Converting a foreign driving license (non-EU) in Berlin
The German version of this page has been changed, this translation has not. Please rely on the German page.
You have a driving license from a country outside the EU/EEA and now live in Berlin? Your foreign license remains valid for six months after you establish your habitual residence here (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FeV). On request, this can be extended by up to six more months.
After that you need a German license. How much effort this takes depends on your country of origin:
- For countries listed in Anlage 11 FeV, conversion is simplified: generally no medical exam, no eyesight test, no driving test, and no first-aid course are required — unless specific facts justify a test.
- For other countries, the training requirements are waived, but the driving test, first-aid course, and eyesight test are still generally required.
The fee is 37.50 euros without a test, 45.10 euros with a test.
Important: an international driving permit does NOT replace conversion — you always need the original national license. And there is a contradiction in the official information about who to contact: get in touch beforehand to clarify.
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- Note the six-month deadlineYour foreign license is valid for six months from establishing your habitual residence in Berlin (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FeV). You can request an extension of up to six more months (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 5 FeV).
- Check whether your country is listed in Anlage 11 FeVFor countries in Anlage 11, conversion is simplified: generally no medical exam, eyesight test, driving test, or first-aid course, unless specific facts justify a test (§ 31 Abs. 1a FeV). For other countries, only the training requirements are waived (§ 31 Abs. 2 FeV).
- Gather the required documentsYou need: ID/passport, residence title, biometric photo, your original foreign driving license, a translation if required, information about the driving school/test center, proof of a first-aid course (for third countries), an eyesight test (for car/motorcycle classes A/B), medical certificates (for truck/bus licenses), and a Führungszeugnis (certificate of good conduct) for bus licenses.
- Clarify beforehand where to applyThere is a contradiction: the Berlin service page names both the Bürgerämter (citizens' offices) and the LABO as points of contact, while the LABO's own FAQ states that only the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde (driving license authority) is responsible. Call ahead to avoid a wasted trip.
- Submit your application and pay the feeThe fee is 37.50 euros without a test, 45.10 euros if a test is required.
- An international driving permit is NOT convertible on its own — you always need the original national driving license.
- What happens if you drive after the six-month deadline without having converted your license: no confirmed information is available for this.
- Contradiction in the official information: the Berlin service page names the Bürgerämter (citizens' offices) and the LABO as points of contact, but the LABO's own FAQ states that "ausschließlich die Fahrerlaubnisbehörde" (exclusively the driving license authority) is responsible. Clarify beforehand which office to actually contact.
- Whether conversion is still possible after the six-month deadline has passed: no confirmed information is available for this.
In depth · Legal basis, figures and practice – for counsellors and professionals
Federal law: Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV, driving license ordinance)
Foreign driving licenses entitle the holder to drive within Germany as long as the holder does not have an ordentlicher Wohnsitz (habitual residence) here under § 7 FeV (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 1 FeV). If the holder of a driving license issued in a state outside the EU/EEA establishes habitual residence within Germany, „besteht die Berechtigung noch sechs Monate“ ("the entitlement continues to exist for a further six months") (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FeV). The Fahrerlaubnisbehörde (driving license authority) can, on request, extend this period by up to six months if the applicant credibly shows that their habitual residence in Germany will not exceed twelve months (Satz 5). For holders of an EU/EEA driving license, further entitlement is governed by § 28 FeV (Satz 3); that case is not the subject of this page. § 29 Abs. 2 FeV contains further rules on proof and translation of foreign driving licenses (only available in summarized form; consult the statutory text for the exact wording).
Conversion: Anlage-11 states (§ 31 Abs. 1 FeV)
If the holder of a driving license issued in a state listed in Anlage 11 (Annex 11), in a class listed there, applies for a domestic driving license for the corresponding class, the following do not apply under § 31 Abs. 1 Satz 1 FeV: (1) § 11 Abs. 9 (medical examination) and § 12 Abs. 6 (eyesight examination), unless an examination is required by analogous application of §§ 23 and 24; (2) § 12 Abs. 2 (eyesight test); (3) § 15 (competency test/Befähigungsprüfung) „nach Maßgabe der Anlage 11“ ("as specified by Anlage 11"); (4) § 19 (first-aid training); (5) the provisions on training. As an exception, the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde orders a driving test under § 31 Abs. 1a FeV „wenn Tatsachen vorliegen, die die Annahme rechtfertigen“ ("where facts exist that justify the assumption") that the applicant no longer has the required knowledge and skills. Restrictions on the foreign driving license to vehicles without a clutch pedal (or gear lever, for classes A, A1, A2) are carried over. If the driving license was issued in an Anlage-11 state but in a class not listed in Anlage 11, Absatz 2 (paragraph 2) applies correspondingly. Exactly which countries and classes are listed in Anlage 11, and for which of them the test „nach Maßgabe der Anlage 11“ does or does not apply: no confirmed information is available for this (Anlage 11 itself was not confirmed).
