This guide covers driving in Germany as a visitor or resident in 2026: which licence you can use, when to exchange it, the road rules and the fines.
What is changing for drivers in 2025 and 2026
The biggest live change is the deadline schedule for replacing older German-issued paper and card licences, alongside a planned digital licence and a driving-school reform targeted for early 2027. Most of this matters to foreigners indirectly, but older guides do not mention any of it. For the wider move, from visas to registration, see our complete guide to moving to Germany.
| Change | Date | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory replacement of German licences issued 1999 to 2001 | Deadline passed on 19 January 2026 | Affects anyone holding an older German licence, including expats who exchanged a foreign licence around that time. The next group (issued 2002 to 2004) must switch by 19 January 2027. |
| Digital driving licence (national) | Planned; no confirmed launch date | A digital licence is planned to sit alongside the plastic card. Keep carrying your card until the digital version is confirmed as valid. |
| Driving-school reform (theory online, fewer theory questions, shorter practical test) | Draft law approved by the federal cabinet on 20 May 2026; target start early 2027 | Relevant if you must sit German tests. The draft still needs approval by the Bundestag and Bundesrat. |
| CO2 price on fuel | 2026 | The carbon price is expected to sit between €55 and €65 per tonne, which pushes pump prices up compared with earlier years. |
| Deutschlandticket (nationwide public transport pass) | January 2026 | Rose from €58 to €63 a month, which still makes it a realistic alternative to a car in many cities. |
| New EU Driving Licence Directive | Adopted 2025; national law by November 2028; applies by November 2029 | Will bring an EU-wide digital licence, accompanied driving from 17 and cross-border driving bans. Nothing changes for you yet. |
Callout: if you read elsewhere that UK licence holders must re-sit their test in Germany, that is out of date. The United Kingdom is on the exchange list and UK licences now convert for all classes without a theory or practical test.
Callout: the reform is not law yet. The driving-school changes still need parliamentary approval, so the current rules apply until the new law is in force. Confirm the current test format with your driving school before you book.
Can you drive in Germany on a foreign licence?
Yes. As a tourist or short-term visitor you can drive on any valid foreign licence for as long as you remain a visitor; the six-month clock only starts when you take up “normal residence” in Germany.
German law treats you as normally resident where you live for at least 185 days a year for personal or work reasons. In practice, most authorities treat your registration date (Anmeldung) as the start of residence.
- Visitors: a valid foreign licence is accepted without time limit, provided it is a full licence (not a learner or provisional one) and you meet the German minimum age of 18 for cars.
- New residents with a non-EU licence: your licence remains valid for six months from the start of residence. After that, driving on it alone counts as driving without a licence.
- Extension: the licensing office can extend the six months by up to a further six months, but only if you can show that you will not stay in Germany for more than 12 months in total.
- Commuters and some students: people who work in Germany but regularly return to a home abroad do not count as resident and can keep using their licence. Working in Germany while visiting family abroad only occasionally does not qualify.
Callout: do not let the six months lapse. Driving after the deadline on a foreign licence is treated as driving without a licence, which is a criminal offence in Germany and can invalidate your car insurance. Apply early, because offices in larger cities often have long waits for appointments.
EU, exchange-list and other licences compared
What you must do depends entirely on where your licence was issued, not on your nationality. This is the distinction most competing guides blur.
| Licence issued in | Valid after moving to Germany | Exchange required? | Theory test | Practical test | Eye test / first aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA country | Yes, for as long as the licence itself is valid | No (optional) | No | No | Only for lorry or bus classes |
| Country on the exchange list (Annex 11 of the Driving Licence Ordinance), e.g. UK, Canada, Australia, Japan | 6 months (extendable by up to 6 in limited cases) | Yes | Usually no (some US states: yes) | Usually no | Eye test generally not required unless the list says so |
| Any other country, e.g. India, Brazil, California, New York | 6 months (extendable by up to 6 in limited cases) | Yes, via full tests | Yes | Yes, with a driving instructor | Yes: eye test and first-aid course |
A few points worth spelling out:
- EU and EEA licences do not need converting, even if you live in Germany permanently. You only deal with a German office when the licence expires, is lost, or you add a lorry or bus class.
