchen.de/referat/kvr/strasse/schein/index.html

Scroll down to "EU-/EWR-Staaten"

Also the same info here:
http://www.autofahrer-info.de/EU-Fuhrersch...chein_etc_.html

Oops. That first link should be:
http://www.muenchen.de/referat/kvr/strasse...endische_fe.htm

Didn't realise the page was in a frame...

Thank the Lord, Malcolm, I won't end up "Hinter the gitter"!
I have read what I can from the web site you kindly posted and can now come off the sedatives.
May I be so bold and ask another question?
Opa says that I should change my licence in any event, though he concludes, the German European one to be better. Apparently, the UK one; although of the same format, requires paperwork to be carried with it to make it legal, whilst the German one does not. Do you know if this is so, also, are there any adverse effects noted in possessing a German as opposed to a UK LIcence?

Yes, with the UK credit-card sized licence you still have to carry a sheet of paper which I think is around the same size as the old style licence. Kind of defeats the point of making it credit-card sized, if you ask me.

Another couple of advantages of the German one are:

1. There's no address printed on it. Presumably the database gets updated automatically when you re-register after moving house.

2. There's no expiration date on categories B, BE, M and L.

Disadvantages:
1. You can get German points for speeding and other traffic offences. I don't think they get added to your UK licence if you're using it in Germany (I could be wrong though so don't quote me on that).

2. You lose categories D1 (minibus) and D1E (minibus/trailer) if you had them on your UK licence. In Germany you need to pass an additional test to get those categories.

3. Expiration of categories C1 (small truck) C1E (small truck/trailer) is reduced to age 50 (it's 65 on the UK licence).

By the way, I forgot to mention before: The German licence has your old UK licence number written on it in the "Zusatzangaben" field. I suppose you can use this if you get stopped by a UK traffic policeman who doesn't belive that the licence is valid.

Thank you very much.
I think I'll keep on trucking with my old paper one for now, although I will have to change the address, as I've sold my house in the UK. They will probably issue me with the new credit card one when I do this, wont they? Anyway,
I know I need a UK address for this but that's where my daughter comes in handy.
Can you still get a international licence? You used to be able to hold this as well as the normal licence.

if I am allowed to keep my UK licence indefinitely then does that mean I can rack up as many german points as I want since they will never make it into the DVLA database? conversely, when I go back, can I swap my UK licence for a german one before I go and pull the same scam in the UK?

I had one once but they are only valid for a year. you can get them from some post offices (not all) but not sure how it works here. I don´t really see the point of having one though. I got one because I was told I would need it to hire a car in argentina but in reality this was not true: they just would not have accepted the old paper licence over there because it has no photo, but the new photocard model is accepted everywhere I have ever hired a car

If I was going to be driving abroad (outside the EU) I'd check what licence they will accept. You can probably find that info on the car-hire websites.

Was it a UK licence that the Argentinians accepted? I doubt they'd have accepted a German one.

As far as I know, you need an international licence to drive in the States or Australia if your licence doesn't have an English translation.

Opa, has recently returned from the States and is now working in Australia, his German- european- licence has been accepted in both countries.

yes it was, photocard (new, credit card size) version

Does anyone know definitively what the law is surrounding a driving license for EU citizens. Half the cops I've spoken with said I'm fine with my own, the other half say that after 6 months you have to get a German one or risk big fines. On Expatica.com they have an article saying that the 6 month thing only applies to non-EU people.

So does anyone know for definite what the deal is?

apparently the 6 month thing is an old rule that now only applies to non-EU licences. however, I am told that it is a bit of a nuisance to get your UK licence replaced if you lose it whilst living over here (as in you can't just get a german one to replace your misplaced UK one, you have to go through the DVLA who don't send licences abroad or something)

however, I am also told that the upside of keeping your UK licence is that (for now) they don't apply any german points to it

I understand the following applies (from www.muenchen.de):

You should replace your GB licence after 6 months with a German licence if you have moved here permanently.

If you do not change your licence within 3 years you are apparently legally obliged to re take both the theory and the practical tests before they will issue you with a German one.

DVLA will not send you a licence abroad and will tell you to get a German one if you tell them you have moved. If you still have a UK address you'll have no problem - just don't tell them you've moved.

I had to get a new licence recently having been pickpocketted at the airport - good job really as I still had a paper licence with a 15 yr old address on it. Anyway, I told the DVLA I didn't live in UK any more (I have no address I feel comfortable using in the UK anymore) and they sent me a confirmation that I have a licence and qualify to drive whatever class of vehicle. I took this to the relevant amt and signed a form or two and am now awaiting a German phhotocard licence. For an extra 15 Eurines I can apparently also get an International Licence which may prove useful in avoiding all this kind of palava in future.

Yeah but it's that should that's throwing me off. If I do have to replace my own for a German one then I'm screwed as I've been here well over the 3 years and I'm guaranteed to fail any test I'd take. Plus, if you have to re-take the test does that mean that you have to go through the normally mandatory course of lessons first too. It's just that those add up to about €1500 and that's not peanuts.