Conversion: states outside Anlage 11 (§ 31 Abs. 2 FeV)
If the holder of a driving license from a state not listed in Anlage 11 applies for a driving license for the corresponding class, „sind die Vorschriften über die Ausbildung nicht anzuwenden“ ("the provisions on training do not apply") (§ 31 Abs. 2 FeV). The further relief granted under Absatz 1 (waiving the examination, eyesight test, first-aid training, and the § 15 FeV competency test) does not, by its wording, apply to these states. This matches the document list on the Berlin service page (proof of first aid „nur Drittstaaten“ — "third countries only" — and an eyesight test). The requirement to take a test (theoretical and practical) is a conclusion drawn from the structure of § 31 FeV; the Berlin page does not state it explicitly but instead refers to „Fahrschule und Prüfstelle“ ("driving school and test center") and a fee „mit Prüfung“ ("with test"). Further detail on the content of the test, the language of the test, test centers, and waiting times: no confirmed information is available for this.
Procedure and handover (§ 31 Abs. 3 and 4 FeV)
The applicant must prove possession of the foreign driving license by means of the national driving license and must provide a declaration that the foreign driving license is still valid; the authority may verify its accuracy (Abs. 3). For an Anlage-11 conversion, the German driving license must note that it was based on a driving license not issued within the EU/EEA. The license is only handed over against surrender of the foreign license. The authority returns the foreign license to the issuing body via the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Motor Transport Authority) if a corresponding agreement exists with that state; otherwise it retains the license. Retained licenses can be destroyed after three years (Abs. 4).
Implementation in Berlin
Per the Berlin service page, the requirement is a Hauptwohnsitz (main residence) in Berlin (a Nebenwohnsitz, secondary residence, only in justified exceptional cases with consent); an in-person appointment is required; an appointment must be booked; missing documents can be submitted afterward. The page names §§ 28, 30, 31 FeV and the countries of Anlage 11 as the legal bases. Fees per the page: 37.50 euros without a test, 45.10 euros with a test. Responsible is the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde within the Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO, State Office for Citizens' and Regulatory Affairs), Puttkamerstr. 16–18, 10969 Berlin, tel. (030) 90269-2300. For cases involving a test, the LABO FAQ states: both the originals of the test certificate (Prüfbescheinigung) and the foreign driving license must be presented to the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde.
Known gaps
- What is “Converting a foreign driving license (non-EU) in Berlin” about?
- A driving license from a non-EU country is valid for six months after you establish habitual residence in Berlin — after that you must convert it, with simplified rules for some countries.
- Which deadlines and figures matter?
- 6 Monate ab Begründung des gewöhnlichen Aufenthalts: Validity of a foreign (non-EU) driving license in Germany (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FeV)
- Verlängerung um bis zu 6 weitere Monate auf Antrag: Extension of the six-month validity period (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 5 FeV)
- What should I do first?
- Note the six-month deadline: Your foreign license is valid for six months from establishing your habitual residence in Berlin (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FeV). You can request an extension of up to six more months (§ 29 Abs. 1 Satz 5 FeV).
- Check whether your country is listed in Anlage 11 FeV: For countries in Anlage 11, conversion is simplified: generally no medical exam, eyesight test, driving test, or first-aid course, unless specific facts justify a test (§ 31 Abs. 1a FeV). For other countries, only the training requirements are waived (§ 31 Abs. 2 FeV).
- Gather the required documents: You need: ID/passport, residence title, biometric photo, your original foreign driving license, a translation if required, information about the driving school/test center, proof of a first-aid course (for third countries), an eyesight test (for car/motorcycle classes A/B), medical certificates (for truck/bus licenses), and a Führungszeugnis (certificate of good conduct) for bus licenses.
- What should I watch out for?
- An international driving permit is NOT convertible on its own — you always need the original national driving license.
- What happens if you drive after the six-month deadline without having converted your license: no confirmed information is available for this.
- Contradiction in the official information: the Berlin service page names the Bürgerämter (citizens' offices) and the LABO as points of contact, but the LABO's own FAQ states that "ausschließlich die Fahrerlaubnisbehörde" (exclusively the driving license authority) is responsible. Clarify beforehand which office to actually contact.
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