Foreign driver's licenses
We inform you about the most important German regulations for holders of foreign driver‘s licenses.
General information
For temporary stays (less than 185 days/year), you can drive in Germany with your foreign driver's license. Your driver's license must be valid for this period.
You must observe the following conditions and restrictions on your driver’s license in Germany:
- With a valid foreign driver’s license, you may drive motor vehicles of the classes for which your driver’s license is issued.
- Underage license holders (under the age of 18) are not allowed to drive in Germany (exception: accompanied driving is possible from the age of 17).
- The driver's license must be carried when driving a motor vehicle.
- Non-EU/EEA citizens also require an international driver’s license or a translation.
- If your foreign driver’s license is about to expire or is no longer valid, please contact the Landesbetrieb Verkehr (LBV) immediately.
Further validity of foreign driver's licenses
The validity of your driver‘s license beyond temporary stays depends on several factors, such as how long you stay in Germany, but also where your driver's license was originally issued.
Further information on the validity of foreign driver’s licenses in the Federal Republic of Germany can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport or on the Handbook Germany website.
Please note: Driving a motor vehicle with a foreign driver's license that is not or no longer recognized here is considered driving without a licence and will be reported to the police.
Driver’s licenses from EU and EEA
If you hold a valid domestic driver’s license, you may drive a vehicle in Germany until this permit expires. A transfer of your driver’s license is only necessary if you need to renew your driver’s license (see section ‘Converting your foreign driver‘s license‘).
Special regulations apply to driver’s licenses for categories C and D (buses and trucks). If you have a driver‘s license in these categories and require further information on validity, you can contact the Landesbetrieb Verkehr (LBV).
Driver’s licenses from countries outside the EU and the EEA
If you have a foreign driver‘s license that was not obtained in an EU or an EEA state, it is valid for six months from the time you take up normal residence in the Federal Republic of Germany. After that, your foreign driver‘s license will no longer be recognized and must be converted into a German driver’s license (see section ‘Converting your foreign driver‘s license‘).
Converting your foreign driver‘s license
Your foreign driver's license must be valid in order for it to be converted.
Requirements for conversion
The requirements for obtaining a German driver’s license depend on the country in which you obtained your foreign driver’s license. You may also have to take another driving test. You can read more about this on the Handbook Germany website or contact the relevant office directly:
LBV Hamburg-Mitte, Ausschläger Weg 100, 20537 Hamburg
LBV Hamburg-Nord, Langenhorner Chaussee 491, 22419 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 42858-0
E-mail: fuehrerschein@lbv.hamburg.de
Internet: www.lbv.hamburg.de
You can book an appointment for the conversion online.
Information on the required documents can be found on the Hamburg Service website under “Important notes”:
If you meet the requirements and present the necessary documents, the LBV will issue you with a German driver’s license.