- Non-listed countries do not require you to complete a full set of driving-school lessons, but the practical test must be taken in a driving-school car with an instructor, so most people book some lessons anyway.
- Licence classes are converted one by one. For some countries only the car class (B) is recognised, even if your licence covers more.
Which countries can exchange without a test?
Annex 11 of the German Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV) lists the countries and territories whose licences convert on easier terms; if your country is not on it, you face the full theory and practical tests.
The table below summarises the entries most relevant to English-speaking expats, based on the version of Annex 11 we reviewed in October 2026.
| Licence issued in | Classes covered | Theory test | Practical test |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | All | No | No |
| Canada (most provinces and territories) | Car class | No | No |
| Australia (all states and territories) | Car class | No | No |
| New Zealand | Classes 1 and 6 | No | No |
| Japan | All | No | No |
| South Korea | Classes 1 and 2 | No | No |
| Singapore | All | No | No |
| South Africa | All | No | No |
| Switzerland | All | No | No |
| Israel | Classes A1, A2, A, B | No | No |
| Ukraine | Including car class | No | No |
| Most listed US states (e.g. Texas, Washington) | Car class | No | No |
| Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee | Car class | Yes | No |
| US states not on the list (e.g. California, New York) | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| India, Brazil (not listed) | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Moldova | Car and other classes | No | Yes |
Callout: check the current list for your exact state or province. Annex 11 is amended from time to time and some entries carry footnotes, for example requiring an eye test or limiting recognition to licences issued after a certain date (Albania and Kosovo are examples). The licensing office applies the list in force on the day you apply.
Americans in particular should check their state carefully. A licence from Texas converts with no tests at all, while one from Florida needs the theory test and one from California needs both tests. Your passport nationality is irrelevant; only the issuing state counts.
How to exchange your licence: documents, fees and steps
You apply to the driving licence office (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) for the town or district where you are registered, usually in person, and you hand in your foreign licence in exchange for the German card.
Documents usually required:
- Passport or national identity card, plus residence permit if you are from outside the EU
- Your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
- One current biometric passport photograph
- Your original foreign licence, still valid on the day you apply (an international driving permit is not accepted in its place)
- A German translation of the licence, where required (see the next section)
- For non-listed countries: a recognised eye test certificate, proof of a first-aid course and the name and address of your driving school
- For lorry or bus classes: medical certificates
Fees vary by town or district. The figures below are the published Berlin fees, given as a benchmark.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange without a test (Berlin) | €37.50 | Other cities charge similar but not identical amounts |
| Exchange with a test (Berlin) | €45.10 | Administrative fee only |
| Theory and practical test fees, driving lessons | Varies widely | Charged separately by the testing organisation and driving school; not published centrally |
| Express card production | Extra charge | Offered by some offices; shortens the wait for the card |
| Translation | Varies | From a recognised motoring organisation or certified translator |
Step by step:
- Register your address (Anmeldung) as soon as you arrive; this normally starts the six-month clock.
- Check Annex 11 to see whether you need any tests.
- Get a translation if your office requires one.
- Book an appointment with your local licensing office or apply online where the office offers this.
- Hand in your documents and pay the fee. Your foreign licence is kept and normally returned to the issuing country.
- Sit any required tests through a driving school, if you are from a non-listed country.
- Collect your German licence. The card is produced centrally, so expect to wait several weeks; no standard processing time is published, and waits differ sharply between cities.
Callout: you surrender your old licence. Germany does not let you hold two licences. If you need to drive in your home country during visits, check before you apply whether you can obtain a replacement there, because a German licence is fully valid in the UK, US and elsewhere for visitors.
German licences issued since 19 January 2013 are valid for 15 years as a document, but there are no routine medical checks for car drivers at renewal.
Translations and international driving permits
Whether you need a translation depends on the language of your licence and, in practice, on your local office; sources disagree, so ask before you pay for one.
- For visitors, licences that are not in German generally need either a German translation or an international driving permit carried alongside them.
