International driving permits from India - Germany

Hi All,

I have an international driving permit from India. Is it valid here in Germany? If yes, how long? If not, can I get it converted into a German license? Any links, comments are welcome.
Thanks in advance!

valid only for 6 months till you come into the country after that i have no clue

If u have just arrived then your Indian License is valid for 6 months. That means from the day of your arrival in Germany. Also u have to carry your Passport with you.

After six months you are not allowed to drive anymore and you have to get the "Worlds most expensive License" that is the German driving license.
This is kind of transferring Indian license in to german.
You would have to do a written test and driving test...also First Aid course and Eye Test. All this will cost your approx. 600-800 €

You could contact any driving school and ask them.

Remember though that it only makes sense if u gonna live here longer. Also if u dont do the german license within the first 3 years then u have to do a new license...which will cost you around 1200 € onwards.

Go to 2-3 Driving schools in Munich and take a quotation.

Cheers.

You need the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde. I found it here: muenchen.de / Fuehrerschein

Thanks everyone, for your responses..wow..it definitely IS the most expensive driving license! I guess I will have to get it converted into a german license since I will be here for a while.
Thanks again people..any more inputs, responses are, as always..most welcome

If you can visit another country for awhile on your way here that has a special agreement with the government, then do that and get a drivers license there. For example, in Arizona (though *not* all US states), you can just hand over your Arizona drivers license and get a German one. I'm from California, so I couldn't. Had I gotten a drivers license in Arizona before coming here, I could have just swapped over. So try and find out what countries have such agreements and are also easy to get a license in and take an extended vacation along the way!

I think you might have to have that license for a certain amount of time before it can be switched over. My Utah license was accepted without a hitch, but I vaguely recall them checking how long I had had it.

As far as know they have no treaty with India, although I am 100% sure that the germans with valid licenses wont be able to drive in India

And Indians if they can drive in India...can drive anywhere in world

All the best

I Have an Indian Driving Licence.

Is it the Indian Drving license which is valid for 6 months or do i need to take an international driving license from India which will be valid for 6 months?

Can someboby help me answer this?

Thanks

Dodi

Greetings everyone!
Bumping up this thread to know the latest relevant information on this topic!
I plan to arrive in Germany soon and shall be living there for a period of 3 years or more. So, I shall be grateful if someone could tell me: does getting an international driving permit (IDP) from India serve any help (in the sense of a monetary benefit and/or lesser steps involved in the examination) for obtaining a German driving license?
I know as such the IDP allows a 6 month validity to drive, however, I would most likely not need to start driving immediately... it's only in an *eventual* or a long-term sense that I am looking to get a permanent German license.

Thanks aprior,
nitin

1. You are allowed to drive in Germany for 6 months starting from the time of your arrival. Being allowed to drive is not the same as being able to. The rules here are totally different from that in India. Except for the traffic signal, everything else is different. So, Taking a car as soon as you come to Germany is daring.

2. The only other help is when you apply for a German drivers licence, you don't have to do the "Sonderfahrt" - The 12 special driving classes (Autobahn, Landstraße and Nachtsfahrt) and once you successfully complete the theory/practical exam, then you will get a licence without the probation period - That is of some help. Believe me. I am not sure how good it is not to do the 12 Sonderfahrt. I personally find this very important.

The best thing to do - Apply for a drivers licence as soon as you come to Germany. Learn the traffic signs thoroughly and register in a driving school. Do the theory exam, take as many driving classes as you need to be sure to be on the road by yourself, take the exam and in the mean time ask your instructor to show you how to join/exit the autobahn, night driving etc and then decide on how many more such classes you need.

Cheers and all the best.

An international driving license is not required...your Indian one will do as well!

Having an international license does not help you at all.

I recently obtained a German License, and let me tell you that it is pretty expensive, and even more expensive if you fail any test/s.
As long-haul said, apply as soon as you arrived to Germany, since it takes a while to meet all the requirements, and I think if you fail twice the driving test, you will have to wait few months to try again.

The process I had to follow was as following:
1- Find a driving school/s and request for an English speaking teacher unless your German is pretty good of course.
2- They gave me a list with all requirements to proceed to the written test
3- Meet the requirements ( First aid plus eye test certificate- not very expensive)
4- Buy the English version test samples (I can not recall how much but about 80 euros), the test samples have every possible question in the actual test. If you have good memory, it will be very easy if not, do not go to your exam until you are 100% sure, the test is about 80 euros, if you fail then of course another 80 euros
5- Lessons, I took 10 lessons (~350 euros)then I did the test (260 euros)
6- If successful-->license

As you can see, the whole procedure may take few months or even more than 6 months in some cases...depending on your driving skills, the school or whether you fail the driving test etc

Written test can be done in English.
Driving test must be done in German, my examiner was cool and spoke to me in English, however I was told that examiners are not allow to speak other language but German.

Unfortunately my situation was bit more difficult because I can not drive manual cars so it was a bit more expensive and finding a suitable school was also an issue.

Good luck!
7

I don't think so. But i would be definitely careful if i fail 2 times. After the third time, i think one has to take an MPU. Anyways, wasn't bothered informing myself about it. Got both the PKW and Motorbike drivers license at the first shot.

Why did you have to do it with an automatic transmission? That means you are allowed to drive only automatic transmission cars?

Not anymore.

[quote name='long-haul' date='29.Oct.2009, 9:58am' timestamp='1256806700' post='1812083'
Why did you have to do it with an automatic transmission? That means you are allowed to drive only automatic transmission cars?
[/quote]
Yes.