Can't help you there I'm afraid. I would have thought the most important thing would be whether you are covered by your insurance company after the 3 year period is up. If you are then I wouldn't bother. Of course, you'll then run into the one of the only Bavarian Polizists who can be bothered to do any work and once he discovers you're an auslander that'll be it...

the 6-month thing does not apply to EU licences as per www.muenchen.de

"Mit rechtmäßig erworbenen EU- bzw. EWR-Fahrerlaubnissen, die zeitlich unbefristet erteilt wurden, dürfen innerhalb der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Kraftfahrzeuge der entsprechenden Klassen geführt werden. Eine Umschreibung ist dann nicht vorgeschrieben."

BUT! it says "die zeitlich unbefristet erteilt wurden" which means "without any time limit on their validity" which I suppose means UK ones should be changed since they are only valid for 10 years and then need to be renewed

so again it remains unclear and I have no intention to change mine

Bugger it, I'll keep the old one. It's good till 2006 and has a well dodgey photo on it which is always good for a laugh.

Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated.

Hello people and yes I did enjoy my wee trip to Oz thank you very much.
Anyway, as I've had a recent brush with the law, which involved a one month driving ban, now over I might add, I feel qualified to clear up the mystery.
If you have held your Uk /EU licence for 2 years, before coming to Germany, then you don't need to change it (if not you do ) and can drive as long as the date valid. This rule does not apply for anything other than a car.
The police told me that after one year I should have changed and insisted that I get a German one and then hand it in but Opa researched the topic and when he arrives at his destination (mid flight at the moment) I will ask him to give me the link(all in german) and will post it. He found lots of confusing information in the process but finally arrived at the legal status (which I now keep in the car).
Another wee point, I have a paper licence and when I picked it up from the nasty green men, I expected to see my three points on it but there's nothing to see? Whether the points are held on a data base and the information exchanged with the DVLA I don't know. I only know that my licence has not been altered.
Oh and another wee point, when you are banned for an offence here, you cannot drive anywhere even if you hold another licence such as international, so the man told me at the police station and apparently there has already been a test case.
Also, out of interest, when my letter arrived informing me of my ban, the police man said that I can add 3 days onto the date of issue, plus 2 weeks if I intend to contest it, plus 4 months. Add all that up and you can pick a convenient time to hand in your licence, very considerate I think!
I hope you can make sense of this but feel free to ask me anything else.

http://bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/fev/index.html

I hope I've managed to copy that correctly. The link for fines, points and bans is posted under "speeding" thread.

Seen this?
n54 thread re licences

I am American, but I overstayed my welcome as far as driver licenses go, and could not write mine over to a German one, due to that I had been here too long without having already done it. Mega- confusion for me, seeing as if I do it in a certain amount of time, I get the German license permanently, but if I do it from a day late onwards, I must go to driving school, so where is the difference as far as my driving skill is concerned... Anyway, before I vent AGAIN on this topic, I will tell you what I did. I went back home, took the test again, got a new license, came back here, went to the office, applied for a new license, explained how I could not apply previosly since I had never had a license before (white lie) and so my time limit shold begin when I get my first license, and not how long I have been here since I could not write over when no license exists, and I went home for the license since my german was to shaky for a serious test, and that took a bit of talking to get it through... yes a bit complicated, but it worked for me...
good luck

SECRET TIP:

melde dich ab, leave the country for a few days/weeks/month.
(i.e. de-register your residency, leave the country...)

Melde Dich wieder an.
(come back and re-register)

Your "Frist" will start then wieder "Laufing".
(Your time limit will then start afresh)

Und dann tauschst Du Problemlos um.
(Then you can swap your licence over without problems)

(translations added by Bob)

Problem with ab/anmeldung is that if you aren't an EU citizen, you may lose your residency permit

for american d.l. holders:
that is an absolute must that you deregister when you leave germany for any length of time. this is what nearly got me since i didn't do this after learning german those 6 months. luckily i had a really nice lady at the driver's license authority who accepted the stamps in my passport and flight information proving when i left the country so in essence i was only present in germany for 2 1/2 years not 3. otherwise i would have had to take it all over again.

i had however to take the theoretical test b/c i had an oregon license. and remember YOU ONLY HAVE TO TAKE THE TEST. i scream this 'cause so many driving school's said i had to take coursework and luckily one nice lady said, nope you just have to take the test, but buy the study materials and learn it. i still have my sample tests (blank of course) if anyone wants to have them for a small fee. sadly they costed me (in original british english mind you) €60!.

all in all i paid €125 for my german license (new passphotos, registration fee, study materials, application for driver license fee).

ya´ll are lucky you´re not from texas. I would´ve had to go to driving school, take the written and driving test. Little tip: go to Michigan or another state that has an agreement with germany to swap.every state is different

i AM from texas roark, but i went to grad school in oregon before coming to germany and therefore had an oregon d.l. and didn't have time to go home first. so i'm happy i only had to take the theoretical test.

@elfenstar
after 2 years of living here I was beginning to think I was the only one...
Where from?