- For exchanges, the Berlin service portal says a translation is needed only where the licence is not in German or English. Nuremberg applies the same rule. Other offices may ask for a translation, so check locally before you pay for one.
- Translations are usually accepted from recognised motoring organisations, certified translators or German diplomatic missions.
- An international driving permit is only valid together with your original licence. It does not replace the licence, and it cannot be exchanged for a German one.
German road rules that catch foreigners out
The rules that most often surprise newcomers are “right before left” at unmarked junctions, the rescue lane, the zero-alcohol rule for new drivers and the fact that the autobahn speed of 130 km/h is advisory, not unlimited in every section.
| Rule | What applies |
|---|---|
| Speed in built-up areas | 50 km/h unless signed otherwise |
| Speed outside built-up areas (cars) | 100 km/h |
| Autobahn | No general limit, but 130 km/h is the recommended speed and many sections are signed lower |
| Cars towing a trailer or caravan | 80 km/h on all roads, including motorways |
| Priority | Traffic from the right has priority at junctions without signs or lights |
| Alcohol limit | 0.5 per mille; from 0.3 per mille if your driving is impaired |
| Alcohol limit for new drivers | Zero for anyone under 21 or within the two-year probationary period |
| Rescue lane (Rettungsgasse) | Form it as soon as traffic stops on motorways and multi-lane roads: left lane moves left, all other lanes move right |
| Mobile phones | Hand-held use banned; hands-free only |
If you hold your licence for less than two years and exchange it into a German one, discuss with the licensing office whether the German probationary rules will apply to you.
Fines, points and driving bans
German fines are lower than in some neighbouring countries for minor offences but rise sharply above 20 km/h over the limit, when points on the central register in Flensburg and driving bans begin.
| Speed over the limit (cars) | Built-up area | Outside built-up area | Points | Driving ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 km/h | €30 | €20 | 0 | No |
| 16 to 20 km/h | €70 | €60 | 0 | No |
| 21 to 25 km/h | €115 | €100 | 1 | No |
| 26 to 30 km/h | €180 | €150 | 1 | 1 month for a repeat within a year |
| 31 to 40 km/h | €260 | €200 | 2 (built-up) / 1 (outside) | 1 month (outside: repeat offenders only) |
| 41 to 50 km/h | €400 | €320 | 2 | 1 month |
| Over 70 km/h | €800 | €700 | 2 | 3 months |
Other common penalties:
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Drink-driving at 0.5 per mille or more | At least €500 |
| New driver with any alcohol | At least €250 |
| Hand-held phone use | €100 |
| Failing to form a rescue lane | €200 to €320, plus a possible one-month ban |
| Entering a low-emission zone without a sticker | €100 |
| Wrong tyres in winter conditions | At least €60 |
Callout: fines follow you home. Under EU cross-border rules, fines of €70 or more can be enforced in other EU countries. A new EU directive will also allow serious driving bans to apply across the EU, although this will not take effect until the late 2020s.
Driving your own car: equipment, tyres and green zones
If you bring a car to Germany or rent one, it must carry a warning triangle, a first-aid kit and a high-visibility vest, and in winter conditions it must have winter or all-season tyres.
- Winter tyres: there is no fixed date. The rule applies whenever there is snow, slush, ice or frost. Minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm.
- Low-emission zones (Umweltzonen): many cities require a green emissions sticker (Umweltplakette), including on foreign-registered cars. Stickers are sold by district offices, testing organisations such as TÜV and DEKRA, and many garages. Allow time for delivery if you order one from abroad.
- Vehicle inspection (HU): German-registered cars need a general inspection every two years (three years for a new car’s first inspection). Cars with a blue inspection sticker are due in 2026.
- Insurance costs: German insurers recalculate vehicle type classes every year, so premiums for the same car can move up or down. Compare quotes before renewing.
- Importing a car permanently: once resident, a foreign-registered car must eventually be registered in Germany. This is a separate process covered in our moving guides.
Not sure you need a car at all? With the Deutschlandticket at €63 a month for unlimited regional and local public transport, many expats in larger cities drive only occasionally and rent when needed. For driving schools, insurers and other local services, browse the ExpatListing Germany directory.
Frequently asked questions
