Driving licence and vehicles

Polish licence valid in Germany, no exchange needed, re-registering a car.

A valid EU or EEA driving licence entitles the holder with ordinary residence in Germany to drive motor vehicles in Germany within the scope of the licence (§ 28 (1) FeV). There is no obligation to exchange your Polish licence for a German one, and no time limit after moving. Restrictions follow from § 28 (2) to (4) FeV, for example where a driving ban or withdrawal of the licence was imposed in Germany.

• Conditions entered in the Polish licence also apply here (§ 28 (1) sentence 2).
• When the card expires, it is renewed in Germany as your state of normal residence (Art. 7 (3) Directive 2006/126/EC).
• If you voluntarily exchange to a German licence, you may have to surrender the Polish one. Rules and costs of a voluntary exchange not verified.
• Vehicle: a Polish-registered car that stays in Germany long-term may have to be re-registered and insured here. The deadline and the Berlin procedure were not checked; see the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) and service.berlin.de.
• Fines and points can follow you across the EU. Cross-border enforcement is not described here.